For Summer 2016, any rising HS Junior or Senior can apply to the University of Alabama SITE program (Student Introduction to Engineering) - so a student has a chance to see the various areas of eng/CS at UA. It can assist in determining if their impression of a field is what it is, and see/learn with the UA facilities and resources.
My DD attended this before her HS senior year (Summer 2013), and it had her determine civil engineering as her chosen field (she actually is concentrating on structural and civil eng - wanting to take extra courses for both areas of concentration) - she is a sophomore at UA now.
The SITE program fills up quickly - UA does not advertise the program. This link has the information and the dates for next summer are set:
http://site.eng.ua.edu/
Other school like Purdue offer something similar.
@ucbalumnus Yes, a free ride is better than full tuition plus 2500 per year, but none of those higher ranked schools will likely award their full rides to a white, high income student with an ACT 31.
Hi, OP here. Thanks for all the info and discussion. I will check out the competitive full tuition link as well, thanks for sharing that.
By the way, I am not interested in medicine. Really focused on engineering, electrical, mechanical and material sciences.
Mom2collegekids - you mentioned visit. Would it help me if I went down for a visit? I can make that happen…
You’d get the scholarships as long as you apply by the Dec deadline and send scores and transcripts.
However, it would help your decision-making process to visit.
I will post what you need to do.
HONORS COLLEGE CAMPUS VISITS
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 on the Alabama forum on College Confidential which is VERY active. By skipping the Info Session, the people in the HC will have more time to schedule meetings with profs, etc.
Set up your tour here: Campus Tour - The University of Alabama
Don’t delay setting up your campus tour! The tour is a mix of walking and riding in a small bus, so each tour is strictly limited to the number of seats on that small bus.
In the email to the below listed people, include:
Student’s name and contact info
Date and time of the Campus tour that you’ve reserved.
GPA and test scores (include likely NMSF if applicable)
Likely majors
Career interests (including med, law, etc)
Anything particular that you want to see. If you have an interest in seeing the new Science and Engineering Complex, the TV or radio stations, the B-school or what-have-you, let them know.
Honors Recruitment
Susan Dendy, Coordinator
270 Nott Hall | 205-348-5599 | susan.dendy@ua.edu
Jordan Hall, Assistant Coordinator
272 Nott Hall | 205-348-7054 | jordanmhall@ua.edu
They will arrange the rest of the day…meeting with faculty, honors people, touring honors dorms, etc.
Sometimes mail goes to their SPAM folders, so call them if you haven’t heard back within a few business days. They do an excellent job and work very hard.
Wow! Thanks for that detail, very much appreciated. I applied today and requested my scores from act. I only received an email from UA that confirmed my application fee payment but I did not get an email with CWID (I guess an ID # to set up my account so I can apply for the scholarships). Is it common to not get that righ away?
Also, I’ll talk to my father about going down for a visit soon and send an email to the Honors College folks you mentioned to help set that up as soon as we gain get a solid date to make it down. Many thanks!
The CWID email takes 24-48 hours (business days) to come.
Visiting is the best way to judge the dept and school in order to see if it fits your needs. We were very surprised by our visit. Hands down, it was the best dept meeting we had. Ds met with the UG advisor who spent an hour talking to him and then took him on a personal tour. Ds asked questions about his particular situation and opportunities available. He sat in on a 300 level class (he was already taking 300 level classes). He left there with a clear picture of what he would be able to accomplish and his reality has matched that conversation.
Bama has a lot to offer. If you are interested in UG research, you might want to look into CBH. It is a research honors program and the kids are all top notch students. Ds loves the group. This link will give you an idea of some of the research students are participating in. https://live.cbhp.ua.edu/schedule.php University Scholars allows students to earn their masters while completing their UG. http://courseleaf.ua.edu/specialacademicprograms/universityscholars/ (For students like my ds who started their freshman yr at an advanced level, this is a fabulous opportunity to be challenged at a higher level.). Two other programs that I don’t know much about personally, but have heard great things are Emerging Scholars and STEM MBA.
Thank for this info @Mom2aphysicsgeek . I did the virtual tour and looks great. Don’t know why I didn’t have Bama on my list earlier.
My DD is in the STEM MBA program. Emerging Scholars and STEM MBA have more students in them than CBH and Fellows Programs. General Honors Program. Lots of good things with the HC at UA.