<p>We are from Michigan and my son will likely be attending Michigan State. He is not very motivated with this whole applications process - so I am having difficulty getting him to look at other colleges.</p>
<p>I think UA is worth looking at because of the scholarships he can get. But I am wondering: what were some of the factors that led you or your child to choose UA over another state school? What might set it apart from MSU?</p>
<p>Ohhh…Bama is just a wonderful place. </p>
<p>There are at least 2 other threads like this, hopefully I or someone can find it.</p>
<p>BTW…the Bama app takes like 3 minutes…ask your son if he’d mind if you filled it out. No essays or teacher recs req’d. Super simple and easy to do.</p>
<p>edit…</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/1172739-what-do-you-like-most-about-university-alabama.html?highlight=like[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/1172739-what-do-you-like-most-about-university-alabama.html?highlight=like</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/1125970-curious-about-calculus-oos-who-chose-ua.html?highlight=calculus[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/1125970-curious-about-calculus-oos-who-chose-ua.html?highlight=calculus</a></p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Thank you. I did find one of the links:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1199648-please-tell-me-all-about-university-alabama.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/1199648-please-tell-me-all-about-university-alabama.html</a></p>
<p>My son is not a NMF so some of the info won’t apply…but he should get the merit scholarship for the over 32 ACT and possibly the engineering scholarship. </p>
<p>I’m off to read the thread above…</p>
<p>If your son applies and has the ACT 32 and needed GPA…then he’s get both scholarships if he lists that he’s majoring in some kind of engineering or comp science.</p>
<p>I added a second thread to my above post.</p>
<p>The best barbecue ever outside Birmingham - Miss Myra’s !</p>
<p>lol…</p>
<p>I think the question is about the university. ;)</p>
<p>How bout almost one million in square footage of new academic, and research space for UA’s College of Engineering, and its Chemistry and Biology programs. Alabama senator Richard Shelby was able to direct hundreds of millions in federal support to UA to advance its Science and Engineering programs. The new facilities are gorgeous and surround a large new green space. By November, the entire Science and Engineering Complex will be three quarters completed. I will try to send links to pics later. But we discuss them a lot here for they are equal to the facilities at any of the other top schools in the nation, and are just one of the reasons UA is now a top 35 public university, and rising.</p>
<p>One of my best friends here at UA is from Michigan, that’s one unique thing about it, the regional diversity. I believe half the freshman class this year was out of state.</p>
<p>We are from Michigan and my daughter will be attending Fall 2012. The factors that led her away from MSU or U-M were:</p>
<ol>
<li>Big scholarship money for Alabama (32+ ACT)</li>
<li>Rising University that is gonna get more prestige in the next 5-10 years.</li>
<li>Honors College + Dorms</li>
<li>The theory that the South is becoming the power center for new jobs. There just aren’t any jobs in Michigan depending on what you want to do.</li>
<li>The weather</li>
<li>Everyone else goes to MSU. My D thought it would be like high school again.</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for all the input. TeamHoward…you are really on the ball. We are still working on apps and essays. Did you visit Alabama? My son really has no interest in going to school in the South…too hot for him and too far away…but the price sure is right with the scholarships. Of course, he hasn’t seen it yet.</p>
<p>The visit will turn the TIDE! :-)</p>
<p>Coincidentally, his spring break mission trip is in Alabama this year. I am hoping to find a way to whisk him away for a visit during that time. Unfortunately, that is not until the first week of April.</p>
<p>The other thing, is he really hates to fly. I think I am living vicariously through him as a way to escape Michigan…I really hate the winter months here.</p>
<p>(I am guessing he will ultimately end up at MI Tech or MSU…but it’s fun to consider this other option!)</p>
<p>*Of course, he hasn’t seen it yet. *</p>
<p>Have him visit!</p>
<p>Women
weather
women
campus beauty (in part due to the women)
school spirit second to none
women
Big school with a small town feel
Great leadership
women
impressive academics that are only improving
women
FOOTBALL (Nick Saban came south for a reason)
women</p>
<p>I attended Michigan State. My son attends Bama. It’s no contest at any level that I can discern: Roll Tide.</p>
<p>When will be a good time to visit?</p>
<p>wdaveo: We visited campus in July. My daughter loves hot weather and hates winter so it’s a good fit. The campus is really beautiful and seems safe. Probably more of a concern for a daughter than a son. You can always set up a day to visit with the Honors College. They will set up an agenda with any departments he is interested in and a student will show you the dorms. Good luck! Hope to hear you’ll be joining us in the fall.</p>
<p>Tommy…</p>
<p>It’s best not to visit on a weekend because faculty isn’t there. </p>
<p>I think it’s best to arrive on a Sunday, visit early Monday, and then return home later that day</p>
<p>If that’s not doable, then arrive late Thursday, visit Friday, and leave after that (but not on a home game weekend because hotel prices are tooooo high or ungettable.)</p>
<p>If you can tour mid-week, then that’s fine.</p>
<p>It’s just not a good idea to visit when Bama is not in session (weekends/holidays). The offices are closed, no one to meet with, etc. </p>
<p>If you do visit…</p>
<p>set up a campus tour time online…try for the early morning one on a WEEK DAY that is not a Bama holiday. The faculty and profs are not on campus on weekends or Bama holidays.</p>
<p>If time is precious, only set up the campus tour and not the info session. The info at the info session can easily be found on the Bama forum (or by asking in a thread). If time is precious, then by only scheduling the campus tour, that will give Allison more time to schedule meetings with faculty and such earlier in the day.<br>
[Campus</a> Visits - Undergraduate Admissions - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://gobama.ua.edu/visits/]Campus”>Visit)</p>
<p>send an email to Allison Verhine in the Honors College </p>
<p>In the email, include:</p>
<p>tour time and date
student name & contact info
test scores and GPA
(if a likely NMF, indicate so)
intended major
professional interests (pre-med, pre-law, pre-dental, etc)
interest in Computer Based Honors program and/or University Fellows Program (if desired)
Also, include any thing else that interests you about the school…such as touring the new Science and Engineering Complex and Shelby Hall. </p>
<p>Allison will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with dept heads, honors faculty, touring honors dorms, etc.</p>
<p>Allison Verhine - Honor College Recruitment Coordinator
269 Nott Hall
205-348-5534
<a href=“mailto:allison.verhine@ua.edu”>allison.verhine@ua.edu</a></p>
<p>Special Note!
Allison works very hard on these arrangements and often “hits the ground running” everyday meeting with prospective students/families, so it may take her a few days to respond. However, if you don’t get a response within a few days, resend AND call her. Sometimes mail goes to her SPAM folder and she doesn’t see it.</p>
<p>To anyone else reading this…Bama is already accepting apps for Fall 2012…the app is quick and easy…no essays and no teacher recs. A separate scholarship app must also be submitted, but it is easy as well.
[Admissions</a> - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Admissions)</p>
<p>A question about the scholarship application…my son qualifies for the out-of-state tuition scholarship (32 ACT) but not the higher level one that requires lots of leadership activities. He would also qualify, I believe for the engineering scholarship. </p>
<p>In looking at the scholarship application - I did not see a place to check the box for the out-of-state tuition scholarship or the engineering scholarship. Did I miss it or will he automatically be awarded those as long as the scholarship app is completed?</p>
<p>Assuming one meets the requirements, the OOS tuition scholarship (officially the UA Presidential Scholarship) and engineering scholarship are automatically awarded once the scholarship application is completed. Notification for the engineering scholarship may not be as quick as it is for the presidential scholarship.</p>