Visiting over fall break?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>My son got his acceptance letter last week and with the fact that he qualifies for full tuition + $2500 for engineering, it’s definitely high on our list, but we’ve never even seen the campus.</p>

<p>I’ve been trying to plan a visit and the dates that worked best for us are his fall break from school, but I just found out that’s also the fall break on campus.</p>

<p>Is it worth visiting campus over fall break? Will he still get a feel for campus life? Does anyone hapen to know if there will be staff on campus that we can talk to about the honors program, etc? </p>

<p>If we don’t visit then, between his activities and the upcoming holidays, our schedule is pretty tight for the rest of this year and it will most likely be January or February before we’d be able to make the trip. I hate to wait that long especially since I’m a bit reluctant to send in any deposit money ‘sight unseen’.</p>

2

<p>My 2 cents are …my son and I visited in the summer, so not many students around and it was hot…but that was the best time for us to get there. </p>

<p>We were able to see the campus, get a feel for t-town, go to the strip and midtown area, he even met with an academic advisor in the Business school during our visit.</p>

<p>While it my not be the best time to visit I would say better to go and see now than wait til spring :slight_smile: We did set up a “tour” and I contacted the Bschool to let them know we were going to be there and they set up a personal Business school tour and one on one advisor meeting for my son.</p>

3

<p>UA offices will be open the Thursday and Friday of fall break and many professors will be on campus, but there will be few students on campus those days. I also don’t know if any of UA’s student ambassadors are working that day, so meeting with current students might have to be more unofficial.</p>

<p>January and February are good times to visit if you don’t mind the [relative] cold compared to the 83 degree days we’ve been having for the past few weeks.</p>

4

<p>FWIW we plunked down the deposits, figuring that risking $225 to hold a desirable housing selection spot was a worthwhile gambit since the school had the potential to save us over $100,000.</p>

<p>We visited in late Feb and the time my son spent sitting in on an Honors College class, meeting with faculty, having lunch with students, and conferring with an advisor was pivotal in his decision to attend Bama.</p>

<p>The campus and facilities are magnificent, but it’s the people, the heart and soul of UA, that sold us on the university. </p>

<p>Sent from my PC36100 using CC App</p>

5

<p>Contact Allison in the Honors College and ask her if anyone would be there for you to meet with.</p>

<p>The problem will likely be that there will not be many/any profs to meet with…it’s a break for them as well. The ones who might be there may only be “hit or miss”…in for an hour or so and then they’re gone…or there at odd hours. So, she’d have a hard time scheduling them.</p>

<p>Are there any campus tours that day? </p>

<p>If there are tours that day, set up a campus tour time online…try for the early morning one </p>

<p>[Campus</a> Visits - Undergraduate Admissions - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://gobama.ua.edu/visits/]Campus”>Visit)</p>

<p>In the email to Allison, include:</p>

<p>tour time and date (if there are tours that day)
student name & contact info
test scores and GPA
intended major
professional interests (pre-med, pre-law, pre-dental, etc)
interest in Computer Based Honors program and/or University Fellows Program (if desired)
Also, include any thing else that interests you about the school…such as touring the new Science and Engineering Complex and Shelby Hall. </p>

<p>If it’s possible during Fall Break, Allison will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with dept heads, honors faculty, touring honors dorms, etc.</p>

<p>Allison Verhine - Honor College Recruitment Coordinator
269 Nott Hall
205-348-5534
<a href=“mailto:allison.verhine@ua.edu”>allison.verhine@ua.edu</a></p>

<p>Special Note!
Allison works very hard on these arrangements and often “hits the ground running” everyday meeting with prospective students/families, so it may take her a few days to respond. However, if you don’t get a response within a few days, resend AND call her. Sometimes mail goes to her SPAM folder and she doesn’t see it.</p>

<p>However, I don’t think it’s the best time to visit if Allison can’t arrange a visit that day.</p>

6

<p>It’s definitely better than nothing. If that’s the only time you can get down there, then go for it!</p>

7

<p>also with plenty of us here with students staying over the break, I’m sure you can arrange the chance to get into the dorms, get an informal tour etc. Just PM :)</p>

8

<p>We couldn’t get to T-Town until the end of Jan. last year, but it was worth the wait.
UA arranged a full day for us. We met with Dr. Sharpe and Dr. Karr. We chatted with Jane Batson. (sweetest woman ever!) Had a student from the engineering dept take us on a tour of the dorms. We even got to see a basketball game! It was incredible. We sent in our deposits the minute we got back. Or maybe it was in the airport on the way home. I can’t remember…
The only sad part was the money we wasted applying to other schools.
If you can only make it to the campus once, don’t cut yourself short. Make sure you get to enjoy the whole experience.</p>