Would Alabama Be A Good Fit

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>I am a NMF who has already been accepted. While I am still considering a lot of options, it is near the top of my schools that I mainly applied to for NMF scholarships. I will be visiting in 2 weeks, but I wanted to say a little bit about myself to see if it would be a good fit:</p>

<p>THINGS THAT SEEM POSITIVE FOR ME:
NMF Scholarship
Honors College Program
It may sound insignificant, but I love college football
I am very Conservative
While I am not from the South, much of my family is and I would rather be in the South</p>

<p>THINGS I SLIGHTLY WORRY ABOUT:
Perceived drop in prestige (at my school- private school in suburban Philadelphia- people have been confused when I said I applied there)
I don’t drink or party AND am not at all nerdy, but I still want to have a good time.</p>

<p>Can anyone address the potential fit for me and give me things to look out for when I visit?</p>

2

<p>I think it could be a good fit. My D is a good student who is attending with the Presidential Scholarship. She didn’t drink and party in HS and I don’t have the impression she’s doing much of it at Bama, either. She still has a good time. She didn’t care about prestige, so that was never an issue. That said, I think she’s getting a fine education and she has a lot of opportunities she probably wouldn’t have at a top school, since she would be just one of a huge pack of high achievers there. Which is not to say there aren’t plenty of high achievers at Bama - she is surrounded by plenty of people who are smarter than she is. There is a huge peer group (you’re not the only one who finds those scholarships attractive). If you love college football and want to be in the south, I suspect you’ll really like UA.</p>

3

<p>My son is also a Presidential not a NMF but 2 of his roommates are…they are all having a great time :slight_smile: Kids from the Northeast, Midwest, California, the South, Texas, you name it are excelling at UA! oh and I don’t want to leave out our NMF friends from the HI islands :)</p>

4

<p>I am glad you are visiting! Definitely make plans to visit Honors College and your academic major. Also, spend some time in the Ridgecrest dorm area. Lots of Honors students live there. Try to eat at Lakeside or Burke dining and spend some time just observing if you can. I would say my son would describe himself as you did and he has found people he has a lot in common with at UA. He also got some condescending reactions to his college choice. But, he finds great pride in a debt free undergraduate experience and really is finding the educational experience to be way underrated. Class sizes have been excellent, lots of very bright students, etc. He has found many who made the choice for the reasons he did and as a result, has found lots of people he has a lot in common with. It is a beautiful campus and he loves the traditions and history of UA. Best of luck with your college choice and congratulations on your academic accomplishments!</p>

5

<p>I think a visit will be a good decider for you. When are you visiting? Have you contacted the Honors College?</p>

<p>You sound a lot like my younger son. Not nerdy, likes to have a good time, the parties that he and friends have held aren’t crazy drinking ones (but I know weren’t totally alcohol free), very serious student, but LOVES football (and basketball).</p>

<p>What is your major and career goal?</p>

<p>BTW…high school folks are often confused when someone says that they’re going to Bama, but then the following school years, others apply and go, too.</p>

<p>P.S. I looked over your list of schools. Except for Baylor, which may be more strongly Christian, virtually all of them (including Duke) are going to have a similar party culture. Yes, at the elite schools, there is a party culture. </p>

<p>I see that you’re going to be a business major, with an int’l/global business emphasis. When you contact the Honors College before your visit, be sure to tell them your major and int’l interests so that they can have you meet profs for that.</p>

6

<p>Do not worry about what others say regarding college choices. You need to do what is right and best for you. My older son got into several outstanding schools, but he did not want to graduate in debt. He also saw the benefits he could enjoy with the Honors College. So he went to Bama as a NMF. Loved his time there. Made some awesome friends. Is currently awaiting word from several top law schools regarding admission. He truly loved his time at Bama. </p>

7

<p>OP, my son is similar to you in a lot of ways except we are pretty liberal and he attends a Quaker school in suburban Philadelphia; while most of his classmates are shooting for Ivies and schools in the northeast, no one there has looked aghast at him for applying to Bama, especially when they learn of the merit money involved and understand our financial situation. </p>

<p>He’s waiting on a number of private schools too (mostly LACs), but he’s already been admitted to Penn State for engineering. (He applied as an engineering major at Bama too.) Have you applied to Penn State and Schreyer? Smeal College of Business is pretty highly ranked. </p>

<p>If my son were conservative or he had a strong affinity for the South, the scholarship would be a no-brainer. In your case, you have the even better NMF scholarship and prefer the South. I would think it would be a great choice for you! </p>

8

<p>@LucieTheLakie</p>

<p>No, I did not apply to Penn St. I applied ED to Duke, where I was rejected. Shortly after that, I got a package from Oklahoma detailing their NMF package. This was the first that I really considered big state schools. Ultimately, I applied to 16 schools, 4 of them public (Alabama, Oklahoma, Kentucky, South Carolina) that all offer generous scholarships, in addition to Baylor and Drexel, which offer full rides. I am also still waiting to hear from Vanderbilt, Penn, Richmond, Tulane, Davidson, Bucknell, and Miami before I make a decision.</p>

9

<p>^^^^Wow, that’s a LOT of schools! Sounds like you’ll have some great options when the time comes. Good luck!</p>

10

<p>Also, what will the experience be like visiting on a Saturday? I should be able to get a tour (I talked to the admissions office who said that they never really fill up), but I cannot see any departments. Is there anything that you would recommend doing? As of now, I have no idea what I am doing after the morning tour and before the basketball game that I have tickets to.</p>

11

<p>Are you only visiting on a Saturday?! If so, I recommend you tack on the Friday. Ideally, anyone visiting any school should sit in on upper-level courses in their major, and meet w/ as many actual students, professors, and staff as you can. You can’t easily do this on a Saturday when classes are not in session.</p>

12

<p>Hey @SurvivorFan! It sounds to me like you’d be a pretty great fit here! The NMF Scholarship is pretty amazing, and our Honors College is one of the best out there. Hopefully you will get a chance to talk to one of the Deans when you’re here.
Don’t worry, we never consider anything football-related “insignificant.” ;)</p>

<p>To address your concerns, I will echo the rest of the group here in saying that you don’t necessarily have to be either a nerd or a party-goer to fit in. While I self-identify as a nerd… I don’t do so in the negative sense, and I have a good social life. I’ve met a ton of friends through the Honors College, where we have lots of events like tailgates and dances in addition to service projects and the more academic events. Most people here are looking to have a good time, but I have never felt the pressure to go “partying” in the traditional sense.
If you’re worried about prestige, consider also that UA has a good reputation with lots of companies (especially in the South) since we produce such reliable graduates. In addition, the top performers at schools traditionally ranked below the top tier are statistically more prepared for their futures and perform better than “average” students at the Dukes/Vanderbilts (due to a combination of opportunity availability and change in confidence levels upon entering college peer groups). If you really continue academic excellence through your college years and put the proper effort in, you’ll stand out here from the start. There’s a lot to be said for taking advantage of opportunities to be involved in (or be a leader in) more than just school.
Plus, football is always a great talking point in future interviews.</p>

<p>It may also be of interest to you that I was accepted (and offered money) to some of your higher-ranked alternatives, but turned them down because I decided after careful consideration that I liked Bama better overall. Message me if you want to chat about those details!</p>

13

<p><<<<Also, what will the experience be like visiting on a Saturday? I should be able to get a tour (I talked to the admissions office who said that they never really fill up),<<<<</p>

<p>Oh my! NO!!! You must have talked to someone new or something. THEY ABSOLUTELY fill up! and they fill up quickly before the date! Sign up NOW. </p>

<p>Are you arriving on Friday, spending the night, and then touring on Saturday? Are you flying or driving? Will you be staying Saturday night, too? What Saturday is this? </p>

14

<p>Sounds like you’ll be here March 8th. </p>

<p>Sign up for your tour now.
<a href=“Visit”>http://gobama.ua.edu/visits/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Oh gag…I just looked. All the March Saturdays are already booked. I have no idea who you talked to but that person is an idiot. And Friday the 7th is also already booked. And the Monday is booked.
All April Saturdays are also booked. There are only May Saturdays left.</p>

<p>Ok…now that all the tours are booked (I’d like to slap that person upside the head), you’re going to have to contact the Honors College and your area recruiter to see if there’s anything they can come up with as an alternative.</p>

<p>(Are you sure you were talking to Alabama admissions when someone told you that? Or was it another school that you’ll soon be visiting? I find it hard to believe that a Bama person wouldn’t know that their tours book up…especially Saturday ones…unless it was a brand new person.)</p>

<p>Honors Recruitment</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>Neil Adams
<a href=“mailto:neil.adams@ua.edu”>neil.adams@ua.edu</a></p>

<p>When you send them an email, mention your stats, NMF status, major, anything else that interests you.</p>

<p>Susan 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 people do an excellent job and work very hard</p>

<p>What state are you in? Do you know who your recruiter is? </p>

15

<p>^^^Pretty sure he’s in PA.</p>

16

<p>Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey
Name Department Phone E-mail Affiliation
Motson, Abby Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships <a href=“mailto:abby.motson@ua.edu”>abby.motson@ua.edu</a> Staff</p>

<p>Upstate New York, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Name Department Phone E-mail Affiliation
Astor, Ryan Undergraduate Admissions and Scholarships 412-616-2660 <a href=“mailto:ryan.astor@ua.edu”>ryan.astor@ua.edu</a> Staff</p>

17

<p>We are outside Philly. DS is a NMF freshmen. He had MANY concerns with Bama after he applied and many negative comments from families/teachers at his private HS. I can say it was the right decision for him. There are MANY MANY Philly region kids there. DS is not a partier. Not interested in frats. He keeps busy, has a social life and rows crew. Message me if you want more details and want to know schools DS turned down for Bama.</p>

18

<p>My son is a graduating senior, a NMF from Hawaii. Not nerdy, socially liberal, loves to have a good time, LOVES college football, dual major (Marketing and Telecommunication & Film). </p>

<p>His experience at Bama has been nothing short of phenomenal. He attended a prestigious private college prep academy (President Obama’s alma mater) and was met with disdain when he announced he was considering UA. After receiving glowing reports from him and me, his high school college counselors (who are used to sending students to the Ivies, etc.) visited Bama and we’re literally blown away. Now they actively recommend UA to students and nobody snickers any longer. BTW, I graduated from Cal Berkeley and my guy is getting every bit as good an education, with a better social and extracurricular experience.</p>

<p>It takes a pioneer to change a culture. Enjoy your visit and if you’d like to chat with my son when you’re in Tuscaloosa, shoot me a PM.</p>

19

<p>@malanai</p>

<p>That sounds a lot like me, except for my being socially Conservative.</p>

20

<p>Well then, I’d say it’s a potentially good fit. If a socially liberal guy can thrive in Alabama, it should be duck soup for you. :)</p>

<p>Best of luck with your decision.</p>