DD interested in University of Alabama

[Blpatlaw]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/1bzysl1/top_colleges_are_not_worth_their_sticker_prices/

[Anonymous]

Good lord why

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If she’s in the honors program she will be fine.

A big problem at Bama is they’ve had big growth and struggled to staff enough classes, so some are asynchronous/virtual.

DS is at Alabama. I haven’t heard of any virtual classes.

Probably because there aren’t any. Typical DCUM trolls trying to stir up discord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just the healthcare. It’s the sororities too, the whole ethos. If you took the same girl and sent her to BU or anyplace else not in the South it is much more likely she would be launched on a successful career path.

This poster has no idea. Try to visit, it is eye-opening. The school is impressive and the opportunities amazing. All kinds of kids, with an energetic and happy vibe, not angry or tense like many northern schools.

Curious to know what's eye-opening and about the amazing opportunities. Thanks.

For DD, it was access to labs and research. Alabama is a very wealthy R1 university and undergrads get great experience — DD is running her lab, reporting to the professor and is a TA. Her name will be high up on a publication, she has presented at conferences and has a job offer. Pre med, labs and clinical are easy to get — Alabama placed 100% of its pre med program in med school, many in top programs. The thing is, the Blount and Randall kids support each other and tell each other about labs and opportunities. There’s no elbowing or backstabbing for these jobs like there is at other schools (eg Michigan).

If you are in even considering — visit. I guarantee the naysayers have never been here. I’m down here now for homecoming, and Alabama is not the predominant license plate. I am still in awe at the energy and pride of this place.

Thank you for sharing! My NSMF kid also applied to Alabama and Oklahoma for the full ride offers. He’d rather graduate without debt than worry about prestige

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just the healthcare. It’s the sororities too, the whole ethos. If you took the same girl and sent her to BU or anyplace else not in the South it is much more likely she would be launched on a successful career path.

This poster has no idea. Try to visit, it is eye-opening. The school is impressive and the opportunities amazing. All kinds of kids, with an energetic and happy vibe, not angry or tense like many northern schools.

Curious to know what's eye-opening and about the amazing opportunities. Thanks.

Different poster, but for us the commitment the school showed to academically strong students was eye-opening. The school had averaged a ribbon cutting a month for the previous four years when our daughter did her callback interviews, and they were fairly explicit about making a similar investment in high stats kids. They’re aware of the things you hear about Alabama on places like this and they address them. For example, DCUM worries about “outcomes.” Freshman in Witt (and I assume Blount and Randall) are already getting regular guidance on grad school and postgraduate scholarships, including interaction with alums who have gone through the process. They’re seeing kids in the cohorts ahead of them—friends and role models—win these scholarships and/or get into top grad schools, so that becomes their expectation. The honors college has programs to get kids involved in research to address one of the perceived advantages of SLACs. The NMF gives you 5 years at OOS rates, so if you want to study abroad, you’re likely paying less and banking the difference. Beyond that, Witt sends kids out into the world to see how theory maps onto real life. They’ll spend a year studying something in theory, then spend a few weeks over the summer to see how theory maps onto the real world—so they’ll study poverty, then go work in Marion for a few weeks. They’ll study civics, then go to Cuba to appreciate the stakes. The academic program UA laid out was more impressive than anything we would get in state short of a Jefferson Scholarship. Finally, the student body was the happiest we visited. It seems to be a lot of fun to go to Alabama, and the students, faculty, and staff take great pride in the place.

My NMSF kid got his acceptance to Alabama and just submitted his application for Blount Scholars.

He’s pretty sure he’ll go to Alabama but added some additional schools and submitted to Northwestern, Columbia, Wake Forest and Wesleyan. He’s got a wide range of schools from extremely selective to safeties but as a humanities major he really wants a full ride.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just the healthcare. It’s the sororities too, the whole ethos. If you took the same girl and sent her to BU or anyplace else not in the South it is much more likely she would be launched on a successful career path.

This poster has no idea. Try to visit, it is eye-opening. The school is impressive and the opportunities amazing. All kinds of kids, with an energetic and happy vibe, not angry or tense like many northern schools.

Curious to know what's eye-opening and about the amazing opportunities. Thanks.

For DD, it was access to labs and research. Alabama is a very wealthy R1 university and undergrads get great experience — DD is running her lab, reporting to the professor and is a TA. Her name will be high up on a publication, she has presented at conferences and has a job offer. Pre med, labs and clinical are easy to get — Alabama placed 100% of its pre med program in med school, many in top programs. The thing is, the Blount and Randall kids support each other and tell each other about labs and opportunities. There’s no elbowing or backstabbing for these jobs like there is at other schools (eg Michigan).

If you are in even considering — visit. I guarantee the naysayers have never been here. I’m down here now for homecoming, and Alabama is not the predominant license plate. I am still in awe at the energy and pride of this place.

It is not a very wealthy college…actually has a minimal endowment compared to other more prominent flagships.

They likely are comfortable borrowing heavily as their $1.2BN endowment isn’t paying for the new facilities.

They aren’t going bust so probably not a great concern.

[Anonymous]

Healthcare aside, I'd never send DD to Alabama out of fear she'd fall in love with and marry someone from...Alabama. Being completely serious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Healthcare aside, I'd never send DD to Alabama out of fear she'd fall in love with and marry someone from...Alabama. Being completely serious.

You should hope that she would get so lucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Healthcare aside, I'd never send DD to Alabama out of fear she'd fall in love with and marry someone from...Alabama. Being completely serious.

Also being a complete jerk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just the healthcare. It’s the sororities too, the whole ethos. If you took the same girl and sent her to BU or anyplace else not in the South it is much more likely she would be launched on a successful career path.

This poster has no idea. Try to visit, it is eye-opening. The school is impressive and the opportunities amazing. All kinds of kids, with an energetic and happy vibe, not angry or tense like many northern schools.

Curious to know what's eye-opening and about the amazing opportunities. Thanks.

For DD, it was access to labs and research. Alabama is a very wealthy R1 university and undergrads get great experience — DD is running her lab, reporting to the professor and is a TA. Her name will be high up on a publication, she has presented at conferences and has a job offer. Pre med, labs and clinical are easy to get — Alabama placed 100% of its pre med program in med school, many in top programs. The thing is, the Blount and Randall kids support each other and tell each other about labs and opportunities. There’s no elbowing or backstabbing for these jobs like there is at other schools (eg Michigan).

If you are in even considering — visit. I guarantee the naysayers have never been here. I’m down here now for homecoming, and Alabama is not the predominant license plate. I am still in awe at the energy and pride of this place.

It is not a very wealthy college…actually has a minimal endowment compared to other more prominent flagships.

They likely are comfortable borrowing heavily as their $1.2BN endowment isn’t paying for the new facilities.

They aren’t going bust so probably not a great concern.

Wrong. They are an extremely wealthy university and very well-managed. Unlike WVU, Alabama did not take loans. Their endowment is healthy, but they don’t hoard and have a very loyal and generous alumni along with 100s of millions from SEC sports. Look into it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Healthcare aside, I'd never send DD to Alabama out of fear she'd fall in love with and marry someone from...Alabama. Being completely serious.

60% of Alabama is out of state. Graduates don’t stay in Alabama and the University doesn’t want them to. That is the business model. They do want the high stats kids and R1 research money to attract industry to the state and there has been some success in this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Healthcare aside, I'd never send DD to Alabama out of fear she'd fall in love with and marry someone from...Alabama. Being completely serious.

60% of Alabama is out of state. Graduates don’t stay in Alabama and the University doesn’t want them to. That is the business model. They do want the high stats kids and R1 research money to attract industry to the state and there has been some success in this.

Not going to take the chance. Plus we’d need to visit her there, move in/out, etc. Educarion, healthcare, etc are ranked horribly there.

This is the state that elected George Wallace (“Segregation now. Segregation tomorrow, segregation forever!”) THREE times, most recently in 1983.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just the healthcare. It’s the sororities too, the whole ethos. If you took the same girl and sent her to BU or anyplace else not in the South it is much more likely she would be launched on a successful career path.

This poster has no idea. Try to visit, it is eye-opening. The school is impressive and the opportunities amazing. All kinds of kids, with an energetic and happy vibe, not angry or tense like many northern schools.

Curious to know what's eye-opening and about the amazing opportunities. Thanks.

For DD, it was access to labs and research. Alabama is a very wealthy R1 university and undergrads get great experience — DD is running her lab, reporting to the professor and is a TA. Her name will be high up on a publication, she has presented at conferences and has a job offer. Pre med, labs and clinical are easy to get — Alabama placed 100% of its pre med program in med school, many in top programs. The thing is, the Blount and Randall kids support each other and tell each other about labs and opportunities. There’s no elbowing or backstabbing for these jobs like there is at other schools (eg Michigan).

If you are in even considering — visit. I guarantee the naysayers have never been here. I’m down here now for homecoming, and Alabama is not the predominant license plate. I am still in awe at the energy and pride of this place.

It is not a very wealthy college…actually has a minimal endowment compared to other more prominent flagships.

They likely are comfortable borrowing heavily as their $1.2BN endowment isn’t paying for the new facilities.

They aren’t going bust so probably not a great concern.

Wrong. They are an extremely wealthy university and very well-managed. Unlike WVU, Alabama did not take loans. Their endowment is healthy, but they don’t hoard and have a very loyal and generous alumni along with 100s of millions from SEC sports. Look into it.

You are arguing against facts. A $1.2BN endowment pales against UT, UC schools, Michigan, UVA, UNC, etc. and of course nothing against the top private schools.

SEC sports revenue just helps the athletic department break even…again, a verifiable fact that shows inflows and outflows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Healthcare aside, I'd never send DD to Alabama out of fear she'd fall in love with and marry someone from...Alabama. Being completely serious.

60% of Alabama is out of state. Graduates don’t stay in Alabama and the University doesn’t want them to. That is the business model. They do want the high stats kids and R1 research money to attract industry to the state and there has been some success in this.

Huntsville is becoming very popular and would not doubt attracting some before they leave the university.

[Anonymous]

All kinds of kids, with an energetic and happy vibe, not angry or tense like many northern schools.

There's a suspicious number of posts suggesting southern school kids are all happy while NE school kids are angry. It's college - everyone has good days and bad days so it's silly to paint so many schools/students with a broad brush. As PP noted, the kids at AL are just like any other school.