Hey, @Gardevoir! Yeah, it just takes a bit of googling sometimes. I’m actually going to Auburn (hence the wink and all, haha). There are a few reasons, so I’ll try to be brief.
First, the one that sounds really good - I wanted to not pay anything at all for college if I could help it. Now, this isn’t realistic for most people, but that’s what I wanted, so I made sure to qualify for the two big full-tuition scholarships in-state. For both Alabama and Auburn, that’s a 30 ACT and 3.5 GPA. A 32 gets you an extra $1000 at Auburn, but it’s not a big tipping point. With additional scholarships, I’ve managed to end up with a full ride.
I also wanted somewhere that was really strong in my majors/minor - Art History and Foreign Languages. I felt that was Auburn, but you’ll find that varies. However, Auburn was much more willing to work with me double-majoring and minoring. Also, there’s an art museum on campus that’s nationally accredited, so that’s a big deal to me.
Also, I’m not into Greek life, like at all, and I don’t care about football. I found that there were a lot more like-minded peers at Auburn than anywhere else on my list. I felt like the Honors College at Auburn was the best that I had interacted with. Lots more opportunities for research and independent study.
But I’ll be real with you and tell you that it was 100% fit and falling in love on campus. I love everything about Auburn, and you can definitely PM if you want to ask me anything. There’s a certain stereotype about SEC schools, and that’s honestly so misleading. As an introverted, non-Southern, non-religious, and non-conservative person, I don’t feel more at home than Auburn. So there’s a place for everyone.
Also, publics are a lot more generous with AP/IB credit, which a fellow IB kid will definitely appreciate. I have friends that went in with five semesters of credit. That’s pretty amazing.