University of Alabama, University of Mississippi, or University of Southern Mississippi

College Search & Selection
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<p>My son has been accepted to all three universities, but he still cannot decide. His major is either aerospace or geophysical engineering. At UA and UM he only has to pay $8,000 because of merit scholarships. At USM he pays nothing, a full ride!! Any thoughts on which school is better?</p>

2

<p>Alabama, for sure.</p>

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<p>Alabama…no question.</p>

<p>Have you visited the Bama forum here?
<a href=“University of Alabama - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>have you visited bama?</p>

<p>How come he hasnt yet had to make his decision/?</p>

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<p>Does your son know that Calif is the #5 state that sends students to Alabama? </p>

5

<p>No question - Alabama. $8,000 is not bad at all. All three schools, though would work out in the long run I’m sure.</p>

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<p>My choice would be Alabama. This is a late date for making this decision. Is he a transfer student?</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Only two of them are realistic candidates for a major in engineering.</p>

<p>Southern Mississippi has no engineering, only engineering technology (and none of aerospace, geological, or mechanical either):
<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=332”>http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=332&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Ole Miss has geological engineering, but not aerospace engineering (although mechanical engineering is often substituted):
<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=50”>http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=50&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Alabama has aerospace engineering, but not geological engineering:
<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=359”>http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=359&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>All of these schools are fair similar. Go with whichever is cheaper and whichever has the exact program you are looking for. </p>

9

<p>Well they are not similar if one doesn’t have an engineering department/degree.</p>

10

<p>misinformative…each of these schools are not similar.</p>

<p>southern miss doesnt have engg.</p>

<p>I’m guessing that this is an OOS student. If so, then engg at bama would likely be the better fit as so many of his/her classmates will also be from elsewhere. since the student has stats for high merit, then likely the student is an ACT 30+ student. </p>

<p>Ole Miss has a seriously southern feel which might be difficult for a non-southern student. Bama’s southern feel is limited to friendly folks. The atmosphere is more like a college campus anywhere.</p>

<p>I highly doubt that Ole Miss has the engg faciliities that Bama does…probably nowhere close.</p>

<p>The College of Engg at Bama is also going to have the most similar stats students…especially after the first year of weeding where the weaker students move on to other majors.</p>

<p>Bama doesnt have geological engg, but civilE and constructionE are often good alternatives…or even chemE, depending on career goal. (btw…I was shocked how much our HOA had to recently pay a ConstructionE firm to do some work. We were charged $400 an hour for the lead engineer and $250 an hour for each engineer in his team. I realize that the firm is getting a chunk, but it was still shocking.)</p>

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<p>Oh my…just checked…</p>

<p>Ole Miss’s college of engineering only has 116 students. it cant possibly have the facilities that bama has (Bama has over 3000 engineering students…and has a fabulously new Science and Engineering Complex)</p>

<p>This pic shows 4 of the 9 engineering buildings at Bama (the Shelby Engineering Quad is in the center). the 4 buildings shown are 900,000 square feet. there are 5 additional buildings.
<a href=“Facilities – College of Engineering | The University of Alabama”>http://eng.ua.edu/buildings/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>this is a no-brainer.</p>

<p>BTW…the cost at Bama will drop after frosh year since the first year is the only year that the high meal plan is req’d. Virtually no one gets that after frosh year…just too much food. Both of my boys got the Bronze plan after frosh year.</p>

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<p>A USM graduate here. I’d have to agree with others if you want to study engineering at Southern Miss you can’t even if the education is free. Alabama would be best.</p>

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<p>MomCali, has your DS seen Bama’s Co-Eds? My DS states that they are the prettiest anywhere in the US, lol.</p>

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<p>A quick correction, Ole Miss’s COE has (as of 2013) 1,230 undergraduates (not sure where 116 come from). It’s not a particularly large program, Miss State has a much larger program (2,700+ students). On the other hand, only a few dozen schools offer programs in Geological/Geophysical/Geomatics engineering.</p>

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<p>^^^
thanks…I got that from USNews…it was in two places so I didn’t think it was misprint. oops…now I realize that that is probably the grad school number…sorry.</p>

<p>Anyway, even 1200 is a smallish program for a flagship.</p>

<p>I still highly doubt that it has the facilities that Bama has</p>

16

<p>My son accepted at UA, however, both UM and USM keep trying to recruit him. He graduated 4/315 in his senior class, has a 4.3 GPA, and a 35 ACT score which I guess makes him desirable. He committed to UA because he received the Presidential and Engineering scholarships as well as acceptance into the Honors College and the STEM MBA program. After reading so many positive reviews of UA, that is where he has decided to go. Does anybody have information on the STEM program, how difficult is it? I want to make sure he is not overloaded.</p>

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<p>Does anybody have information on the STEM program,
<<<<</p>

<p>are you asking for info on STEM? or STEM MBA?</p>

<p>If STEM MBA, ask in the Bama forum. there are students and parents there that can answer.</p>

<p><a href=“University of Alabama - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Has your son gotten on his UA crimson mail - if he has applied to STEM MBA and been accepted (it is a quick turn around), he should be receiving emails on crimson mail from Dr. Rob Morgan <a href=“mailto:rmorgan@cba.ua.edu”>rmorgan@cba.ua.edu</a> - there is a summer book to read, and first semester he signs up for 1.5 hour course, GBA 171. Get up to speed on getting the book so he can be ready for first day of class. </p>

<p>My DD will be a freshman engineering student, in honors and STEM MBA. She is not a big reader, but UA is arranging for speakers to come on campus relevant to the info with the chapters (it is an engineering type book, a best seller).</p>

<p>Your son will be fine with his Aerospace Eng, Honors, and STEM MBA. His high stats show he is smart and good at school. The business school has this manageable.</p>

<p>Learn as much as you can during Bama Bound and have him get a great first semester schedule during the registration time at BB. There are two parent UA facebook pages (one general, one for class of 2018). Resources available on campus and via social media for students and parents.</p>