Travel to U of AL & U of TX?

<p>Hi,
Son has been accepted to U of AL & U of TX. We definitely need to visit (northeasterners, have never been near those two states so have no clue about culture, weather, etc.).</p>

<p>Just wondered if anyone had any tips? I'm trying to figure whether it's better/more affordable to combine the two schools into one trip (although this may be rushed & disadvantage the impression of the second school?). Additionally, trying to brain out whether there was a cheaper way of getting there (last minute flights? fly to FL on a cheapie ticket then drive?). We're in Southern NJ.</p>

<p>Someone pointed out that if we visit a school in Jan, then son might not have a positive impression (not as beautiful as if we visited closer to spring). But, son has applied to so many schools that I think we might be jammed up if we save all our visits until after Feb/March/April acceptances. </p>

<p>U of AL has offered almost a free ride, so it's definitely on the table for financial reasons. U of TX has a top-10-ranked program in son's major, so it's up there for academics. </p>

<p>I've been on expedia trying to figure this out, but if anyone had any insights (on absolutely any point!) it would be greatly appreciated!</p>

<p>Thanks!!</p>

<p>It was 70 degrees in austin yesterday, with blue sky, etc - I wouldn't worry about not having a positive impression due to weather! Do wait until students are back on campus after winter break.</p>

<p>I would fly to Birmingham and/or Austin from Philadelphia or Baltimore on Southwest. You will have a little bit of a drive from Birmingham to UA, but not bad. You can then go back to Bham and fly to Austin (probably through Houston or Dallas) on Southwest. You could also do the trip in reverse and go from Phila to Austin. I would definitely use Southwest. Watch the Phila/Austin routes. There are some with just a stop in Houston and others with a couple of connections.</p>

<p>That's great to hear, anxiousmom! Hope the same is true in AL. Would just love to get these visits out of the way. 70 & sunny sounds heavenly to those of us in 20 degree/grey sky weather!</p>

<p>Edit--thanks MOWC!! That's good to hear. Will check out Southwest. I guess it would be better/cheaper to combine the flights in one trip. Hadn't thought of Baltimore; that's a great tip (was just looking at Newark/Philly).</p>

<p>For planning purposes, the Austin airport, Austin Bergstrom Interntional Airport, is less than a half-hour from UT.</p>

<p>When are you thinking of coming? School is back in session Jan. 20.</p>

<p>Beautiful day yesterday. Cloudy and 43 today. One great thing about Texas in January is you never know what you'll get.</p>

<p>Thanks, youdon'tsay. I guess we'd plan at the end of Jan, esp if combining both schools. U of AL is back in early Jan. Good to know how close the airport is to UT!</p>

<p>Just realize that at UT you need to be there early for the tours about 40 minutes ahead of time, because you will do some paperwork, then get on the bus that will take you to the start of the tour at the required time. They don't really spell this out.</p>

<p>Thank you, ejr1! These are the tips that are so important to know. Especially if we were flying in for the day, would hate to get there unknowingly late and miss the tour! Thanks.</p>

<p>Bama is having their Capstone Scholars Day on Saturday, January 18 but I also think they will have regular admission tours that day. The campus will probably be quite busy that weekend so if you were planning on going make sure you can get a hotel room!
Most public universities do not conduct tours or information sessions on MLK day or Presidents Day which is a shame since all high schools are out and kids won't have to miss a day of school if they want to tour.
Many but not all private colleges may still conduct tours and info sessions on those 2 school holidays so keep that in mind with planning last minute college visits!
I agree with MOWC that Southwest has great cheap flights and connections to Birmingham which is about an hour's drive from Tuscaloosa and to Austin.
It is worth signing up for their frequent flier program as you could get quite a few segments in your account with just these trips alone.</p>

<p>Definitely do Southwest airlines out of Philadelphia or Baltimore. Teens earn double credit on frequent flyer, which may come in handy later when he earns a free round trip- if he goes to one or the other school, for visits home.</p>

<p>Good tips, hope4freeride & pipmom! Thank you!</p>

<p>I'd thought maybe going to the Capstone Scholars day (son could tour the school on Jan 17) & was trying to plan a trip then. But, started thinking: rather than an 'honors brunch' -- the more important thing, I think, for son is to get a feel for the school, maybe sit in on a class or two, eat at the caf, meet students, etc. Plus, if we went for Capstone, we'd be too early to visit U of TX (they resume classes 1/20).</p>

<p>However, maybe there's some upside to attending Capstone that I hadn't thought about? Son seems amenable to going whenever it works best.</p>

<p>I second pipmom. PHL is the airport to fly. SWA also has no-penalty tickets. You just change the flights by paying the prevailing fare without any penalty. You can do PHL-BHM-AUS-PHL. You can also do PHL-MSY (drive to BHM with a small vacation in NO)-AUS-PHL</p>

<p>Well, I don't have any comments regarding travel details, but I will say this:</p>

<p>As a long-time resident of Austin, TX and someone with multiple friends at Alabama.....U of A is WAY, WAY, WAY more "Southern" than UT. Austin is such an eclectic city, and the student population is pretty diverse (lots of asians and hispanics for sure). </p>

<p>U of A......not so much. It is definitely more of your typical "dress up for football games," largely segregated type place, if you know what I mean, a la LSU, Ole Miss, U of Georgia, etc.</p>

<p>^^ This is true. UT is NOT a southern school. It is a TEXAS school. Austin is a very desirable city, although I think the growth and traffic have somewhat ruined it. Young people love it, though. The UT degree carries a little more weight than UA, although I have a lot of respect for UA Honors. And then there's the football thing......The Tide rolled the wrong way the other day. UT remains to be seen.</p>

<p>Go Horns!</p>

<p>Being a longtime Austinite, I always wonder how people view our fair city. I can't wait to hear Jolynne's/son's opinion after their visit. And yes, growth and traffic have changed the place, but I still love it. And so do others, hence the growth and traffic.</p>

<p>Thanks for those added insights! I did think that TX was possibly more cosmopolitan than AL. The comp sci dept is ranked quite high (#9) at UT-Austin, which son likes.</p>

<p>Curious about this, though: "largely segregated type place, if you know what I mean, a la LSU, Ole Miss, U of Georgia, etc."</p>

<p>Never having been v. far south except to the Outer Banks & on I-95 to Disney when young...not sure exactly what this means? Would appreciate any added details if you wouldn't mind sharing. For instance---is it racially segregated? Is there a different perception of women down there...maybe less modern in some respects?</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>No, we are not a racially segregated area nor are women looked down upon. Come and visit Alabama--it is not what it was in the 1960's! We are desperately trying to shed that image and believe it or not, there are other areas in this country that are racially biased--it just doesn't make front page headlines. (Sorry if this sounds harsh, but the perception of our state is sometimes just over the top!) Come visit...</p>

<p>PS--the scholarships/programs that U of A offers are fantastic and well worth consideration!</p>

<p>I do a lot of business in Alabama (my company has 2 plants there) and it's a mixed bag. I have a lot of respect for the University, and have a female co-worker who is the biggest Alabama football fan I have ever met. She could actually coach the team. It is certainly more conservative of a place than Austin, with less country/boot flavor. More gentile. Big frat/sorority presence. Strong honors college and a big push to attract strong students.
I've spent a lot of time in Austin. It's a fun place. The campus isn't anything special, but like NYU, the strength of the place is having the city around you. The whole athletic thing is really fun. UTexas is an extremely well-respected university. It truly is a place that students choose over very selective privates. It is huge, however, and there isn't a lot of personal attention. You will be attending school with mostly Texans. I happen to like Texans and spent 28 years living there, but some northerners find it to be an adjustment.</p>

<p>I grew up in Bham but now live in TX :)</p>

<p>We were in Austin last week and I thought the campus wasn't very attractive (sorry Horns!). Bama definitely has UT beat in that regard. UT is huge - 50K or so students. </p>

<p>I think they're about the same academic-wise.</p>

<p>Congrats to your S on getting accepted to both schools! The Bama scholarship thing is awesome from what I hear, and UT is crazy hard to get in with the top 10% thing.</p>

<p>If you get a chance to tour the capital in Austin, it's definitely worth the 45 minutes. :)</p>

<p>To get a feel for the campus area, take a walk down the Drag, or just be sure you drive down it. A lot of kids find that kind of off-campus entertainment, shopping and food establishments enticing. Much more accessible to kids without cars and cheaper than going to Sixth Street.</p>