Hello everyone! I just got accepted into UA and from online, it is one of my top choices. Inevitably, I know I have to visit to decide but I just wanted to see how everyone else felt about the university. I am racially mixed and from New York so I do not want to feel so uncomfortable/excluded and be so far from home, so I have a couple questions.
How is the safety on campus and the surrounding area of Tuscaloosa?
How is transportation to local supermarkets etc. if you do not have a car?
How is the racial divide? (I come from a predominantly white area, but there are our fair share of minorities making me feel better)
I fell in love with Clemson and the southern feel of the school; however, it is unfortunately extremely out of budget and I just received a 34 on my ACT granting me almost full tuition (combined with the engineering scholarship).
Any opinions are wanted as I frantically continue my search as a senior. Thanks for your help!
I am neither a UA student nor alum, but I have toured it with my kids. But, I am a southerner. I always find these type of questions interesting. Culturally, the South is different than New York. Of course, you have already figured that out. I live in Memphis, which is a majority African-American city. It has its racial issues (both current and historical) just like any other place. That being said, I do not believe they are as raw as they are in other places. Partially, I think that is because as a culture we are forced to live with each other. Said differently, when I travel elsewhere, I notice the lack of diversity. Tuscaloosa is in the historical black belt of Alabama. The city is and will be much more diverse than most of New York (the city of excluded). It has and has had its history of racial problems. That being said, they are not as pronounced as you find in other places. For example, the issue with the sorority girl last year involved a sorority student from New Jersey (not the South) who was quickly expelled from the University. I firmly believe that any student, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, or political persuasion will fit in at any major public university in the US. Alabama is no different. Trust me, amongst the 30,000+ students in the University, there are some like you (and some you will dislike).
The town appeared (from my tour) very safe. The University maintained a bus system (the aptly named Crimson Ride) that ran through campus and local commercial areas, including I believe a grocery store and Target (though there was a Publix within what I consider walking distance of the University).
Tuscaloosa is much bigger than Clemson, SC. I would suggest taking a tour. As a former college tour guide, I was very impressed with our tour of the engineering school and our tour lead by the Capstone fellows.
Publix is right next to the West side of campus. As at other places, races seem to spend most of their time self-segregated but you will see mixed groups of friends here and there. UA has one of the higher numbers of African Americans of any state flagship. Latinos are increasing their presence at UA. And UA has a fairly substantial number of international students.
DS does not have a car, but most of his friends are from out of state and they do, so he usually does a store run w/ them to Target or Walmart. Also, he has prime w/ Amazon so can easily order things online.
There are also school shuttles, Uber drivers, & private shuttle companies for airport runs, so he has managed to live all 4 years in Tuscaloosa without a car. Might have been more convenient to have one but wasn’t really necessary.
@maitotoxin - a friend of my D’s went from Los Angeles to UA. She didn’t comment on a racial divide but she did say she went from feeling like the most conservative student at her high school here to feeling like the most liberal student at the University (this was 4 years ago). So coming from NYC the political climate “culture shock” might be fairly severe. Not saying that’s a bad thing, just something to consider.
My daughter is a freshman - we are from DC metro area, with family ties in Alabama. We are a liberal family and she has found a wide-range of friends who are liberal - both southerners and OOS. She is also in Honors and the Blount Scholars Initiative (check it out, very cool program). She has tons of friends with car and finds everyone very willing to share and help with rides - although the bus is easy, too. She is having a blast - and find that in her Honors and Blount classes that there are a lot students who want to both study and do well, but also enjoy college. She is involved with the ultimate frisbee team, Greek system, politics, and other activities. There will be extreme southern kindness and love and you will also find racism - but honestly, I think the love and “Bamily” family far out weigh the later. If you are thinking of southern school - Alabama is a fantastic choice. Roll Tide Roll.