Visits on the cheap

A recent lawsuit over discrimination by Ivy League schools has revealed that if you are not a legacy or in certain minority groups your chance of getting in is closer to zero than the numbers reported. So, for most, the “lower” rated colleges are the only choice.

Alabama is a lower rated college where:
-Over 600 National Merit Scholars are enrolled. If you are a National Merit Scholar you have a LOT of choices but these folks CHOSE Alabama.
-Fifty-three UA students have been named Goldwater Scholars, including two in 2018. The University of Alabama has produced a total of 15 Rhodes Scholars, 16 Truman Scholars, 33 Hollings Scholars and 13 Boren Scholars.
-Twenty-six current UA faculty have received NSF CAREER Awards, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top-performing young scientists, in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences. And 43 UA faculty researchers are in the National Academy of Inventors.
-Fifteen University of Alabama alumni and students won Fulbright awards for 2018-19. Two UA students and alumni received Fulbright research awards. Thirteen 2018 graduates won awards as English teaching assistants overseas.
-Public Accounting Report’s 2017 rankings place UA’s Culverhouse School of Accountancy’s undergraduate program seventh overall and first for a program with a faculty size between 17 and 23 as well as first in the South. The master’s programs are ranked ninth overall, and the doctoral program is ranked seventh.
-PRWeek Magazine has recognized the public relations program in The University of Alabama’s College of Communication and Information Sciences as one of the top five programs in the nation eight times.
-The School of Law ranks ninth among public universities and in the top 50 overall.
-Alabama Astrobotics has won the NASA Robotic Mining Competition more times than any team, including first place finishes the past four years.
-Part of a national four-year vehicle contest, the UA EcoCAR 3 team placed third overall out of 16 universities during the Year 4 Competition in 2018.
-Our “dumb” athletes led to Alabama Athletics once again leading the nation in Academic All-America honors as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, or CoSIDA.
-University of Alabama alumna Jody Singer has been named director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, becoming the first woman to assume the role in the center’s history.
-For the second consecutive year, the UA Magnetics and Antenna team placed in the international Student Antenna Design Contest held by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Antenna and Propagation Society.

  • University of Alabama student team, Alabeama, recently placed third in the 2018 Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute Big Beam Competition

…I could go on for hours but folks who look down at The University of Alabama are not snobs. They are ignorant as to the reality of what good folks have built at The Capstone.

I love this discussion. I am a believer in what Alabama is (or has become), and the fact that the university is committing so much money to merit aid. This is a huge help to students and families, like mine, who may qualify for very little need-based aid, but who cannot afford the full freight. The only question for us is when to visit. We would prefer to come at a time when classes are in session, and probably not during a football home game. How’s the weather in late January?

@psssthoy We visited the 3rd weekend in January, 2 years ago. The temps were in the mid 50’s which we thought was awesome coming from the northeast. We laughed when our tour guide showed up in a full length down jacket and fur lined boots!!! We ended up having a great visit and our daughter is loving life at Bama as a soph! I say, go for it!

If your parents aren’t concerned over tuition, why are they concerned about $ to visit a college campus? That makes no sense to me. $500 is very limiting for flights and hotel/food for 1 person, let alone 2. Maybe talk to your parents. I would never deny my girls a visit to a college that was an interest of theirs. I’m sorry your parents have such a narrow view. I’ve never been to Alabama’s campus, but we are going to visit soon because my daughter is being recruited for sports. We have visited 4 Ivys for recruitment as well. I’m more excited to visit Bama and I’m a Cali girl and a UCLA alum.

BTW - did you ever visit?