I need help picking the right college for me! I am a senior from Indiana and I am deciding between IU and UA. I got enough scholarship money to UA for out of state that it is almost identical in price (not including travel costs back home). I have visited both schools and I love them both. I plan on majoring in hospitality tourism and have talked to the head of each program offering similar education. My problem is choosing which one. My brother currently goes to an SEC school and loves it which made me interested in UA in the first place. I love the dorms, the weather, the school, and the Greek system! However I am far away and I don’t know anyone which makes me nervous. IU is only a couple minutes away from where I live which also worries me because I feel like I may be too close to my family and everyone from my high school goes here. My best friends go to IU which makes me feel like I’m still in high school. It seems that IU is a perfect fit in academics and social life but so is UA. I guess I just need help on whether I should go 9 hours away from home and know nobody or stay close and be with the same people I’ve known my whole life. Has anyone gone OOS for school or any advice it would help me so much!
I’m not sure of the exact stat, but Alabama is over 50% out of state students. Also, if you had the stats to get a really good scholarship, were you also accepted into honors?
Which scholarships do you qualify for at each school?
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plan on majoring in hospitality tourism
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I don’t know what’s at/in Bloomington, but I do know that there’s hotel and restaurant growth in Tuscaloosa. There was a hold in some of this for awhile, but a few years ago, Tuscaloosa removed it’s “no booze on Sunday’s” blue law, and that opened the gates for lots more hotels and restaurants to open their doors. Because UA is strong in so many sports, there is a year-round need for lodging venues and eateries. ESPN loves T-town!
The schools are similar in level of beauty, so not much difference there. UA will have better weather, with sunny blue skies and puffy white clouds on most days. Snow is very rare. An inch or two of accumulation happens maybe once every few years…and is gone by noon… We might get snow flurries (no accumulation) a couple of times per year.
Because of the tornado damage in 2011, so much of Tuscaloosa’s business/shopping/restaurant districts are new-new! To match, Downtown Tuscaloosa underwent a lovely renewal while keeping it’s older charm (brick sidewalks, brick buildings, loft restaurants, etc).
Tuscaloosa is a mid-to-large city with 100k population. the metropolitan area of Tuscaloosa is about 250k.
It’s shorts and Tshirts most of the year, but when it is cold, it’s cold…a few days a year.
I went 8 hrs away for college. Nobody else from my HS was there. I liked that feature. I also really liked the feeling of independence (even though I was in a dorm) that comes from essentially being on your own many hours from home.
I was in an honors residence program, so we all made friends quickly. If you aren’t doing something like that you could easily look to clubs or greek or other organizations that will help you make connections fast.
My D is just a couple of hours away, and her social circle is mainly her best friend from HS and her boyfriend from HS. They are happy as clams, but I wonder what she has missed out on yanno?
If your parents can afford the “commute” then I say UA. You have the rest of your life to go back home and be with your high school friends. The fact that you have best friends should give you the confidence that you will make new friends! UA is not a popular destination for the kids at our high school, but my friends son loves it. Go Bama! I have a special place in my heart for this school because my mom and dad both attended!
I got the UA Scholar specifically for out of state freshman for my ACT score and I got in to honors!
The weather is definitely an upgrade from Indy! Thanks for your help, I never thought about the tourism opportunities around campus. IU I only got 1,000$ scholarship from a business competition I won in high school but it is also in state tuition so a lot cheaper than OOS costs. At UA I got the UA scholar for OOS freshman that is 2/3 tuition which will offset the expensive OOS costs and make it almost the same as IU. So as far as money goes, neither sways my opinion. Thank you!
Yes this was exactly my worries! All my friends are going to IU and as much as I love them, I want to do my own thing and see somewhere new! I wanted to join Greek life right away so u can start making friends and transition quicker. This really helped thanks!
I’ve only heard great things from people that go there! My sister currently goes to IU and regrets that she didn’t break out and try a new place. Bama is always my number one!
Roll Tide!
Did you sign up for Bama Bound?
IU is probably the better school (especially in business and in the humanities and social sciences), but if you don’t want to stay home for college, head on down to Alabama.
Speaking of weather: The winters are milder, but the summers are much warmer and stickier. So you gain some comfort during the winter, but then lose it during the summer (if you stay down there…).
I think it’s good, if you can afford it, to choose the school that allows you to live in another part of the country. You’ve lived 18 years in the Midwest, discover the South for 4, and then… go anywhere! 
I wouldn’t pick Hospitality management though. Perhaps as a minor complementing another major… Career-wise, it’s not great in terms of quality of life and job security (euphemism).
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IU is probably the better school (especially in business and in the humanities and social sciences), but if you don’t want to stay home for college, head on down to Alabama.
Speaking of weather: The winters are milder, but the summers are much warmer and stickier. So you gain some comfort during the winter, but then lose it during the summer (if you stay down there…).
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While true that Kelley is ranked highly, Culverhouse is a very good Bschool. I doubt that IU is better in the humanities and social sciences. They’re probably very comparable.
Yes, it is humid in the summer in Tuscaloosa. But, since my H is from Indiana, I know it’s hot and sticky in the summer there as well. This student isn’t going to avoid humidity, even if he leaves Tuscaloosa for Indiana during summers.