<p>The paper mill was shut down long ago! You can come back to Tuscaloosa now and breathe good clean air. lol</p>
<p>LOL, yeah the paper mill is long gone. Some people say they can smell the asphalt plant down the river on humid nights, but I’ve never caught whiff of it.</p>
<p>*In 1955, I attended a cheerleading camp at U of A. There was a paper mill in town and it stunk up the place *</p>
<p>LOL…</p>
<p>NO, T-town does NOT smell in any way. Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, and clean smelling air.</p>
<p>she narrowed it down to AU or UA. She liked them both, the NMF packages were very similar (although Auburn has downgraded theirs this year),</p>
<p>I didn’t know that Auburn downgraded their NMF package. What did they change?</p>
<p>Also, does anyone know if Auburn makes its NMF students pay an “upcharge” to be in the Villages (their very limited honors super-suites)? Auburn’s scholarship indicates an amount (like Bama does), but I don’t know if Auburn increases the amount if you’re in a Super Suite like Bama does.</p>
<p>*The most impressive feature about UA IMHO is the Honors college. *</p>
<p>Yeah, it would be interesting to compare the difference between the number of honors courses offered. Bama probably offers 5 times or more honors classes.</p>
<p>hoping to reach mom2mom … new to site.</p>
<p>^^^If you’d like to connect with anyone here, southeaster, click on their blue screen name in the left hand column and send them a personal message. Everyone in the UA family to whom I’ve sent a personal message (also referred to as a PM here) has responded graciously.</p>
<p>IMHO both Auburn and Alabama in the long run, are one and the same. Any personal preferences are due to small details and mostly inconsequential personal choices.</p>
<p>A hardworking student going to college for a holistic experience and who is able to pull the best from his/her experience will have a great time at both schools. In the same vein, a student looking to party and waste his/her money for four or more years can do so easily at both schools easily. </p>
<p>The hard truth is that attending one school over the other will not guarantee success. There are likely similar amounts of failures coming out of each school. Regardless of what rankings say, neither is significantly more prestigious than the other. Someone form UA with a terrible GPA and no work experience isn’t going to get a job over someone from AU with a 4.0 and tons of experience (vice versa). Most people out of the deep south will stare at you blankly at the sound of both names (unless they are into football). </p>
<p>In the end, it’s up to the student to take the opportunities offered at both schools and use it to their advantage. I, quite frankly, am sick of people nitpicking both schools for some magical touch that will lead them/their children to instant success and wealth. It’s time to realize that in current times, with the way things are going, it’s the student not the school…unless it’s Harvard/Yale…Just kidding! But seriously, work for what you want, no matter where you go. Don’t hide behind rankings and outside opinions.</p>
<p>The Auburn NMF award I don’t believe changed - the award that did change was the OOS “Presidential” that went from full tuition to 2/3 tuition. Applicants are awarded the Presidential based on their academics until they receive the NMF letter and it’s then upgraded to the full NMF award upon receipt.</p>
<p>There is an upcharge for the ‘super-suites’ as I understand it - I want to say it’s around $250/semester additional for the suites.</p>
<p>There are a few other differences you might want to check out as well before you rule out one or the other without visiting. The technology credit at AU is $1500 that I believe can be spent in the computer store as one wishes. The “enrichment experience” is $4000 vs. $2000 at UA. Additionally there are numerous departmental and competitive scholarships that can be quite significant. Some are automatic based on ACT scores, others are competitive. They generally stack on top of the NMF award package. You need to snoop around in the site’s individual departments or call to get more info on these.</p>
<p>We visited both schools and were very impressed with everything we saw. I don’t think you can rule one or the other out until you’ve made a visit to each and explored everything they have to offer - which in both cases is quite a lot.</p>
<p>The computer money and enrichment experience just go into your account at Auburn. No need to save receipts etc or documentation that you used it to buy a computer. So if you already have a computer and do not want to buy another you have some other options for those dollars.</p>
<p>There is an upcharge for the ‘super-suites’ as I understand it - I want to say it’s around $250/semester additional for the suites.</p>
<p>If there is an “upcharge” for Auburn’s super suites, it’s probably more than $250 a semester. I believe it’s about $600 more a semester.</p>
<p>I am a rising senior in Arab, AL. I want to be a Chemical Engineering major, and I am debating between UA and AU. Everyone around my town tells me how much better Auburn’s Engineering program is than Alabama’s, but I have grown up an Alabama fan. Over the years, I’ve developed a passion for UA. I’ve frequently been to Tuscaloosa, and it feels like my second home. Would I have the same co-oping/internship opportunitities at UA as I would at AU? </p>
<p>Also, Is it true that if you don’t participate in Greek life at UA, you are mistreated on campus? (Due to the “Machine”)</p>
<p>You would have very good co-oping/internship opportunities at UA, probably the same or possibly more than you would have at Auburn. UA is really trying to grow their engineering department and is attracting some very talented students and faculty in the process. Historically, Auburn was the place to go to in AL if you wanted to be an engineer, but that is changing. If Tuscaloosa already feels like your second home, it may be difficult for you to attend a school (Auburn) that you have rooted against for so long.</p>
<p>Concerning the Machine, the only time I would ever see it being an issue is if you were running for a high office in the SGA and even then the Machine is less powerful than in the past. As a student, you will not be treated any differently as a GDI than if you were Greek. In fact, you might even some Greek events.</p>
<p>Alright. Thank you so much for that. I’ve always wanted to go to the University of Alabama for as long as I can rememeber. And in my opinion, students shouldn’t hide behind a school’s reputation for success. I think that it depends upon the student, and his or her willingness to work hard, not the prestige of the school. (and there’s little to no difference in UA and AU)</p>
<p>LOL…</p>
<p>My kids are not in the Greek system and they haven’t have any negative experiences. </p>
<p>Auburn is just as “greek” as Bama is, so if that is a concern, then it’s a wash.</p>
<p>Bama has spent many millions improving its engineering program and building new engineering and science labs and buildings. Why don’t you visit and get the info in person. :)</p>
<p>What are your stats? Will you get a scholarship to either school?</p>
<p>@Sea_tide: What is a GDI?</p>
<p>It stands for God (darn) independent. It originated as a derogatory term many Greek students used for independents, but many independents (like myself) wear it with pride or don’t care about the term.</p>
<p>Learned something new, thanks!</p>
<p>[Building</a> and Facilities](<a href=“http://coeweb.eng.ua.edu/building/]Building”>http://coeweb.eng.ua.edu/building/)</p>
<p><a href=“http://coeweb.eng.ua.edu/news/magazinespring2010.pdf[/url]”>http://coeweb.eng.ua.edu/news/magazinespring2010.pdf</a></p>
<p>check out these new links for more info about the construction of recently built and coming new Science and Engineering buildings on UA’s campus. </p>
<p>These facilities will greatly improve the rep of UA Engineering.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/382751-usnews-2008-engineering-ranking-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/382751-usnews-2008-engineering-ranking-compilation.html</a></p>
<p>its far from the top, but it is not true to say it is unranked</p>
<p>Neither UA or AU are in the top 50. But AU does have the edge here, for now.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/382751-usnews-2008-engineering-ranking-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/engineering-majors/382751-usnews-2008-engineering-ranking-compilation.html</a></p>
<p>its far from the top, but it is not true to say it is unranked</p>
<p>Neither UA or AU are in the top 50. But AU does have the edge here, for now.</p>