There are under two weeks for me to decide where to go to college and I have basically narrowed it down to University of Alabama and University of South Carolina. I am from the northeast so I would have to pay out-of-state tuition, but both schools would cost roughly the same amount because of scholarships/grants. I was admitted to the honors program at both schools and I am going in as an engineering undecided major. I visited both campuses and liked both about equally in that regard. So really at this point it comes down to the difference between the honors and engineering programs. Can anyone compare these programs for me or give advice on which college I should pick? Thank you.
USouthCarolina: 500,000 square feet of teaching/academic/lab eng’g space
Alabama: 1Million square feet of teaching/academic/lab eng’g space (twice as much Eng’g space)
Plus, as an OOS student, attending Alabama would be more favorable.
Bama 54% OOS vs USoCarolina 30% OOS.
Crimson Tide > Gamecocks
Does SC include priority registration for honors students? Bama honors students register for classes before everyone else. This perk cannot be overstated.
Any difference in AP credits for you between the schools?
LOL, mom…USC’s eng’g enrollment is 1/2 of UA’s…
OP, please look here for hard data on each school’s eng’g program:
http://profiles.asee.org/profiles/6799/screen/20?school_name=The+University+of+Alabama
http://profiles.asee.org/profiles/6823/screen/20?school_name=University+of+South+Carolina
Based on size alone, I feel the two eng’g programs are significantly different and surely OP should have felt that on their tours, but perhaps not.
So, what about the engineering field interests you @bergen4? Although you say you are undecided, the eng’g majors are sufficiently different, and within each one the career paths are different still. So, where do you see yourself in 10 years time - what sort of job do you feel you will enjoy doing? (Note that USC does not have some of the concentrations that UA has, and vice versa.)
I ask these questions because if all other factors truly are equal, it will come down to what sort of experience you feel you can get from each school and how far that experience can take you. I hope you are asking your question on the USC forum, too. People here will tell you story after story of how well their kids did and how glad they are to have made UA their choice.
Re the Honors programs, I feel that USC’s would be significantly more involved and is considered very prestigious. UA’s honors program seems to be what you make of it. To illustrate this, look for “A Review of Fifty Public Honors Programs” - you should be able to see both programs there and compare them. USC’s has been very highly ranked (5 mortar boards) - it is 1 of only 7 schools with this high ranking. I highly recommend you look at this site for further information: http://publicuniversityhonors.com/2013/10/05/now-well-be-tracking-75-honors-programs-and-here-they-are/ Adding: there are various tabs at the top there to click on, including “Choosing an Honors Program–20 Questions to Ask.” Good luck with your decision!
I think Mom’s figure is actually lower than it should have been. The NEW Science and Engineering buildings are about 1 million square feet. UA has a number of older buildings which have been and are still used for Engineering teaching/research, etc. So the total square footage is much higher.
bergen4: Good luck in making your final decision! Have not toured USC but I have to say the multiple, very new, state-of-the-art engineering labs at UA are very impressive. Roll Tide!