<p>My oldest son is a senior this year and starting the college application process. He qualifies for the Presidential Scholarship at Alabama and I have convinced him to apply. However, my husband graduated from MIT and is a bit of a college snob. He is having a hard time seeing that colleges have changed quite a bit from back in the 80’s. I feel like he is humoring me in agreeing that S14 should apply. My son has some great schools on his list, Duke and Johns Hopkins are currently the favorites, and he could conceivably get into at least a couple. However, we have 3 others to put through college and we are unlikely to receive much in financial aid. We definitely should be taking advantage of merit scholarships that S14 qualifies for.</p>
<p>Has anybody else had to overcome their own preconceived notions about Alabama? What top schools did your kid turn down for Alabama? Besides the generous scholarship, what attracted your child to the school. How can I convince my husband and my son (who probably favors Dad’s opinion over mine) that the school is worth looking at. I have tried to get them to visit. Hopefully, I can get them to visit after S14 has been accepted.</p>
<p>My son is leaning towards biomedical engineering but could go for chemical engineering with a biology minor. He is also considering the possibility of med school. Any one know the med school acceptance rate for the honors college students?</p>
<p>most students who qualify for presidential or higher will have had acceptances at other more prestigious schools. when it comes down to it, you have to look at the amount of debt you & he are willing to incur.</p>
<p>many kids and parents have magical thinking, thinking that the more prestigious schools will offer them a good financial package, but when that finally comes around, most are left standing there wondering what the heck?</p>
<p>biomedical engineering is a field where a masters degree is often required, so majoring in chemical or mechanical engineering and then going on to grad school is an option.</p>
<p>IDK what the number of students who apply to med school/the number accepted to med school is, but there are many UA students who apply to and get into med school. if med school is a possibility, then you, for sure, want to try to limit undergrad debt!!!</p>
<p>most people are sold upon a visit to the school. if it is not a fit, then you will find that out.</p>
<p>However, we have 3 others to put through college and we are unlikely to receive much in financial aid. We definitely should be taking advantage of merit scholarships that S14 qualifies for.</p>
<p>possibility of medical school</p>
<p>My son was ChemE at Bama and is now in med school.</p>
<p>I don’t think there are stats for the HC and med school. That said, the Premed Advising office reports that Bama students have a high acceptance to med school. Dr. Hutt told me that the acceptance rate is around 85% for students who have at least a 29 MCAT and 3.5 GPA. </p>
<p>Bama does do Committee Letters which are helpful.</p>
<p>Acceptance has more to do with the STUDENT, and not the school. The student has to have the GPA and get a good MCAT score. The student also has to do the EC’s. </p>
<p>However, any school that reports med school acceptance rates can’t really tell the whole story. </p>
<p>EVERY school has a large number of pre-meds during frosh year. EVERY year, some premeds change their minds or don’t get the grades. </p>
<p>Acceptance rates only measure the acceptance rates of students who actually make it to the point of applying to med school. </p>
<p>So, even if a school has a 75% acceptance rate for med school, that does NOT mean that 75% of frosh premeds end up in med school…since many of those never end up applying. And this is true for all schools, even the top ones. The acceptance rate is dealing with the number of students who apply to med school, and who get at least ONE US MD acceptance.</p>
<p>I’m having a hard time convincing my husband to visit. I’m hoping that I can get them down there after the acceptance comes in. I’ve told my son that I want him to finish his application soon.</p>
<p>where do you live? if he gets his app in soon, he may get the offer of a ticket to a football game to come visit.</p>
<p>if DH doesn’t want to visit, you can take him yourself.</p>
<p>i took my kid on college visits. DH didn’t see UA until we were at bama bound. he wasn’t really on board with the choice until bama bound, so the visit kind of sold him, too.</p>
<p>We live in MA. I may have to bring my son down. I’ve done all of the other visits but I thought DH should go and see the school himself. I’m already sold since I’ve been lurking on this board for quite some time.</p>
<p>Thanks for the PM’s trvlbug and Mom2twins. I appreciate the detailed info, very helpful in presenting my argument. I don’t think I have enough posts yet to PM you back but I should soon.</p>
<p>My daughter is a freshman and received the Presidential Scholarship. She was accepted at Boston College, University of Mass, University of Miami, Georgia, & Clemson. Right after getting the news that she got the Pres scholarship, we made a quick visit to 'Bama and she loved it! I understand your husband’s trepidation as most people’s perception of UA is rooted in misunderstanding. We’ve had to “explain ourselves” multiple times, but when they hear all the positives (see the above post/link), they get it. Coming out of college debt-free is a huge draw, but she wouldn’t have picked it just for that if she didn’t think she would get a top-notch education, too. PM me when you can.</p>
<p>You are not alone. We are struggling with the same issue. However, we did make the HC visit and it was terrific! The HC staff rolls out the red carpet for your kid. Really makes them feel wanted. Plus, they do a great job laying out their vision for your kids future. They listened to us and showed us how UA would make her college experience everything she wanted it to be. From study abroad to research to internships to graduating in four years and on and on.</p>
<p>OP, I’m not a college ‘snob’, but I tend to agree with your husband, unless of course, sending your son to Duke or JHU would create financial hardship. In our case, my D would never consider Alabama, and it’s just as well, as our state flagship (if she winds up there) is a much better school (imo) and would be a much better fit. As an aside, I’m simply amazed at the number of ‘UA’ threads there are on CC. It seems strange to me.</p>
<p>I’d suggest having your son and husband reading some threads on Alabama on CC … there are certainly a lot of stories of folks having their eyes opened.</p>
<p>One warning …
… to me as written this read as close minded against schools like non-merit schools like MIT as you husband is currently about merit schools like Alabama. To me the goal would seem to be to consider the range of possibilities from top schools like MIT to fine schools offering merit like Alabama.</p>
<p>* I’m not a college ‘snob’, …my D would never consider Alabama…our state flagship is a much better school… As an aside, I’m simply amazed at the number of ‘UA’ threads there are on CC. It seems strange to me.*</p>
<p>Convicts himself in his own words. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Odd that these folks seem to come out of the woodwork sometimes…does CC sent out PMs to certain people when these kinds of threads show up? They’re never in the forum, and then they somehow appear.</p>
<p>3togo - I should have said consider merit and he has a decent range of schools on his list. There are a few that he could be offered merit from. I just want him to consider Alabama as an option, not just apply to quiet his mother. We will see what happens when acceptances com in. However, we have another son right behind him, so final cost will play a big role. I would fully support him going to JHU or Duke, or any of the schools on his list if we don’t go broke doing it.</p>
<p>*
OP Quote:
We definitely should be taking advantage of merit scholarships that S14 qualifies for.</p>
<hr>
<p>3togo Quote: … to me as written this read as close minded against schools like non-merit schools like MIT as you husband is currently about merit schools like Alabama. To me the goal would seem to be to consider the range of possibilities from top schools like MIT to fine schools offering merit like Alabama.*</p>
<p>“As written”, this does not seem “close-minded.”. She wrote that they have 4 kids to put thru college. She certainly knows their financial situation better than you do - or are you in her checkbook? </p>
<p>To me, her words suggest that there is a financial concern, but perhaps her H’s affinity for top name schools is clouding his judgement when it comes to affording such schools for all four kids. She’s not being close-minded about MIT, she knows it’s a great school, she’s not closed to that. She probably has already been on its campus, or at least WILLING to visit it, unlike her H with Bama.</p>
<p>Alabama threads often show up on the front page of “new posts”. I frequently go to the new posts page to see what is being discussed recently. I was intrigued by the number of Alabama posts on that first page so I have read quite a few. I also had a NMF last year so we were looking at the big scholarships. Alabama parents are very active on CC so it is rare that there is not an Alabama post on that first page. After a while, people get curious. :)</p>
<p>I thought the OP would appreciate differing viewpoints…silly me. As far as me coming ‘out of the woodwork’, no, it’s just something I’ve noticed on CC over time - that UA has an inordinate # of threads. It was just an observation…I didn’t mean to offend anyone, honestly. Folks obviously love UA, and that passion and school spirit is a good thing.</p>
<p>As others have mentioned, you definitely need to arrange an Honors College visit in order to understand why so many high stat kids, and their families here on CC, decide Alabama is the place for them.</p>
<p>DD was accepted to Notre Dame (DW and her brother’s alma mater) - without a penny of scholarships. She was also accepted to Miami (OH), Clemson and South Carolina with signficant scholarships. DW and I were able to put away the full cost of attending an elite school for both of our kids - so finances were not a deciding factor. However, not withstanding the family ties to ND and having been to South Bend dozens of times for football games and other events, she fell in love with Bama on her visits. </p>
<p>While finances were not a deciding factor, DD also wants to go to med school. As M2CK has pointed out, (unlike investment banking) its not where you went to college, but your GPA and MCAT and EC’s that will get you into med school. Obviously in the back of our minds (and DD’s mind), the money we put away for undergrad that is not spent will be available for med school. With the Presidential scholarship worth almost $100k, that will go along way towards covering med school.</p>