<p>My year just ended as a SO, so I’m pretty much a junior now; I guess. Anyway, my mom got a job offer in Birmingham, AL; she’s looking at it pretty favorably. How would you judge UA? Is it real southern, like is there confederate flags everywhere and the KKK, along with southern accents? I’m originally from Chattanooga, TN and it’s suprsingly not bad at all, maybe on the outskirts… Any info?</p>
<p>Chattanooga and Tuscaloosa are not all that different.</p>
<p>wow, Alabama is definitely not that racist. I've grown up here (well Mobile) and the only time someone ever brings up the KKK is when people ask questions like this. You will see some confederate flags, but I personally haven't met anyone outwardly racist. </p>
<p>UA's campus is beautiful and they have a strong engineering program. The dorms are great too. I can't imagine it would be any different from Chattanooga. </p>
<p>You'll probably hear the accent though. Best of luck!</p>
<p>The University of Alabama is in no way what you think it might be. The school was recently ranked as the #7 public university in the nation and the #42 university in the nation for both public and private universities. The school is surging right now in terms of reputation and the programs have never been better. The incoming freshman class is the biggest they have ever had and this year they have also had their biggest number of students from the north and the west choose to attend. Also, there is a HUGE number of students from metro-Atlanta and that is anything but redneck, KKK, etc...</p>
<p>So in short, the University of Alabama is not at all a KKK refuge. In fact, it has probably become one of the more progressive public universities in the South. When you have a Student Government Association where the majority of reps. are self proclaimed Moderates, Democrats, and Liberals...well then you know this is not the University of Alabama of yesteryear. UA, like all southern universities (with probably the exception of Ole Miss) has shed it's redneck racist reputation and is becoming one of the premier schools on the rise.</p>
<p>With all due respect, Alabama and Ole Miss are the backup schools for any student wishing to attend a large southeastern University. I would look at schools like U of Georgia (#1), U of Florida (#2), or even Auburn (#3) which is the top tier public school in Alabama. Auburn is the better school in the state of Alabama so you definitely need to take a look at that.</p>
<p>Whatever random statistics Alabama students and alumni want to throw at you, the bottom line is the faculty is very weak compared to higher ranked schools, and your classmates were average or below average high school students.</p>
<p>Aherro,
I do not know where you are pulling your facts from but that is a complete falsehood. I wrote a long diatribe about why you were mislead but, the damn website didn't post it. I will concede that UGA and UF are great schools but Bama is in now way a back up and it is certainly not inferior to Auburn. Nearly all of Bama's programs are ranked higher than Auburn's because all Auburn really has are technical and agricultural majors. Their business school is ranked among the lowest in the SEC.</p>
<p>I am coming from Florida to Bama, and I have found that the racism and hatred is far worse here than what I found in Alabama. Tuscaloosa seems to be a town steeped in the southern hospitality and tradition. I chose Alabama over UF, Auburn, etc etc because I felt I would get a better education at UA, and the honors program is far superior to any in Florida, or the south even. Overall, I think it will be extremely hard to find the racism and hatred you seem to believe exists there.</p>
<p>7th and #42 according to who? According to the U.S. News and World Report University of Alabama is ranked #91. Far from your #42. See the link below USNews.com:</a> America's Best Colleges 2008: National Universities: Top Schools</p>
<p>Alabama is ranked #7 according to forbes.com which uses a different grading rubric than us news.</p>
<p>And the 42nd is US News among the publics.</p>
<h1>42 is also where Forbes puts the University of Alabama on the overall list of national universities.</h1>
<p>Alabama's campus is way better than Auburn. Neither are racist, but you will definitely see and hear much redneck stuff. Auburn seems like a party school to me and the traffic there is awful. I found it to be a horrible environment personally. but all my friends just got accepted there. they give out insane scholarships.
Alabama campus feels nicer and there music program is amazing. the city is more comfortable and not as congested too</p>
<p>IsleofJD
Junior Member (post about this student's freshmen experience at U of A)</p>
<p>Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 30
I am not a huge fan of all things "old south" and I thought that in this day in age, it would not be as prevalent at Bama. I have enjoyed my time there and I know the administration is trying their hardest to change things but I am 90% sure that it is not where I want to spend all 4 years when I have in-state tuition to UGA and FSU. Greek life is essentially all there is to do in Tuscaloosa. The strip is a fun place but the university owns it and has monopolized it and getting into a bar with a fake is near impossible. I feel as though it is a university where people who really liked to gossip in high school are able to continue to do so in college while being in a sorority or fraternity. Do not listen to anyone when they tell you that greek life is not as intense at Bama as people claim. The Beta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Bama was just closed down for a hazing incident. They made their pledges sit in a metal chair that had been heated up with irons. One pledge suffered 3rd degree burns and complications from an infection that included a collapsed lung, 106 degree fever, and seizure. Yet, this student did not even report Sig Ep for what they did but rather, it was discovered when he went to the local hospital for something unrelated. Now his father is trying to sue for the hospital releasing private information and they are trying to get the fraternity re-instated on campus. The issue with the state of Alabama...it is still run by old money old south men who would prefer to keep the "good ole' boy system" in place. There are an extreme amount of dirty secrets at this school that you will never hear about. I have never heard of pledges outside of SEC Schools having to wear slacks and polo to class every day and a dress shirt, slacks, sport coat, and tie to all football games. It is absolutely absurd. If the Feds were to launch an investigation into Alabama, I highly doubt the greek system would continue to exist and I wonder if the university itself would not be taken under some sort of federal control. </p>
<p>I honestly think we need to reinstitute Reconstruction into Mississippi and Alabama. I laugh at how many people from these states, and from all over the south, try to claim they are the "real" America...yet they believe that all that really entails is fighting wars, drinking beer, and yelling "America! **** Yeah!".....all while proudly sporting the Confederate Flag at every chance they get...</p>
<p>FSULEON- have you thought about transferring to UGA or FSU? Obviously, you are not happy there.</p>
<p>Aw that's awful. You should go to a better school.
I had no idea it was like that there. I have spent much time in their music building, and it was wonderful.
Yeah i'm with you on that Reconstruction thing.</p>
<p>oregano, please don't be quick to judge the University of AL based on IsleofJD's rant. </p>
<p>Every school can have a bad reputation based on anonymous opinions or experiences. It is up to you to investigate and evaluate each college on your needs. IsleofJD has plastered this negative rant about AL on many different threads. The information about the hazing incident is under investigation and the latest details can be found on the Crimson White (student newspaper) link. Again, this is NOT the norm.<br>
IsleofJD has exposed his sub-par moral character when he shared his frustration that the University has taken steps to curb the illegal consumption of alcohol. </p>
<p>My son is a freshman that has enjoyed every day at AL. He has made wise choices and surrounded himself with fun people with high moral character. He has not joined a fraternity or spent time trying to get into bars with fake ID. </p>
<p>Only you are in control of your college experience, follow your heart and evaluate each school on YOUR criteria.</p>
<p>IsleofJD</p>
<p>Word of advise: Be carefull what you say on public forums. It is clear that U of AL was not the right fit for YOU. Your experience of GREEK LIFE is from your perspective. Greek Life is not the right choice for many but it is also NOT the only way to enjoy your college experience. You obviously liked AL enough to start your freshman year even if it was a fallback to your first choice (FSU). </p>
<p>You also exposed a flaw in your moral character when you shared your frustration of not being able to use a fake ID to get into bars. Whether you drink or not, you still see nothing wrong with using a fake ID to get into establishments that are following rules. Rules are put in place for a reason even if you don't like them. If you think everyone does it, what's the harm? You are not looking at the big picture. </p>
<p>Plenty of articles have been written warning young adults and teens about public forums and social networking sites. Do you realize that many college admissions offices across the nation monitor these forums and can determine each of our identities with great accuracy? Wether you indended to or not, the admissions department at FSU can narrow down their applicant pool and figure out which transfer applicant you are. How many current (male)freshman attending the U of AL are seeking to transfer to FSU? Of those current applicants, how many were not offered admission last year? If I were on the review panel, regardless of grades, I can determine you are a complainer and have no regard for rules. Even more, I can conclude you will do anything it takes to break the rules (fake ID).
I can conclude you don't respect authority when rules hinder your needs. </p>
<p>Let FSU have you, U of AL will have one less student that does not fit the ideal quality students every school seeks.</p>
<p>IsleofJD's rant was actually in respose to me asking him what BAMA was like. Actually, I asked the question on the FSU forum. He is tryin to transfer there. Weird thing is, FSULeon is the one reposting all over this site.</p>
<p>If you read other posts from FSULeon, you will see he seems to be (or is) part of the FSU admissions department or at very least a FSU moderator for CC. </p>
<p>I've come to the conclusion that FSULeon jumped on the opportunity to draw attention to one unhappy Alabama student that wanted to attend FSU over Bama. IlseofJD reapplied to FSU hoping to transfer to his first choice school that declined his admission application last year. Unfortunately for IsleofJD, FSU declined his request to transfer. </p>
<p>I encourage you to read my privious posts about AL. My son is very happy with his experience thus far. If you have specific questions, I will try to get an answer for you.</p>
<p>What the hell?! Do you all want to lay off me!? I am a bit unhappy with Alabama but why do you feel the need to come out and attack me? I have not gone out and slammed Alabama on a ton of threads, I just put up my response to navarre1. Momof3boyz....contrary to what you would like to believe...I have had some fun at Alabama and was actually in a fraternity but dropped out because it took up way too much time and some of the things that went on were terrible. How dare you come on here and try and rip me to shreds and say I have "Sub-par" moral character. I did not say that the university was trying to curb the use of fake I.D.'s and I was not complaining about that. I was griping about the seeming lack of social scene outside of greek life. Oh and btw, my request was not DECLINED but they said I would be better off for Spring of 2010. Please momof3yz, stop acting as though you know who I am. I am not some scumbag who has no clue what "morals" are and I am truly taking offense to what you have been posting about me.I gave navarre1 my HONEST opinion about my experience at UA so far. Excuse me but do you go there? NO! I doubt your son tells you everything that goes on there. I live there and go to school there so I am pretty sure I have a good idea of what is going on. Please do not sit here and preach as though you are a student there and that you know what goes on. You talk about maturity and morals but you are the one sitting on a website seemingly trying to tear me down and make me look like a terrible person...what does that say about you? And btw, I am not just making stuff up when I talk about the hazing incident. Here is the article right here! </p>
<p>Crimson</a> White - Sig Ep hazing details emerge</p>
<p>Was I possibly a bit harsh on my original post about my experience at Alabama? Yes. I will admit that. I have made some great friends and I have had fun. I still stand by my posts from a while back about how Alabama is a great school academically. I do not come from a southern family and so it is a bit harder for me to adjust over at Alabama. It is an adjustment seeing the utter hate from students the night Barack Obama was elected. It is a shock to hear a fraternity member sit down in the athletic dining hall and say "I can't believe we have a ni@@er president!" while our huge lineman Terrence Cody is sitting right behind him and then a fight breaks out. There is something you won't hear in the news outside of UA and Tuscaloosa. If I can find a way to pay for Alabama, I will probably stay...but there are things that I still need to adjust to. But how dare any of you, especially grown adults with children, get on an anonymous website and try to tear down a college student. I was simply stating some of my frustrations with the university. </p>
<p>Momof3boyz and FSULEON, I understand some of the advice you are both trying to give to me and I thank you for that. However, I find it extremely inappropriate that you are trying to paint me as some terrible person. Someone asked me for my opinion of Alabama and I gave them an honest answer. I even posted on our other thread that navarre1 needs to take a look at Bama on their own to truly make their decision. Now, can we all please act our ages and let this issue go? I gave my honest opinion to Navarre1 and should not be attacked for what is simply my opinion and my experience. All of this is extremely ridiculous and absolutely uncalled for.</p>