What made your visit to UA successful?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>We are finally going to visit UA in early April. My D and I are both sold on her attending UA. DH needs to be convinced that her heading 12 hours from home is a good idea. I want our visit to be successful. We have a tour booked and I know we need to contact someone in the honors college so they can arrange meetings for us. How far in advance should we contact this person? </p>

<p>I was wondering who your student met with that helped convince them UA was the school for them? What went on during the meeting? D wants to know how much the Dean/Advisor/Prof talks or is this more an interview of her? Are there any questions that a student should definitely ask? What do they need to bring with them? D is trying to figure out a major, double major, minor combination of english, spanish, and latin. Is now the time to ask if it is possible or should that come during BB? </p>

<p>She also wants to know if you can only see a Ridgecrest South-North Tower dorm room or if you are able to see inside Riverside West? </p>

<p>Anyway, I would appreciate any input/advice of what made your visit successful. We will be flying in, renting a car, and so far are staying at the Country Inn and Suites.</p>

2

<p>Our first visit was a whirlwind, last minute deal. It was APRIL of SENIOR YEAR and we had somehow just learned about the NMF scholarship at Bama. I called on a Monday and arranged for a visit that Wednesday. </p>

<p>While it wasn’t possible to schedule a meeting with any faculty, the honors college staff were completely professional and very welcoming. The student guide who took us on a walking tour and to lunch really impressed us. </p>

<p>On top of that, the campus really was one of the most beautiful we’d seen, and we went on lots of visits to top 20 schools.<br>
We made the 4 hour drive home the same day and D applied that night and listed Bama as her top choice school.</p>

<p>Just go. You’ll see :)</p>

3

<p>linnylu - I would say that there are a number of things that made our visut successful. First you definately want to get the tour setup with the Honors college folks, we set ours up a few weeks in advance and had no issues. I would suggest that you look at a calendar though, picking a busy weekend would impact their ability to get to your request.</p>

<p>So the things we as a family liked:
1 - They really had their act together. Before we arrived we had a printed schedule with times locations and names, also had driving directions. Considering the visits we made to some other schools it just started things out the right way.
2 - Campus was open, inviting and clean. While we were there traffic was not an issue (of course it wasn’t foolball season) :slight_smile:
3 - Honors dorms are the best you will find anywhere. The layout of the rooms allows for visiting, and for the ability to get away to your own private area. I liked it much better than my daughters current apartment.
4 - The people, and not just the administration. We had multiple students stop and talk to us and help with directions and input even if we didn’t ask for help. It was a far cry from some campuses where it was difficult to find someone who would even make eye contact.</p>

<p>There are other but those are the main 4.</p>

<p>Now for what my son liked about it:
1 - They treated him like and intelligent person who cared about his academics. On many of the visits we did, his conversations with admissions and professors consisted of discussion on the history of the campus and different offerings for majors and minors. Or, they spent time talking about the social offerings. At UA the Honors rep and the Biology professor we talked to both started by asking him what he was interested in. The discussion went from there including the pros and cons of varied study paths to get to where we wanted to be. He felt like they really listened and cared about what he wanted and what was in his best interests.</p>

<p>I guess what I would suggest is to think back on your previous visits and then compare what you see and feel when you visit Bama. I am quite confident that you will find that Bama will impress you. I also think that your husband will feel better when he sees how well organized they are and how much they truly seem to care about the kids, even more so in the Honors College.</p>

4

<p>Well, our visit was NOT successful, if success is defined as convincing the student to go to Alabama. My D is still not sure that UA is the place for her. I am, but it’s because of all the information I’ve gained from these boards, not because of the visit. Unfortunately,we’re also quite a distance away and there’s not another visit in the cards.</p>

<p>We set her visit up with the honors college about 5 weeks in advance. D and H flew in on Thursday night and flew out on Saturday for a Friday visit to make sure that she wasn’t rushed and had time for a full schedule. At the time we set up the visit with Jami Gates (the old Allison), we requested a meeting with honors college faculty, with departmental faculty and with someone regarding CBHP. We also requested that D be allowed to sit in on a class or two (honors and/or her prospective major).</p>

<p>Turns out her schedule didn’t include honors college faculty or anyone from CBHP, and the only professor she met (from accounting dept.) was a dud. H said he didn’t/couldn’t answer their questions, didn’t offer much information and was one of the most dull individuals he’d ever met. They struggled to make conversation, and H described the meeting as painful. My D is kind of shy and quiet, so meeting with a prof like this was particularly difficult for her. She did sit in on an honors class (with only 5 students!), but they were still taking care of beginning of the semester housekeeping matters and there was no discussion or substantive learning going on that day. The highlight of the day was the tour of Ridgecrest South, although D enjoyed the campus tour as well. D went in January, shortly after classes started back and right after a big ice storm, so the campus wasn’t at its most beautiful. It was also the Friday before Capstone Scholars weekend; apparently there were a lot of prospective students on campus and there was a lot of disorganization in Nott Hall that day. Our lessons learned: check to make sure you’re not going at a busy time when you might fall through the cracks, don’t go right at the beginning of the semester, and don’t go in with the high expectations you might have from reading the posts on CC. Even with the things that went wrong (boring prof, no honors folks, lunch companion who didn’t show up), this was still a more personalized visit than D had at her other schools, it just didn’t come anywhere close to living up to the experiences I’d read about on here, and it didn’t blow D away.</p>

5

<p>We will be there April 11th. and have a morning tour. My D is very worried because she has no clue what she wants to do with her life. She’s afraid that the Dean/prof she meets with will frown upon that. She knows what she likes, and her strengths, but she doesn’t know how to turn them into a career. She didn’t apply to UFEP because she is so undecided and didn’t think that would sound good in an interview. </p>

<p>Beth’s mom, I am sold on UA because I have read so much on CC. H hasn’t read a thing and don’t intend to. I hope our visit doesn’t go like yours. Where does your D plan on going to school, or is she still undecided?</p>

6

<p>Linnylu … If you allow Allison to set up the schedule, it should contain enough to be good for you. As you can imagine, they’ve gotten pretty good at this as evidenced by the glowing reviews that many post here. That’s not to say that there is not some luck involved as well however. Sometimes, the timing doesn’t work for the 2 or 3 high ranking HC Deans that many want to deal with, but most times you can find someone in the HC that is willing to spend quality time with you son or daughter. Dean Sharpe was not available to meet with my D, but she did meet with both Dr. Morgan and Mrs. Batson, and that was excellent as well. We actually attended during University Days, so the campus was PACKED with prospective students and thier families, but we still had an excellent time. I will echo the poor experience with faculty. My D felt that the Prof that she met with was just not prepared for the meeting or definitely not comfortable and my D also felt it was like pulling teeth to fill the 15 minutes of time. I’m sure that it all depends on what professor you get … not a statement about UA faculty in general. I think the HC generally does an excellent job, but there are always logistical issues that can get in the way, and you should definitely see what else is going on on campus when determining your date. I would also recommend spending some time at the Ferg. My D and I sat in the Ferg and Starbucks for extended periods and caffeine breaks and we found it a good way to people watch and see how the students use the Ferg, how they get together for both social and study activities, etc. Good Luck!</p>

7

<p><strong>Where does your D plan on going to school, or is she still undecided?</strong></p>

<p>Linnylu, she’s still undecided, although she’s got it narrowed down to two schools - UA and a Big Ten flagship that’s much closer to home. She’s planning to decide by the end of the month.</p>

8

<p>Not to offend anyone, but conversation is a two way street. If it’s a monologue that you’re expecting, that’s not going to happen. If it does, that’s when I would be concerned. Have some questions prepared, in case conversation slows to an uncomfortable pause. I don’t feel that any ONE person is there to SELL you a product. It’s an overall general package.
If you have a less than enthusiastic vibe, remember that’s what you’re going to get in return. Go in open-minded and ready to learn about various parts of campus, classes and the area in general. Specific details will come later. If there’s a pinpointed subject that the student or parent feels is vital discussing during the visit, then voice that.
Most 18yo students have NO IDEA what they want to do for the rest of their lives. It’s somewhere in the range of 7 Major changes during the college experience. Some kids, “just know” or at least think so. Most do not. However, typically CC students (and parents) have an idea of what their interest are and lean toward those studies. I don’t believe that is an accurate representation for a majority of graduating teenagers.
My biggest advise to my daughter is NOT TO pigeon hole yourself into a path that you will have a difficult time redirecting, if you so choose. The first couple of years in college is about experiencing various topics, subjects, classes, etc. Sometimes students feel less than excited about a Major than their parents but don’t want to let their parents down due to fear of disappointment.
Don’t get too worked up over the “unknown”. It’s all about how you approach your visit. Relaxed and open or tense and w/ great expectations. Expectations lead to labels and labels lead to creating limitations. Even those expectations, which we regard as appropriate, especially those we put on others, are rarely met either by other people or life in general which leads to resentment, disappointment and bad feelings in general.
If she doesn’t feel that UA is a fit, that’s OK. If she feels that UA is not her parents top choice, encourage her that it’s her life and she’ll be the ONLY one that controls her own experience.<br>
Not any one thing is indicative of the education or campus vibe present at BAMA. It’s a total package. You either like it or you don’t. Most posters have had a great experience. With that, it subtly puts an expectation in your head. Remember it’s about her and her gut feeling, the parents are there to support, point out the pros and cons from a students point of view (not their own), and do more listening than talking.<br>
Best of luck to you and your student. This is a time of anticipation and learning. Great things happen when you approach situations with a great attitude and without expectations.</p>

9

<p>ours was not so successful. it was not a super honors visit. so, just compare it to a regular visit at another college and not to the fabulous stories you read about here. a lot of where a student ends up gets decided by a “feeling” of whether a place feels right or not.</p>

10

<p>You shouldn’t wait too long to book your campus visit date and time (online)…and THEN contact the HC.</p>

<p>The HC does NOT set up the guided Campus Tour…you have to do that online. Then, once you have that, give that info to the HC…along with your child’s NMF status, GPA, scores, intended major and any other interests.</p>

<p>Try to set up the early morning campus tour…don’t bother with the info session…that info is mostly here and includes application info…and you’re past all that.</p>

<p>RECRUITMENT*</p>

<p>Honors Recruitment</p>

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

<p>Susan Alley
Assistant Coordinator
270 Nott Hall
205-348-5599
<a href=“mailto:susan.alley@ua.edu”>susan.alley@ua.edu</a></p>

11

<p>Well, our visit was NOT successful, if success is defined as convincing the student to go to Alabama. My D is still not sure that UA is the place for her. I am, but it’s because of all the information I’ve gained from these boards, not because of the visit. Unfortunately,we’re also quite a distance away and there’s not another visit in the cards.</p>

<p>It was also the Friday before Capstone Scholars weekend; apparently there were a lot of prospective students on campus and there was a lot of disorganization in Nott Hall that day. Our lessons learned: check to make sure you’re not going at a busy time when you might fall through the cracks, don’t go right at the beginning of the semester, </p>

<p>============</p>

<p>Yes…I remember that day quite well (the Friday before CSDay). I was at Bama that day with my Calif nephew. School had only been back in session since Wednesday (two days earlier) after being closed for a month, so no one had their act together. Student Ambassadors didn’t have/know their schedules, didn’t show up as planned, reminders hadn’t gone out or they had gone out, but weren’t read, etc.</p>

<p>I don’t think I’ve EVER seen the Honors College that crowded as that day. So many people had flown in early for CSDay so that they could see the school that Friday. Jami had a huge pile of folders with students’ names on them…and those were for the kids she knew were coming…many had never provided the “heads up” and showed up adding to the chaos. I’m sure the HC would have liked to have said, “oh, you’re here, but we didn’t know you were coming, there are all of these other kids who will be here today…sorry, we can’t talk to you”…but we all know that the HC couldn’t really do that. </p>

<p>Luckily, since I know the campus quite well, I was able to provide some guidance when our student ambassador didn’t show up for lunch and the SEC tour. Never found out what happened to him/her. Another ambassador absorbed us and a few others who were also needing help…and we had a nice lunch together. </p>

<p>I think it’s a huge mistake to have CSDay with a couple of days of classes resuming from Christmas break. I did contact Allison last November to give her a “heads up” about what happened last year (she wasn’t there then), in case there was a chance the same thing could happen this year.</p>

<p>I agree with not going right at the beginning of a semester, or at the end, or when school is not in session.</p>

<p>“As you can imagine, they’ve gotten pretty good at this as evidenced by the glowing reviews that many post here”</p>

<p>Yes…after working out the kinks of the last couple of years, I think Allison and others have got a good system in place now. :)</p>

12

<p>To answer your question about the model rooms, currently the only model room shown is in Ridgecrest South. There is a model room in Tutwiler (traditional style) that is shown to prospective families upon request. If you have a tour guide who lives in one of the other honors dorms, they may be willing to show you their suite, but that is not expressly permitted for tour guides to do.</p>

<p>I first visited campus over Capstone Scholars weekend. Despite it being 12 degrees outside, having to go to the Tuscaloosa City Courthouse to pay a parking ticket, and not having a campus tour or lunch with an Honors College Ambassador, I enjoyed my visit and knew that UA was the school for me. </p>

<p>When I give campus tours and meet with prospective students and their families, I try to make their visit as enjoyable as possible and honestly answer all of their questions or find someone who can. Do things occasionally not go as planned? Of course. Sometimes people’s schedules don’t align and you have to meet with a different dean/advisor/professor/student than was originally scheduled. We appreciate your understanding when this happens and will continue to do our best to make sure you have an excellent campus visit. As for trying to sell UA to prospective families, we figure that by providing an enjoyable, personalized visit and further support, students will hopefully decide to attend UA.</p>

13

<p>We were able to get my son’s most important concerns addressed by speaking with one of the student presenters at length about opportunities at UA, in the Honors College, and for undergraduate research. We were also able to speak with a biology professor at length about the bio program and research opportunities. On our own, we visited the new buildings in the Science quad and were impressed with the commitment to the science department those investments represent. </p>

<p>I think it also helped that the weather was great, the campus was beautiful and felt very compact, safe, and walkable, and everyone we met was friendly and helpful.</p>

14

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</p>

<p>Our visit to Bama began with a meeting with Dean Sharpe. He opened by asking my son, “So, where do you see yourself five years from now?” </p>

<p>My son, jet lagged and bleary-eyed, responded, “To be honest with you, I have no idea.”</p>

<p>I cringed inwardly, but Dean Sharpe smiled kindly and said, "That’s ok. That’s the answer I get about 80% of the time. So, tell me a little about the things you like . . . "</p>

<p>And the rest, as they say, was history. Every person we met that day, from Dean Sharpe, to the Honors College prof who taught the seminar my son attended, to the HC student ambassador, to President Witt, to the business school advisor were singularly interested in one common theme: how can we make this work for you?</p>

15

<p>Malanai is right.</p>

<p>These people deal with this age group day in and day out…year in and year out. They know that the average 18 year old hasn’t even heard of all of the various professions out there. They know that when these kids do say that they “know”, it’s generally one of the standard professions…doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer, nurse…and there’s a darn good chance they will end up doing something else.</p>

16

<p>What made our initial visit a success is the same thing that continues to make our visits a success today…an amazing sense of community and family.</p>

<p>Jami Gates did an amazing job arranging our visit. We met with Dr. Sharpe and a host of others. We ate lunch with a current honors student who was on the pre-med track my daughter was considering. While Dr. Sharpe was a very gracious host and we enjoyed meeting and speaking with him at length, there was more to our visit that convinced us of the genuine spirit of the UA family. The staff of the College of Nursing went to extraordinary lengths to show us the new building which wasn’t even open at the time. Getting into upper division is very competitive, only 96 students are accepted twice a year out of around 600 freshmen. Did you know graduates have a 98% first time pass rate for the nursing exam? The staff answered questions regarding the program, AP credits, the field of nursing, and other interests to our daughter. The staff of Fresh Foods also made a tremendous impression. Although they had no reason to, they went out of their way to make us feel welcome. We receive the same reception each and every time we visit and have developed a friendship with many of the staff. The maintenance staff for grounds and for my daughter’s dorm greet us with a smile each time we visit. Random students also made an impact on our visit. We took the time to engage several students around campus and appreciated their honesty and hospitality. I would encourage you to engage others you meet on campus and within the community. You will find this is a very close community…the saying is correct on the billboards…T town…never down. Having been born and raised in Tuscaloosa, I am proud of the spirit of community that embraces the UA.</p>

<p>What I’d like for you to walk away with is that the University of Alabama is more than beautiful campus. There is more to the University than the Honors College or football. The University of Alabama is not a perfect fit for everyone, and that is okay. Being a part of The University of Alabama family is a tremendous experience. No matter where your interests lie, there is a place for everyone at the UA. You don’t have to be Greek, UFE, CBH, or an athlete. The weather is great, the campus is beautiful, the scholarships are excellent, and the opportunity for greatness awaits you. I sincerely hope you enjoy your visit and that your daughter makes the decision that is right for her. Roll Tide!!:)</p>

17

<p>Thank you for all of the insightful answers. The college search for our older child was so much easier because she knew exactly what she was looking for- a strong, direct entry pharmacy program. She had very specific questions that she needed at each school she visited. Yes, I know she might change her mind, but it was a great starting point. We made sure that the school also had strong programs in other areas of interest in case pharmacy doesn’t work out.</p>

<p>With this daughter not knowing what she is looking to do in life, she is finding it more difficult to come up with questions she should be asking. Every school she applied to claims to have a strong English program and Spanish program, a Latin major or minor, and an Honors College. She really doesn’t know what specific questions to ask after making sure her choices met all of these requirements. And not knowing what to ask makes her nervous. Hopefully this will make sense to some of you.</p>

18

<p>That makes perfect sense. I think she will know whether it fits her when she visits. I agree with what someone posted earlier…it is a feeling.</p>

19

<p>Yes…it’s definitely “the feeling” . DD felt it the minute she stepped onto campus. She is not Honors College (her choice) but absolutely LOVES Bama. When we arrived DH was on a conference call and so DD and I were left to try an navigate a map to get to our session and tour at the Ferg. A darling southern boy came to our aid and my daughter was instantly hooked. We were a little worried when they loaded us onto the bus…the campus seemed so spread out but when we returned several months later to Panhellenic Preview Weekend and then for Bama Bound we saw that it actually was not spread out at all and very easy to navigate! It’s a lovely campus! It’s no secret that Greek life and football were high on our DD’s list as well as the pre-med program. We were lucky enough to get to meet Coach Saban through friend who is a law professor. Standing in the tower was an incredible experience! We left Bama and went onto tour Arkansas…and well DD didn’t really even want to go there to do the tour. She knew that Bama was home. I know it can be frustrating when your child is indecisive…but with 4 at our house I can tell you that even the ones that are determined to have a particular major change their mind (and sometimes more than once). Suite living was not something DD wanted, she really wanted to interact with people all the time and found the fact that you could just go into a room and shut the door limiting. She’s very outgoing, really loved living in Tut…she wanted the all girl experience. Her room was absolutely darling when we got done decorating it…it was a great home for her freshman year. We were lucky enough to meet a math professor when we were at Bama bound…by the time we finished our casual conversation DD had his personal cell #, email and an invite to contact him at any time. I really hope you enjoy your visit!</p>

20

<p>We returned from a 2 day visit yesterday and my son can’t wait to start in the fall. </p>

<p>The campus is beautiful. I’ve toured Indiana- Bloomington, Kansas, Wisconsin-Madison, and many other campuses known for their beauty and UA is number one on my list. The architecture and grounds are stunning, and clean. There is diversity in the student population, however, we didn’t see one panhandler the entire time we were there. That is something that can’t be said for Madison, KU, and some other schools we’ve been to. It was refreshing to say the least. </p>

<p>The people are warm and welcoming. We didn’t run into one crabby person while we were there.</p>

<p>My son had a meeting scheduled with an advisor and we arrived at the appointment early. We were doing a self guided tour in Reese Phifer Hall when we ran into Dr. Phelps, the chairman of the Advertising Department. When he found out that was my son’s major he invited us to his office and spent twenty minutes discussing the classes he would need to take and gave him advice on choosing a minor. He gave my son his business card and told my son to contact him whenever he had a question or just to keep in touch. We were so impressed.</p>

<p>Mr. Jim Oakley, the advisor who met with us, was not only charming and so welcoming, he was incredibly knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. </p>

<p>The icing on the cake was the weather. It was 70 degrees on Friday and the sun was shining. The Quad was filled with kids playing Frisbee, sunning, and playing with their dogs. </p>

<p>I only wish that I could attend school with my son in the fall.</p>