What schools did your child pass on in order to attend Alabama

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
61

<p>*So many reports on Alabama mention football. We are an active, outdoorsy family with zero interest in professional sports. </p>

<p>Would a kid who doesn’t care about football fit there?
*</p>

<p>The truth is, most students do not attend the games.</p>

<p>That said, many people have posted in the past that their family/child had no interest in sports prior to coming to Bama. However, they attended a game out of curiousity, and “caught the fever” (my older son was one of these kids). One kid that I know NEVER went to HS games, but quickly caught the fever and was soon one of those kids who was body-painted at games …lol.</p>

<p>The games aren’t just about football. There’s music, and baton twirlers, and dancers, and just a whole lot of entertainment going on. </p>

<p>But again, Many students go all four years and never attend any games. </p>

<p>The number of student tickets per game is much smaller than the number of students…MUCH smaller.</p>

62

<p>If you do visit, first set up the campus tour online…try for an early morning time! Don’t bother with the “info session”, you’ll get that info here pretty much here.</p>

<p>In the email include:</p>

<p>Student’s name and contact info</p>

<p>Date and time of the Campus tour that you’ve reserved.</p>

<p>GPA and test scores (include likely NMSF if applicable)</p>

<p>Likely majors*</p>

<p>Career interests (including med, law, etc)</p>

<p>Anything particular that you want to see. *If you have an interest in seeing the new Science and Engineering Complex, let them know.</p>

<p>Honors Recruitment
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>

<p>Allison and her assistant will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with faculty, honors people, touring honors dorms, etc.</p>

<p>Sometimes mail goes to their SPAM folders, so call them if you haven’t heard back within a few business days. These ladies do an excellent job and work very hard</p>

63

<p>LadyDianeski,
Thanks for the Belmont Abbey College mention. First time I have seen them mentioned on CC. I am a BAC grade with a NMF S in engineering @ Bama. He is loving it so far.</p>

64

<p>I laughed when I saw this post.</p>

<p>"So many reports on Alabama mention football. We are an active, outdoorsy family with zero interest in professional sports. </p>

<p>Would a kid who doesn’t care about football fit there?"</p>

<p>We have three kids. The oldest never cared anything about football until she went to the Penn State game. She fell in love with the atmosphere. Our second child just loves to be a part of the excitement from tailgating to the final play even though she doesn’t understand everything about football. She is learning. Our youngest could tell you anything you want to know about the team’s new recruits and anything else you want to know about Bama football. She LOVES the Crimson Tide! Football is much bigger than the actual game, but it isn’t necessary to like it to love Bama.</p>

<p>Our kids had/have many other choices besides the UA, but none of them feel Bama is an inferior choice so I won’t bother boasting about other options they had/have. Visit the campus. If it is a fit, you’ll know.</p>

65

<p>I find it very interesting that anyone would be surprised at the number of posts/threads that occur on the UA forum. The reason(s) that it is so active is because many of us here are simply paying back the many kindnesses that we have experienced at this forum, and also at The University of Alabama itself. We feel truly blessed and lucky that our students are achieving great things, that they are reaching their potentials, that they are enjoying a multitude of opportunities, and that they are simply having a wonderful college experience</p>

<p>There are several parents here on CC who have had the privilege to speak at recruitment sessions for the university but many, many more parents simply want to voice their input, and help others find the best college education without the far too often crushing debt that can occur. </p>

<p>I hope that our forum always informs, entertains and encourages prospective parents and students to join us, talk with us, and visit The University of Alabama.
Roll Tide!!</p>

<p>It was asked what other colleges your student turned down to attend Bama. Here is the list that I recall from my student, although there may have been more.
I hope that you find this info helpful.
New Orleans
Loyola University<br>
Tulane University: Tulane University Honors Program</p>

<p>New York
St John’s University: Honor’s Program
Fordham University -Rose Hill
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Geneseo: Invited to apply to Edgar Fellows Program<br>
Stony Brook University: Stony Brook Honors (3,300 applicants, 60 accepted)</p>

<p>Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh: University Honors College </p>

<p>North Carolina
University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill:</p>

<p>Virginia
Roanoke College </p>

<p>Maryland
University of Maryland –College Park: Catalyst Seminar
Gemstone Honors
Biology Major as freshman</p>

<p>Alabama
Auburn University: Honors Program
University of Alabama: University Honors Program
International Honors Program
Computer Based Honors Program</p>

<p>As to football…well, my student, had NO interest and yet wound up painted, photographed and often on TV. :slight_smile: It was a blast to see “The Bama Chestpainters” that year. They had several very artistic members and both the young woman and men looked great on TV. There is something of a football fever for freshman. It does seem to dissipate somewhat once they get very busy.</p>

66

<p>D was/is a MLB fan - Red Sox, and although she occasionally enjoyed high school football games it wasn’t until attending AL that she become a more avid fan-I think it is more out of respect for the athletes, being an athlete at UA herself that she began to attend the games. But she has also become very supportive of and enjoys attending basketball games, and gymnastics and baseball when time allows. I think it is the school -community spirit aspect/the fun the football games and others generate that draws her. But her overall social experience at UA is much more than football games/athletics-it is a very balanced experience.
My view having visited campus several times is UA is made up of all types of students. Any out of state/not accustomed to the south student interested in venturing out of their comfort zone, is open to not only finding their niche peer group at UA which they will because there are so many groups, but is also open to meeting and learning about other’s will have a college experience that expands their knowledge, acceptance of others, and be more able to relate with future co-workers in our more diverse and global work environments than just sticking with their comfort zone.
As others have said UA isn’t for everyone like any other university, visit and your child will know if it is a fit for them or not.</p>

67

<p>Bamagirls …regarding …so I won’t bother boasting about other options they had/have. </p>

<p>The OP asked what other college choices students had/turned down to attend AL. Responding honestly and providing all the wonderful opportunities our students have had at UA that will assist them with their futures is done as robotbldmom said: simply paying back the many kindnesses that we have experienced at this forum, and also at The University of Alabama itself. We feel truly blessed and lucky that our students are achieving great things, that they are reaching their potentials, that they are enjoying a multitude of opportunities, and that they are simply having a wonderful college experience</p>

<p>Although you may just have been short on time to provide the info or didn’t think how this part of your post may be perceived, sometimes comments like this will discourage others from posting for fear of being labeled boasting, bragging, whatever…other parents have told me privately they hesitate to do so when comments like this follow…</p>

<p>I originally PM’ed the OP with that concern, but then I began to think of all the students and parents who are now in the position we were and given our D’s great experience at UA providing D’s experience seems like the right thing to do to give back and help others make a balanced choice regardless of if others will perceive it as boasting.</p>

68

<p>Let me try this again, trvlbug. Yes, I was busy with something else at the time. I am normally not up at this time of the night posting here, but I am working on a project and took a moment for distraction. No, it was not my intention to criticize you or anyone else for their posts. Yes, I used the word “boast”, and I am truly sorry if that offended you. There’s nothing wrong with “boasting” or “bragging”, and maybe that wasn’t the best choice of words if it offended you. Heck, we even have a “bragging” thread around here somewhere. Still, I really don’t feel inclined to respond by listing other schools my children had/have on the table. To me, it isn’t relevant. Comparing offers wasn’t/isn’t a part of our process. There have been many threads and real life conversations where parents and students have expressed how compelled they felt to justify their choice. Obviously, most of the students here had options of schools some may consider more prestigious than Bama. Perhaps they are right. Who knows? All oldest had many excellent options. Our younger two have a few more. The thing is, I don’t see the relevance. Obviously with scores of 1400+ and 32+, our students have some great schools from which to choose. But even for students with lower stats, I think the choice is best made by visiting than comparing lists and rankings. For us it was feel.</p>

<p>I am not seeking to discourage others from posting as they wish. Go forth and post everyone. Remember though, it is a public forum. We will sometimes misinterpret someone’s comments and sometimes we will simply disagree.</p>

<p>Best wishes to the OP as her son completes his college search. I hope you will visit campus.</p>

69

<p>

One of the reasons I recommend visits is that I believe schools have different cultures and feels … and that some schools have a very strong personality … and that if an applicant visits they are likely to have a strong reaction, pro or con, to the school. Personally I think it is great when schools have a strong feel and that it will likely be a great experience who are drawn by the feel of the place … and Alabama is clearly one of those places.</p>

<p>That said there are lots of other schools that have strong followings however the level of posting about any of these schools is nowhere close to the Alabama following. Look at the recent start of the year … on the Alabama forum multiple posts on measurements of rooms, where to stay, where to eat, taking the train to school, lists of what to bring, what to wear, what not to wear, threads on rush, etc, etc. I’d guess there were as many threads (or close) about the start of the school year at Alabama as there were for all the other schools on the forum combined.</p>

<p>I get the Alabama crew has loved their experience but the level of posting is curious to see.</p>

70

<p>My son hates crowds, noise, football, etc. He just uses game day as a day to get caught up on homework or his video games. He usually does watch the games on TV with his roommates so I think a little of school spirit has rubbed off on him. You just won’t catch him anywhere near the quad or the stadium on game day.</p>

71

<p>Our concern with UA has absolutely nothing to do with prestige as it relates to other schools. As has been said before, any kid eligible for the Prez scholarship will potentially have several options. Our concern is about the size of the school. The next largest school we are looking at has 10k undergrads, but most are 3k or less. We love the LAC model. Also concerned about the sorority culture at a big SEC school (mostly because neither W or I went Greek in college and we are Northeasterners). Lastly, my D is a terrific student but is also very social so we are a little worried that D will be overwhelmed with all the EC options and forget that she’s actually at college to STUDY! She has a friend/teammate who flunked out of UA this year. This girl was a good if not great student who just didn’t attend class.</p>

72

<p>@ Bigdaddy88 - Not attending class has little to do with school size or the number of EC’s offered, it is nothing more than the maturity/commitment of the student. If you don’t make it to class you won’t survive in any school. I myself attended a small school of about 1500 students with very few EC’s and learned the same lesson about needing to attend class. Granted it was a large number of years ago but that rule still hasn’t changed.</p>

<p>As for Bama’s size, it is a big school and as such offeres many options for the students. But don’t look at the school size, take a closer look at your daughter…is she ready for the freedom that college brings? Any college? DS is at Bama, I asked myself the same question as he was going through the process and realized that he and I are worlds apart. He had a maturity in HS that I didn’t attain until I was in my late 20’s (some would say I am still not there :slight_smile: ). At that point I knew he would be just fine whereever he chose to attend and he had many options (NMF, 4.0, 36 ACT and EC’s). In the end the financial package, research opportunities and general feel of Bama won out over a list of schools that many would say were of a higher quality.</p>

<p>DS is a current sophmore who has been actively involved in Nano-Particle research at Bama since last January (including a paid summer research internship). I say active because at many schools the students don’t really do much in the lab until late sophmore or junior year, they just watch. That is one thing that took a number of schools off of DS’s list. He is also very satisfied with his social and classroom life and has told me that he feels like he is finally where he is supposed to be.</p>

<p>He thinks mom and dad are happy because of the financial package from Bama, truth is mom and dad are happy because son is happy.</p>

<p>Bottom line I think that is why many of us post on this board… we know our kids are happy and thriving at Bama. Because of that we feel that we owe it to other’s to share bama’s story.</p>

73

<p>Can I get a ROLL TIDE?..ROLL TIDE to all the Bama Parents</p>

74

<p>Lastly, my D is a terrific student but is also very social so we are a little worried that D will be overwhelmed with all the EC options and forget that she’s actually at college to STUDY! She has a friend/teammate who flunked out of UA this year. This girl was a good if not great student who just didn’t attend class</p>

<p>Well, there will be distracting EC and social options at all schools, unless the school is boring and then the kids won’t like being there. lol</p>

<p>Kids flunk out everywhere for a variety of reasons: depression, video gaming, drinking, love interests, etc. Here on CC, we’ve seen stories of kids flunking out or doing poorly at all schools…even the top ones. </p>

<p>If you’re clear with your D that she must keep her scholarship in order to attend, and you monitor her grades, flunking out is less likely to happen.</p>

<p>A couple of years ago, a mom contacted me because her freshman child had got too caught up with the social aspects of college. Luckily, she noticed the problem mid-term, so there was time to make corrections - drop a class where there was no hope, and focus on the rest. The student ended that semester with a 3.0…and since that time, has had very good grades. </p>

<p>So, some do slip at the beginning (freshman adjustment issues). But if you provide some guidance (some helicoptering…lol) and nip those problems in the bud, it can be smooth sailing after that.</p>

75

<p>Here you go WV…</p>

<p>[ESPN</a> Alabama Roll Tide Commercial - YouTube](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube)</p>

<p>Roll Tide, ya’ll!</p>

76

<p>And the best part about that commercial here in the state of Alabama was that it debutted in Fall 2010 during Auburn’s BCS run. What a pain in their sides to see that commercial over and over again during the season that was “theirs”. lol</p>

<p>Roll Tide!</p>

77

<p>Momfromme, </p>

<p>You might want to take a look at some of these programs for “outdoorsy” type people.</p>

<p>[University</a> Recreation Center](<a href=“http://urec.sa.ua.edu/ortrips.cfm]University”>http://urec.sa.ua.edu/ortrips.cfm)</p>

<p>[University</a> Recreation Center](<a href=“http://urec.sa.ua.edu/alabeta_maps.cfm]University”>http://urec.sa.ua.edu/alabeta_maps.cfm)</p>

<p>Also, the HC offers Outdoor Action, an intensive volunteer program that incorporates outdoor activities. It’s a great way for freshmen to meet their peers, develop friendships, and learn about themselves. Many of the posters here have students who participated.</p>

<p>[University</a> of Alabama freshmen honors students wrap up West Alabama service projects | al.com](<a href=“http://blog.al.com/tuscaloosa/2013/08/university_of_alabama_freshmen.html]University”>University of Alabama freshmen honors students wrap up West Alabama service projects - al.com)</p>

<p>[Honors</a> Action | Honors College](<a href=“http://honors.ua.edu/honors-action/]Honors”>Honors Action – honors.ua.edu | The University of Alabama)</p>

<p>There is also a new program for all freshmen, Camp 1831.</p>

<p>[Camp</a> 1831 to Introduce UA Students to Traditions, Civic Engagement | University of Alabama News - The University of Alabama](<a href=“http://uanews.ua.edu/2013/01/camp-1831-to-introduce-ua-students-to-traditions-civic-engagment/]Camp”>http://uanews.ua.edu/2013/01/camp-1831-to-introduce-ua-students-to-traditions-civic-engagment/)</p>

78

<p>Bigdaddy88: I think the question should be," Does The University of Alabama feel like a big university?" I believe that the answer is " No". </p>

<p>I’ll tell you why, most classes except for some of the introductory ones are not large in size and even those boast numbers much lower than many colleges. The upper level classes definitely have a low enrollment threshold. HC seminars are capped at 15 students. The Honors College is like a small college unto itself. Some of the competative HC programs only have about forty students. The freshmen summer courses (AA&OA) have small close knit groups, which get your student off to a great start. Most major classes are grouped in specified buildings limiting cross campus travel. There are many on campus groups that allow your student to participate in activities providing a social group without being in a sorority. There are over 250 groups, so none of the groups are über large.</p>

<p>The benefits of a “large” university outweighs the small LAC’s in my opinion. There are a myriad of majors and minors to choose from. You can even create your own mix in the New College. There are more professors and instructors to choose from. There are more sections of classes and more course options to choose from. Other benefits are that with so many clubs and organizations on campus, your student does not have to leave campus to find friends, social groups, or entertainment. There is always plenty to do that is both educational and social. The university boasts a large campus that is beautiful, clean and safe. The residence hall options are amazing. There are many food venues straticially placed around campus which include larger dining hall, food courts, fresh food options, coffee shops, and snack areas with vending machines. If your student is so inclined, there is even a Publix supermarket (within walking distance) so she can shop and cook.</p>

<p>Really, the options are almost limitless. I will give you one particular example; your daughter might be musical and she wants to take a voice, instrument or general music class. Most smaller colleges or LAC’s limit these classes to music majors, because they just don’t have the staff to offer classes to all the students. Not so at UA, you can join ensembles, choruses, choirs, or just take lessons as a non-music major. </p>

<p>In my observations and experiences as a UA parent, the possibilities and the opportunities are what are large!</p>

79

<p>^^^</p>

<p>I agree with the above.</p>

<p>Bama is laid out in a very organized fashion to minimize criss-crossing across campus. Bldgs are clustered by type/major. Gen Ed classes are often in buildings surrounding the Quad. </p>

<p>Of course, sometimes kids do have to criss-cross due to double majors, minors, or gen ed classes. It’s always good to have a feel for where classes are held in order to come up with a good schedule to minimize criss-crossing. Some are even able to put all of their “west side” classes on MWF, and all of their east side classes on T, Th. </p>

<p>When my kids had to include a course that required a 10+ minute walk from the previous class, they often scheduled a “study break” or “food break” in between. That would give them 70 minutes to study or eat and easily get to that next class. </p>

<p>I don’t know what your D’s major is, but my ChemE son’s classes were mostly in the northeast region of the school. When he included some Spanish and Italian classes for fun, he scheduled them to enable himself to be in that region of the campus. The math and physics majors are often in the east side of campus. </p>

<p>Business majors are often in the southwest region of the campus. Many Humanities and Social Science classes are around the left side of campus…and so forth.</p>

80

<p>momfromme, my DD had no interest in football. Only went to two of her high school football games and never watched a football game on TV.</p>

<p>First away football game for Alabama last weekend and she went with a group of friends to watch the game at B’dubs. We received a “ROLL TIDE” text from her every time Alabama scored. We laughed at home, because she never watched an entire game of football before.</p>

<p>You don’t have to care about football to enjoy the camaraderie and you don’t have to be football fan to love Alabama! But there is something about SEC football … you just might end up loving it!</p>

<p>Roll Tide!</p>