Why Roll Tide?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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@kjcphmom I have no doubt some CS majors from UA , a big U, got rewarding jobs. But was your son a NMF and had once aimed to attend MIT? . My point is that you son is star in his own right and will likely shine wherever he goes.
For an average kid such as DD, I am not sure what the benefits are (again, I am just thinking out loud on “why roll tide” for our situation)
We may save a few thousand a year, but there is a big job market in NJ/NY, it may be easier for her to get a job with a degree from a local college. As far as AP credits are concerned, DD may be able to transfer all her APs, but I have no rush for her to graduate.

It may be interesting to see the UA’s yield for this year. Given the higher ACT requirement and the lower scholarship amount, I suspect the same kid may have more/better option in-state. After all, as many on this board have said, a flagship is a flagship (not that I completely agree.).
I will let her visit before deciding.

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@annamom you made good points. In my previous post I mentioned that my sons probably would not have gone to Alabama if it wasn’t for the wonderful scholarships (and I do agree all my son’s are superstars, lol). I just wanted to point out that top CS companies do hire from UA. Good luck to your daughter!

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As I said earlier, I think Alabama is a solid choice. Certainly students graduate and find good jobs or move on to grads school as they do from just about any school. There are definitely some fantastic charms to U of Alabama.

I suspect that I was pondering this question because I sometimes get frustrated with CC’s obsession with the top ranked schools and assumption that everyone is a high stat student. I was simply questioning why, when someone is responding to a “help me with my list”, “looking for schools”, particularly those threds coupled with merit questions, inevitably someone (and yes there is a contingent of senior posters that I am thinking of) will post Alabama and there are plenty of other schools that could fit the bill, like Ole Miss or UT- Dallas among others, especially for the high stat kid. The University of Alabama is a great school! But again, for the OOS B student, it seems that Alabama is just another public flagship. If it has what you are looking for and you are willing to pay the price, great! Thanks everyone for sharing why y’all like Alabama and answering my question. Roll Tide!

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My D is considering UA and I think it is a pretty good deal still for OOS. She qualifies for the UA Scholar - $19k a yr merit - makes it competitive with our instate options. This is available to students with a 30-32 ACT and a minimum 3.5 wGPA. They are a good deal for a “regular” good student. Also whenever we call admissions with questions they appear to be friendly and easy to work with. My D applied early, was accepted early, changed her major in a nanosecond on the portal.

In terms of other OOS options, the most competitive merit/COA deal for us is Florida State University. For my D’s stats they are far and away the best deal going.

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CC is definitely obsessed w/ prestige. lol

We skipped over Ole Miss because it was a few hours farther drive than Bama. Though DS usually flies home, I wanted to be able to drive in one day if needed, and a few less hours in a long drive does matter. And though there were other options on that yolasite, I would consider Bama to have the best name recognition along w/ Ole Miss.

I wanted guaranteed merit based on stats. DS is just a regular Caucasian kid w/ basic EC’s and nothing that would have made him jump out in any of those competitive applications. Didn’t have money to waste applying to schools on the hope that he might get admitted with the financial package we needed. I was not going to play that game.

Also, coming from the NE he is experiencing a whole new world in the south. He is also meeting kids & has friends from all over the country. Bama was a true gem for us, and we have no regrets.

Nothing else, price wise, compared. I know there are full pay students there as well, though there are a lot of scholarship kids; lots of families taking advantage of a great, guaranteed, opportunity.

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Full pay in state cost of attendance for University of California is now around $35,000 per year. If you are a B student from a wealthy family it’s not a great deal more expensive to attend University of Alabama. Unless you have a 3.8+ GPA you would be unlikely to get into any UC campus other than maybe Santa Cruz, Riverside, or Merced (and that’s not a sure thing depending on the major you choose). UA is good alternative for these students. I imagine the same is true of other states with high cost state universities such as IL and PA.

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A high stats student from our area was accepted to U Chicago with a small amount of merit and almost full ride (several years ago) at UA.

They visited and she found the campus, dorms, athletic facilities all top notch.

She decided to go there, and got a bachelor’s and master’s degree in four years.

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^^ it can be said of many of the instate option. Many Rutgers kids in our area accepted by “prestige” colleges but opted for Rutgers (a kid turned down Princeton for Rowan) because of the scholarship.
I have to remind myself when helping DD to decide that it is about fit. A financial counselor once said in his workshop that there was no good reason for kids to go to another OOS flagship, but many kids just like to go OOS.

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<<<<<
Similar and even more merit money can be found at plenty of better or similarly ranked private & public schools.
<<<<
@labegg

Oh really??? Where? Which better or similarly ranked public or private schools give similar or more money for similar stats? Or really, for your question about those with B+ or lower ACT scores, which similar or better ranked univs give similar or more merit?


[QUOTE=""]
with better football, lately)

[/QUOTE]

Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss? I’m sure we’ll all enjoy watching them in the playoffs this year. Oh wait, they’re not in the playoffs because they each have AT LEAST 3 LOSSES THIS YEAR.

BTW…3 of the 4 head coaches of the 4 playoff teams each have University of Alabama National Championship Rings

That’s why…Roll Tide.

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<<< If Roy Moore wins the election, wonder if some out of staters will sour on UA.>>>

That would be silly. Why care who the US senator is…feds don’t own a state school.

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@kjcphmom


[QUOTE=""]
son graduated with a CS/math bachelors and a CS masters in 3-1/2 years (due to AP and CLEP credits and the university scholars program.) He interned at Facebook and is now working at Google so attending UA in CS worked out for him.

[/QUOTE]

Congrats! One of many wonderful Bama success stories.

Another mom here has a Bama son who just graduated from UVA Law and had a full tuition scholarship there…he’s landed a fab job.

My son graduated from Bama as a Chemical Eng’g major, then graduated from med school, and then matched in his residency at Harvard.

Go to the brags thread…you’ll see many, many, many other success stories.

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Although Bama never did beat Auburn this year - War Eagle! BTW, if you make it that far I do hope you Whoop Georgia!

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Lol @mom2collegekids how did I know you would eventually show up all in a huff! So let’s see…Alabama is ranked #110 by US News…

My 2016 daughter with a 26 ACT was offered merit of $18,000 (the Pere Marquette award which virtually everyone is given) annually at Marquette University which is ummmm, let’s see ranked #90. Taking tuition down to approximately $36,000 compared to the anticipated published merit from Alabama for a 26 ACT of -0- and OOS tuition at approximately $45,000, that is a savings of $9,000, right?

Drexel University ranked #93 offered DD2016 $18,000 in merit taking their tuition down to $48k, that is within spitting distance of Alabama, for a school ranked 17 spots higher.

Loyola Chicago ranked #103 just offered DD2018 with a 27 ACT $21,000 annually. That brings their tuition down to $36k.(I think a 27 ACT would garner her $5k from Alabama)

Ohio University, admittedly ranked #151, offered $14,000 to DD2016 which would have taken their OOS tuition down to approximately $21K.

Baldwin Wallace ranked #18 Regional, with clearly published merit money, gave DD2016 $12k. Taking their tuition down to $30k

College of Wooster ranked #63 in National Liberal Arts offered her $15k. Taking their tuition down to $45 same as Alabama and I would say at least its equal intellectually.

There is a whole thred on the Ole Miss merit situation that I linked to earlier if you care to read it.

Look, I am not bashing on Alabama. I think I’ve said it multiple times, it is a solid choice and for the high stat kid even a stellar choice. Undoubtedly, their upfront model of what they are going to offer in merit is to be commended ( and wouldn’t it be grand if all school followed their example!). All I am saying is there are other schools out there, good schools that will offer good merit, yes, it’s not transparent and you have to sometimes wait an excruciating amount of time to hear what it might be. But there are other good, even great, options out there besides The University of Alabama. Schools that are willing to give B students a go and give them merit money to boot. There are many, many many success stories of graduates from those universities too! My kids don’t have some fantastic hook either, they are just your normal suburban kids with mid range test scores, solid GPAs, a few APs and dedication to a sport or an EC but not the star.

Kudos to your son btw.

Frankly I don’t follow football but didn’t Auburn beat Alabama this year :)>-

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It is wonderful that you have listed other great scholarships @labegg Now you can spend countless hours coming online to inform and support hundreds+ of HS juniors and early seniors and their families as they search for affordable options that fit. There is nothing keeping you from championing your schools of choice and providing information. The value of CC is the contributors who consolidate and share information freely. There are thousands of great schools and all kids should be able to find their fit by balancing programs, locale, cost, admissions, and academics. There is not only room here on CC but also a need for other super contributors who will be available to support the newbies who may not have heard it all before. Not every school is a good fit for everyone and it is obvious that for your child UA was not the right combination. That is fine and thank goodness there are so many other options across the country so you can find the best place for your child. I for one find your post a bit disingenuous.

You asked in your OP “why Roll Tide” so I will take it at face vaue and bite. I can try to explain my DD’s experience. I have written a lot because there is a lot of great things to share. It may be discounted by those who are not looking for what my DD was looking for or bringing the same attributes to the table. My freshman DD chose UA and turned down $ and admission at higher ranked schools and at some of the other schools that have been mentioned here. None as generous and financially beneficial as UA. I read CC for over a year before taking any notice to the UA bandwagon. It came on our radar because of the automatic merit but became a contender with our first visit. The people were amazing. After many, many average campus visits, Bama shined in every area. I am not talking just about the gorgeous campus or amenities, but the people. We met with students, adivsors, staff, and professors. Students stopped to engage and help us while walking on campus. The honors offerings are top notch. The class sizes are smaller than any of her HS friends who are at our home state flagships (Penn State, Pitt, and Temple) and rival those of friends at small LA schools. The AP/Clep policy was outstanding and has positioned our DD to graduate with multiple majors and a good chunk of her Masters.

Yes, my DD is one of those high stats kids who qualified for the full tuition. We saved for her to attend our state U’s but her buget was a bit higher from our current salary opening up other schools. We did not qualify for any financial aid and have other children following behind, this impacted her list. DD didn’t want to stay in the Northeast. She didn’t want to go to school with 200 kids from her high school. She wanted a different experience. The cost of UA is the icing on the cake since all the schools she applied to were affordable - she didn’t apply to those out of her budget. They were ingredients in her recipe for a perfect college - everyone will have a different recipe. For her UA is the total package and she was proud to say she was Bama Bound. Before going she met a dozen or so kids from our region who made the same choice. At UA she is in a gorgeous 4 person suite with top of their class, amazingly talented, friendly girls from all over the country. She has the privacy to close a door and study (important to her). She is fortunate to be on a beautiful, well appointed campus. She has met so many wonderful people: smart, genuine, adventurous, confident people who are willing to take the chance to go across the country for opportunities. The work is challenging, yet her professors are accessible and she is thriving. The school spirit is contagious - my DD has discovered football (yep, never a fan before) and now basketball. When we visited in the spring she went to a baseball game and she has tried her hand at intramurals. She has joined multiple clubs, a sorority (shocked us since she is not the typical “type” of sorority girl stereotypes), is involved in student government, and has traveled out of state for an academic competition. Even though she is a freshman by years on campus, she will take upper division classes in the spring and has already applied for an internship back up north for the summer with help from the UA career center and her professor. Fingers crossed.

I am thankful for the UA boosters here on CC, in our hometown, and our region. Without them my DD would not have settled at UA. I have tried to share our experience because it is so positive and our DD is thriving. If my DD’s experience helps just 1 person find their place, the right school at the right price, then it is worth my time since so many before me took the time to share their experiences. Is UA for everyone? Of course not. I think it does have something for everyone. If my younger kids don’t have the stats for the scholarship I would still recommend UA for them if it fits with their list of wants and needs. If it is not for other kids and doesn’t check off the right boxes, that doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. I am on CC now that my second is starting the college search and I look forward to learning about other gems that are out there. At this time, UA does not seem to be of interest to him. I look forward to your contributions and sharing your experiences because it may resonate with my second and help him find his home. Everyone will find their place. ROLL TIDE!

36

I hope there is a thumbs up in CC, but here it goes

agree with the above.
I am just a parent asking “why roll tide”. I think the problem is after reading so many praises about UA, but when my kid was accepted and I began to look into what the true benefits are.

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Does UA publish any report on where the students went after they graduated? Yes, I read about some of the self-selected reports on CC about the success stories or the brags thread, but I am looking for official reports from UA.

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There is the information at https://career.sa.ua.edu/employers/first-destination-reports/ , although it does not list specific employers, job titles, or graduate/professional school destinations.

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thank you. Interesting, they included those who went to graduate schools. Also disappointed that they did not include the job titles. In one of the colleges (not UA) I have looked at, they included jobs such as nanny or waitress.

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@bamamom2021 I am glad your family found a good fit and your Daughter is thriving (which is everyones goal!).

Again, if you read my initial post, I was specifically speaking to the needs and options for the B student with corresponding ACT/SAT scores. I am not championing any school. I am championing the notion that there are many schools, that rarely if ever get a mentioned on CC, that are similarly or better ranked and are just as generous. It is not disingenuous to point that out nor disingenuous of me to ask why Alabama is so often suggested (even to B students).

I had originally posted this in the parent cafe, I was hoping to get some clarification AND to highlight or spark discussion that other options exist. A moderator moved it to this forum. The fault is mine I should have titled it something like Why Roll Tide? Options for B students abound (or something like that).

I did get some clarification. Specifically, Alabama’s transparent merit policies and generous funding of high stat students. Beautiful campus, infectious school spirit, nice folks, good outcomes are attributes that are shared by many schools. Interesting that just about everyone that has responded has a high stat kid.

I envision CC as an impartial forum not a place to champion a specific school, or the needs of a specific subset of students. Sometimes it seems hyperfocused.