<p>I haven’t been able to take S for a campus visit yet. Does that adversely affect his chances of becoming UFE finalist? Hope not.</p>
<p>It is understood that many UFE and CBHP applicants may not be able to visit campus before decisions are made. Your son’s chances are not going to be hurt by him having not yet visited campus. That said, I highly suggest that he visits campus within the next couple of months.</p>
<p>UFE fnalists will be notified within the next 2 weeks…usually about the last week of January.</p>
<p>If your son is selected to be a finalist, then he’ll see the campus for the interview weekend.</p>
<p>Does anyone have a feeling or knowledge of which weekend in February that the UFE & CBH interviews will be held? I think the CBH page from last year is still accessible, and it looks like it was the weekend of 2/20 extending into Monday 2/22. This year, that would mean the 19th - 21 or 26th - 28th if they did a week later. Also, what accommodations do they make for the students as far as travel, hotel, etc. My wife and I are thinking of coming too, assuming she’s chosen, since my wife did not come on the first visit and she is excited to see the campus. If we’re going to do that, then I need to start eye-balling airfares, etc. If anyone has any experience or knowledge to share, that would be great.</p>
<p>In the past, Bama has put the students up in Hotel Capstone (at Bama’s expense). The kids are often “doubled up” with another student, so parents have to get their own room if they come. And, yes, it’s usually that weekend. The UFE kids are there on Fri and Sat…and the CBH kids are there on Sun and Mon…some kids are there for all 4 days if they are interviewing for both.</p>
<p>Bama also feeds the kids during the weekend…at least for breakfast and lunch…not sure about dinner…(don’t remember). I remember the kids being given a Dining Card. </p>
<p>In the past, Bama has reimbursed the student’s airfare costs up to a certain amount.</p>
<p>I have no idea if Bama is going to continue with airfare reimbursement, so take this all with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>Last year, for UFE, the school provided one room per family. If a student came alone, they were doubled up with another finalist.</p>
<p>Last year notifications for semi-finalists were sent via email. The semi-finalists had phone interviews and the finalists were named from that group.</p>
<p>Here’s the rundown for the weekend. It’s listed on the CBHP page:</p>
<p><a href=“http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/uploads/forms/CBHP/Recruits/FAQ%20for%20Recruits.doc[/url]”>http://honors.cbhp.ua.edu/uploads/forms/CBHP/Recruits/FAQ%20for%20Recruits.doc</a></p>
<p>Incredibly well planned out and explained. Nice.</p>
<p>Last year UA did reimburse for air travel but as mom2ck indicated that was last year. However I would go with instinct and think that they probably will again.</p>
<p>My son attended for CBH last year and to be honest I really don’t think these two days are geared at all for the parents. Rooms were shared between students and the two days are packed with events for the students only. The students need to meet and greet each other at events and be interviewed. Also, while they have some free time it is used to unwind and socialize.</p>
<p>In my opinion, it is a good time to allow your students to travel on their own and be challenged in a new situation. My son knew that our support was only a phone call away.</p>
<p>In our case, I knew that my son would be attending college very far away, so it was a good experience to do on his own. Now that being said, my son is very independent, but only you know your individual child. But I do believe that there were some parents who attended and found this a good choice, so parents please chime in. In the end, it is really a personal choice.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the quick and thorough replies. (As usual!) The information about hotel, airfare, and the students time commitments are well taken, thanks. If my wife and I travel to Tuscaloosa as well, it will be under that assumption that we’ll have little to no “contact” with our daughter while she’s off doing her thing. My daughter and I had a wonderful visit to UA a couple months ago, and my wife is DYING to see with her own eyes all that UA has to offer. We’ll just have to walk around like the lonely, unattached, and conspicuous parents. We’ll do a lot of pointing, stopping in the wrong place, and ooing and awwing! 
And I’m sure this forum is the right place to send my wife and I to all the best BBQ and other local retaurants, right? Thanks again.</p>
<p>The UFE weekend did have several activities for the parents. On Friday, there was a reception for students and parents. Of course, Dr. Morgan, Wellon, and Dr. Sharpe were there along with many current Fellows. Dr. Witt even addressed the group briefly. The students went on to dinner and the parents were on their own. On Saturday, for parents, there was a walking tour of campus and a Q&A lunch with some of the administrators and students currently in the program. The students spent Saturday having individual interviews with the committee and also specialized meetings with professors and administrators in areas of interest to them.</p>
<p>The weekend gave us greater insight to what UFE is all about and how wonderful the Honors College people are. It was my husband’s first time to see the campus. Before that, I don’t think he understood what all the hoopla was about! Needless to say, it all made a very good impression!</p>
<p>momofonly1: Thanks for answering that from a parent’s perspective. UFE seems to have had a different schedule from CBH. </p>
<p>Just to clarify, there are no scheduled CBH parent programs (see link above with schedule) However, you can always wander around on your own and eat BBQ! I recommend Full Moon over Dreamland. :)</p>
<p>Dad2ILD: We are all about the food here 
You’ll get plenty of recommendations…</p>
<p>I attended CBH weekend with son. Even though he didn’t have to check in until Sunday, we flew in to Birmingham Saturday afternoon and shared a room at the Capstone. We spent the evening walking around the campus, walking the grounds of Riverside, the Shelby complex, the Ferguson Center, the Quad, and the Rogers Library. It was a Saturday, so only the Ferg and Rogers Library were open, but we did have an RA show us around Riverside’s floors, the kitchen and laundry room, common rooms, but we did not see an actual dorm room. We had seen a model room at Ridgecrest during Capstone, so we were somewhat familiar with the inside of a dorm room. We got to talk to a lot of students, especially engineering majors in Rogers, and got lots of tips on classes, professors, coop and internship programs, and even met kids who had a job after graduation! We shopped at Publix for breakfast pastries so we could head to early mass at St. Francis before he had to check in for CBH weekend. </p>
<p>After son checked in with the group, I didn’t see him, even though I stayed in the same hotel room we shared the night before. I registered for a tour on Monday while he went through his interview, which was fantastic! You will need to register for a tour online through the admissions link.</p>
<p>Excellent information everyone. I haven’t visited UA either. So, if he gets the invitation, I would probably go with him and take a tour myself. Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>Since Bama pays a nice “per mile” reimbursement for those who drive, some who don’t have tooooo far to drive, will drive so that a parent can go for free. Often the “per mile” reimbursement is enough to pay for gas and the parent’s hotel room (if a reasonable priced one is gotten). </p>
<p>If I remember correctly, in 2007, the reimbursement was about 50 cents per mile (probably higher now - anyone know?). </p>
<p>So, if you can get 30 miles per gallon, and you drive say 500 miles roundtrip (250 each way), and the reimbursement is 50 cents per mile, you’d get $250 reimbursement and use less than 20 gallons of gas (if I did the math correctly…LOL)…which will cost about $60-80.</p>
<p>It seems to me that CBH always doubles kids up in rooms. UFE does things differently.</p>
<p>I believe that the CBH boys are tripling…</p>
<p>Hello,</p>
<p>My son sent in the fellows application–it looks like there are wonderful opportunities for those selected. His invitation to apply indicated that one of the benefits is “significant scholarship support”, but there were no specifics, which seemed strange. UA is usually very transparent in what they offer–a real plus for them! Does anyone know what scholarship is offered? Thanks.</p>
<p>About 8 UFE kids are given the Academic Elite Scholarship.</p>
<p>Frankly, I think that scholarship should be eliminated and instead all the UFE kids should get an extra scholarship.</p>
<p>oh, so not even all of those who are chosen for UFE get the full ride + 8500 stipend??</p>
<p>^That’s right, as I understand it. VERY few get the 8500 stipend. UFE and Academic Elite are two different things … though, supposedly, most of the Academic Elites are from UFE. Or so I understand, anyway. I’m just the parent of an applicant myself, so I know absolutely nothing firsthand. :)</p>