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

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>Just wanted to post here in hopes that it might help someone in the future who is stuck between Alabama and a more “traditional” choice… </p>

<p>I agonized over my college decision, which is silly, really, since I got accepted to the school of my dreams in August, well before the college essay writing season began. I initially heard about the opportunities at Alabama on this very forum after discovering that my PSAT score would qualify me for National Merit scholarships. After perusing the website a little bit, I decided that with the Honors College and the increasing diversity, even a liberal Californian like me could stomach the South for this incredible financial opportunity. Although I absolutely loved my visit that June (this past summer), I kept it on the back burner, assuring myself that I didn’t really like it. It might have been because people kept telling me that they just “saw me at a small Northeast LAC,” or showed shocked looks when I told them I was considering Alabama.
Over time, their feelings wore off on me. What was I thinking? How could I possibly get along with these people who I assumed were so different from me? It meant that by the time I was invited to the CBHP Finalists’ Visit, I scowled during the entire car ride. I was certain I would hate it.
That’s when it changed, though. Because I didn’t. In fact, the people I met during that weekend were more down-to-earth, successful, entrepreneurial, genuinely friendly, and ambitious than those I met at any other college (and over the past 2 years I have visited 25). After a night wandering around the campus with my new friends, I cried tears of happiness because I felt I had found my people. Between the opportunities in the Honors College, CBHP, University Scholars Program, and AP credits, avenues will be open to me at Alabama that would be filled with roadblocks at any other school. A feeling of trust and encouragement permeated every interaction I had with professors and Dean Sharpe. When I came home, my mom said I looked completely in love, like I was coming home to tell her who I was going to marry.
But here’s the reason I am sharing this story–even after all that, I struggled with my decision. Because between that weekend in February and May 1st, I was lucky enough to be accepted at many other much more selective schools. I had scholarships with research opportunities from Kenyon, Smith, and USC as well as an acceptance letter from Dartmouth. I felt ashamed to mention Alabama among these, because at my school, that’s not where a valedictorian goes.
But out of nine schools, all of which I would have bet on over Alabama a year ago, I chose to become a part of the University of Alabama Class of 2018 and the Computer Based Honors Program. I found the place where I wanted to be, and I could not be happier. And although I was terrified that everyone would be convinced I made the wrong decision, my excitement has been infectious. As soon as I tell my friends and family about the opportunities for mentorship and research I will have, as well as the generous scholarships, they are all sure I have made the right choice. </p>

<p>So here are my words of wisdom to you–don’t choose your college based on what others think will make you happy. Keep an open mind, and you never know where it will take you. Be open to opportunities that nobody in your school or town has heard of before. (Now that I have been telling my friends who are juniors about Alabama, I have several other 4.0 students wanting to visit and learn about the CBHP.) Above all, find the place that makes you smile so much that you can’t stop.</p>

1 Like
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<p>Thanks for sharing with us springy179. Welcome and roll tide!</p>

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<p>Great story, Springy179! Welcome to Bama. </p>

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<p>Wow, Springy179, thank u for sharing, ROLL TIDE</p>

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<p>Nice retelling of your decision making process, Springy. Over the next four years, keep us informed of your college progress.</p>

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<p>remarkable UA progress</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/1654905-remarkable-progress-documented-in-new-ua-factbook-2013-2014.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-alabama/1654905-remarkable-progress-documented-in-new-ua-factbook-2013-2014.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>The facilities were the difference over Clemson, Ole Miss and UGA…and the scholarships. I see perceptions of Alabama changing over the next 5-10 years with their aggressive move towards recruiting students with higher scores. I think Honors/EE/MBA in 5 years (with virtually no debt) at a drop-dead-gorgeous campus is the nation’s best academic value anywhere. </p>

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<p>Maybe we are crazy, but my son passed up our instate flagship University of Delaware which is a very good academic school at in state prices and where most of his friends are going and WVU which is moderately priced for out of state students to go to BAMA at full pop! The visit sold my son that much, especially how you are treated by the staff and how everyone goes out of their way to help you. The fact that the campus is drop dead gorgeous with great facilities did not hurt either. I guess time will tell if we made a bad decision or not! (Thank goodness for the Bama plan which allowed us to spread the tuition out over 10 months)</p>

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<p>@pgddad, if you can afford the difference in tuition, I totally get why you’d make that choice. We were pretty underwhelmed by UDel when we visited, even though a lot of folks we know in southeastern PA choose it over Penn State because it’s closer to home and is so much smaller. We found pretty much everything about Alabama superior to Delaware–except the distance!</p>

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<p>Passed on my parent’s (and entire family pretty much) alma mater of UW-Madison. Painful, but I believe the right choice.</p>

<p>Also Purdue and Ole Miss.</p>

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<p>In the end, my daughter decided to stay at U.A. for her last 2 years, even though she switched her major to engineering and her scholarship wasn’t going to cover a necessary 5th year of classes. She had been accepted as a transfer student to VIRGINIA TECH, which is such a great engineering school. She only applied to VA Tech to please me and because it seemed prudent at the time, but when faced with the choice, she chose not to leave U.A. It’s because of the friendliness of U.A. As it turns out, that choice was excellent, because she has received a really really good engineering internship (she’s a great interviewee and knows what she wants), no question in line with VT internships. I couldn’t be happier for her!</p>

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<p>^^
Congrats :)</p>

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<p>My son was accepted to Vanderbilt, RPI, Virginia Tech. He is a National Merit Finalist and received the Presidential scholarship. He passed on the other schools because of UA’s very generous scholarship and the interactions we had with school administrators, parents, etc. before we even visited the campus. Our Bama Bound orientation in July told us we made the right choice. The resources at UA, the organization, and the friendliness of everyone we met made us proud to be a part of the UA family. I think if parents and students approach UA with an open mind, you will be amazed at the quality of the university. I do believe UA will be a tier I school one of these days very soon with the way the school is recruiting and getting top students from across the nation. And it doesn’t hurt to have a top athletic program to gather around and build camaraderie. ROLL TIDE!!</p>

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<p>Anyone hear what the projected enrollment will be for this Fall’s freshman class?</p>

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<p>@Atlanta68, it would probably be best to post that question on your own thread here in the forum.</p>

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<p>Haven’t quite made the decision for Class of 2019 yet, but we’re seriously considering UA over Northwestern, Notre Dame, Washington U. and Wisconsin-Madison, largely because of the merit scholarships.</p>

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<p>Good for you! Have you visited Bama?</p>

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<p>Yes. We went in the middle of the summer. Met with professors, Honors College folks, etc. Lovely campus, obviously a lot of money and energy going into making it even nicer. Other campuses we’re considering are also very nice (almost too nice… begging the question of whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing that college often ends up being nicer than the places you’ll end up living when you get out), but free tuition will be very hard to pass up. </p>

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<p>@pdbauer1959‌, do you mean your son won’t bother even applying to those other schools because of the Bama offer? That’s certainly one option, but it doesn’t hurt to apply to elite schools and see how the offers compare, if you and he are okay doing the apps and spending the money. NU, Notre Dame and WashU are all very competitive these days, but it’s really nice for a student to look back and feel like he chose a school because it really was the best option and not because he never applied to any others. And of course Wisconsin is a great school too! </p>

<p>Just a thought.</p>

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<p>No. We’re still applying. You’re thoughts on strategy are on the mark… we want to keep options open. Some of it is less to do with the quality of the schools (all seem high quality to me), and more to do with the human factor… when it gets closer to actually going away to school, will he decide he wants to be closer to home (Wisconsin) or closer to extended family (St. Louis). Probably a lot of parents are hedging in similar ways. Quality of school, cost of school, distance from home, weather, possibility of playing sports (he might want to walk on for cross country), etc., all will factor in. It seemed a lot simpler when I was 18. :)</p>