why not Univ of Alabama?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Great school! As good as any in the Northeast. Don't let the anti-South bias on this forum get to you. Roll Tide!

Their acceptance rate is almost 80% now. And it’s a different world there. Still segregated although not legally since 2012. It’s a public school but Christianity is everywhere. The sororities still have rules from 100 years ago and are subservient to the fraternities. And of course MAGAs are everywhere. That’s not bias just facts.

My kid has a very diverse group of friends at bama, including two who are first generation Americans.

And I’ve spoken with black moms at campus events who explained why their daughters opted for black sororities: it’s a legacy and networking thing they prefer…not because the white sororities aren’t welcoming. If you know black professionals who were in black sororities, then you would understand why they prefer sticking with their sorority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree 100% with this prior post. The generous scholarship options based on GPA and test scores are what got us to consider it and the campus tour sold us. Honors students are impressive. Love that my son has grad school effectively paid for from undergrad savings. His roommates - first AND second year - are 70% from Northern states (first year was randomly assigned). Just go visit - we were not expecting to like it and both my husband and I (who are not big sports fans) loved it and DS is science major and completely thriving

Prior Post:
The knee-jerk reactions in this thread are not accurate. Unlikely that one will hear racist talk of any kind at any time while on campus.

FACT: The majority of students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa are not residents of Alabama.

U Alabama's Honors College offers students a solid education.

The Alabama beaches are gorgeous & welcoming. For decades, U Alabama's largest alumni group is based in NYC.

The beaches are 3.5 hours away. I don’t get why that is brought up. The Hamptons are only like 50 miles from Columbia and are incredible, but that’s not a reason to pick Columbia.

It’s not unusual for kids attending Bama to go to the beach in AL or the FL panhandle—or have Greek events in New Orleans, Nashville, and beyond. I believe the senior trip was to Vegas. These kids are social and adept at networking, and the parents and alumnae groups are invested in helping students get good jobs or get into grad school.

I don’t hear anything comparable when I compare notes with other parents.

Ok…what does that have to do with day-to-day life at the school? It’s not Pepperdine which is across the street from one of the best beaches in the country…or even UCLA which is 5 miles from Santa Monica.

The reason I guess they need to make these trips is because the school isn’t located in a particularly exciting place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this is for a city kid with zero interest in sports. but great SATs and plans for masters/phd in a humanities subject and would one day like to buy a house?

Because you'd have to spend 4 years in Alabama, and that is more than enough of a reason to just say no

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain what you mean by academic freedom in Alabama vs any other state?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Alabama, in the humanities, at least history, the most powerful professors (including head of department) are Ivy League phds from the north, particularly New York. Well-run school with a lot of money for research (they use sports money) so they attract really good professors. Amazing school.

That’s nice. But why suffer living in Tuscaloosa to get access to Ivy League professors? Many universities up north have Ivy League professors, and you don’t have to live in depressing Alabama.

I think the point is that Alabama professors are not parochial and southern, but bring national/international, diverse perspectives. It’s a surprisingly impressive place.

This.

My kid goes to Bama and one of their favorite professors grew up in the dc metro area and went to a top private HS in dc before going on to a fancy university. Other favorite profs are from all over.

And the campus is the quintessential college environment but bigger/better/nicer. They are pouring money into the school at an unparalleled level and it shows. The strip and downtown area ooze small town charm (although Ole Miss wins when it comes to the most charming town vibe). The locals and students are friendly, fit, and fun. And the parent group is ridiculously friendly and helpful. There are local parents who will literally pick up your kid from the airport or take them soup when they are sick. It’s not unusual for girl moms to post their kid needs help moving heavy furniture and boy moms to send their son over with a buddy to help.

I think students from the north who head to schools like Bama are getting a far more diverse experience than others. There is a broad spectrum of people and beliefs, and kids must learn to get along…and they do.

PS - There is a lot of wealth on campus. My kid knows students whose families own private planes. I think most dcum parents would be very surprised if they bothered to tour Bama. I encourage you to tour during the school year.

Same experience. Visited on a whim, no expectation and was blown away. DS is now a senior there and he leaves with two publications in serious science journals, a job offer, a diverse world view and having enjoyed every minute of his time there (he is not Greek). His friends are headed to top med schools, engineering firms and phd programs. All educated for free!

Alabama is spending like crazy and has healthy financials, unlike many — Stanford (laying off 700), Northwestern (laying off 400), Chicago is $6 billion in debt!

[Anonymous]

It is nice to hear that parents are friendly and helpful.

I had a similar experience at a very small college in MA for my child. My child got stranded with her roommates at the local Target on day one (apparently the shuttle service stops running at a certain hour) and a parent I had met through FB just happened to be there and drove them back to campus. A few weeks later, she moved into a different room and I reached out on a town FB page to try to get her a couple items. People were so helpful and offered her everything she needed and more. One woman basically adopted my daughter and brought her soup, candy, etc when she was sick and even helped her when she had a laundry mishap. I was so grateful for how kind and helpful they were to a student far from home.

Just saying that you can find kind people everywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree 100% with this prior post. The generous scholarship options based on GPA and test scores are what got us to consider it and the campus tour sold us. Honors students are impressive. Love that my son has grad school effectively paid for from undergrad savings. His roommates - first AND second year - are 70% from Northern states (first year was randomly assigned). Just go visit - we were not expecting to like it and both my husband and I (who are not big sports fans) loved it and DS is science major and completely thriving

Prior Post:
The knee-jerk reactions in this thread are not accurate. Unlikely that one will hear racist talk of any kind at any time while on campus.

FACT: The majority of students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa are not residents of Alabama.

U Alabama's Honors College offers students a solid education.

The Alabama beaches are gorgeous & welcoming. For decades, U Alabama's largest alumni group is based in NYC.

U Alabama does not have a network to jobs in NYC.

That is utterly absurd.



The beaches are 3.5 hours away. I don’t get why that is brought up. The Hamptons are only like 50 miles from Columbia and are incredible, but that’s not a reason to pick Columbia.

It’s not unusual for kids attending Bama to go to the beach in AL or the FL panhandle—or have Greek events in New Orleans, Nashville, and beyond. I believe the senior trip was to Vegas. These kids are social and adept at networking, and the parents and alumnae groups are invested in helping students get good jobs or get into grad school.

I don’t hear anything comparable when I compare notes with other parents.

Ok…what does that have to do with day-to-day life at the school? It’s not Pepperdine which is across the street from one of the best beaches in the country…or even UCLA which is 5 miles from Santa Monica.

The reason I guess they need to make these trips is because the school isn’t located in a particularly exciting place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Alabama, in the humanities, at least history, the most powerful professors (including head of department) are Ivy League phds from the north, particularly New York. Well-run school with a lot of money for research (they use sports money) so they attract really good professors. Amazing school.

That’s nice. But why suffer living in Tuscaloosa to get access to Ivy League professors? Many universities up north have Ivy League professors, and you don’t have to live in depressing Alabama.

I think the point is that Alabama professors are not parochial and southern, but bring national/international, diverse perspectives. It’s a surprisingly impressive place.

This.

My kid goes to Bama and one of their favorite professors grew up in the dc metro area and went to a top private HS in dc before going on to a fancy university. Other favorite profs are from all over.

And the campus is the quintessential college environment but bigger/better/nicer. They are pouring money into the school at an unparalleled level and it shows. The strip and downtown area ooze small town charm (although Ole Miss wins when it comes to the most charming town vibe). The locals and students are friendly, fit, and fun. And the parent group is ridiculously friendly and helpful. There are local parents who will literally pick up your kid from the airport or take them soup when they are sick. It’s not unusual for girl moms to post their kid needs help moving heavy furniture and boy moms to send their son over with a buddy to help.

I think students from the north who head to schools like Bama are getting a far more diverse experience than others. There is a broad spectrum of people and beliefs, and kids must learn to get along…and they do.

PS - There is a lot of wealth on campus. My kid knows students whose families own private planes. I think most dcum parents would be very surprised if they bothered to tour Bama. I encourage you to tour during the school year.

Same experience. Visited on a whim, no expectation and was blown away. DS is now a senior there and he leaves with two publications in serious science journals, a job offer, a diverse world view and having enjoyed every minute of his time there (he is not Greek). His friends are headed to top med schools, engineering firms and phd programs. All educated for free!

Alabama is spending like crazy and has healthy financials, unlike many — Stanford (laying off 700), Northwestern (laying off 400), Chicago is $6 billion in debt!

The school has a 4 year graduation rate of 56% that is horrifying.
Graduates from the University of Alabama had a median earning of $37,400 within two years and $44,500 within six years of graduation.

Great idea to pay OOS tuition to a school with those types of returns on investment.

Rape is extremely high on campus. And just fantastic Alabama law that, requires sexual violence survivors to demonstrate "earnest resistance" during an assault.

It is also one of the most dangerous campuses in the US for crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree 100% with this prior post. The generous scholarship options based on GPA and test scores are what got us to consider it and the campus tour sold us. Honors students are impressive. Love that my son has grad school effectively paid for from undergrad savings. His roommates - first AND second year - are 70% from Northern states (first year was randomly assigned). Just go visit - we were not expecting to like it and both my husband and I (who are not big sports fans) loved it and DS is science major and completely thriving

Prior Post:
The knee-jerk reactions in this thread are not accurate. Unlikely that one will hear racist talk of any kind at any time while on campus.

FACT: The majority of students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa are not residents of Alabama.

U Alabama's Honors College offers students a solid education.

The Alabama beaches are gorgeous & welcoming. For decades, U Alabama's largest alumni group is based in NYC.

The beaches are 3.5 hours away. I don’t get why that is brought up. The Hamptons are only like 50 miles from Columbia and are incredible, but that’s not a reason to pick Columbia.

It’s not unusual for kids attending Bama to go to the beach in AL or the FL panhandle—or have Greek events in New Orleans, Nashville, and beyond. I believe the senior trip was to Vegas. These kids are social and adept at networking, and the parents and alumnae groups are invested in helping students get good jobs or get into grad school.

I don’t hear anything comparable when I compare notes with other parents.

Ok…what does that have to do with day-to-day life at the school? It’s not Pepperdine which is across the street from one of the best beaches in the country…or even UCLA which is 5 miles from Santa Monica.

The reason I guess they need to make these trips is because the school isn’t located in a particularly exciting place.

The students make their own fun.

There are music venues and fun bars all over town.

One of my kid’s fraternity brothers brought a boat to school for fishing. Lots of kids golf and intramural sports are big (for everyone).

My kid went to a pool party over the weekend.

Plenty to do on campus/in the area, but weekend trips to other areas are really fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Alabama, in the humanities, at least history, the most powerful professors (including head of department) are Ivy League phds from the north, particularly New York. Well-run school with a lot of money for research (they use sports money) so they attract really good professors. Amazing school.

That’s nice. But why suffer living in Tuscaloosa to get access to Ivy League professors? Many universities up north have Ivy League professors, and you don’t have to live in depressing Alabama.

I think the point is that Alabama professors are not parochial and southern, but bring national/international, diverse perspectives. It’s a surprisingly impressive place.

This.

My kid goes to Bama and one of their favorite professors grew up in the dc metro area and went to a top private HS in dc before going on to a fancy university. Other favorite profs are from all over.

And the campus is the quintessential college environment but bigger/better/nicer. They are pouring money into the school at an unparalleled level and it shows. The strip and downtown area ooze small town charm (although Ole Miss wins when it comes to the most charming town vibe). The locals and students are friendly, fit, and fun. And the parent group is ridiculously friendly and helpful. There are local parents who will literally pick up your kid from the airport or take them soup when they are sick. It’s not unusual for girl moms to post their kid needs help moving heavy furniture and boy moms to send their son over with a buddy to help.

I think students from the north who head to schools like Bama are getting a far more diverse experience than others. There is a broad spectrum of people and beliefs, and kids must learn to get along…and they do.

PS - There is a lot of wealth on campus. My kid knows students whose families own private planes. I think most dcum parents would be very surprised if they bothered to tour Bama. I encourage you to tour during the school year.

Same experience. Visited on a whim, no expectation and was blown away. DS is now a senior there and he leaves with two publications in serious science journals, a job offer, a diverse world view and having enjoyed every minute of his time there (he is not Greek). His friends are headed to top med schools, engineering firms and phd programs. All educated for free!

Alabama is spending like crazy and has healthy financials, unlike many — Stanford (laying off 700), Northwestern (laying off 400), Chicago is $6 billion in debt!

The school has a 4 year graduation rate of 56% that is horrifying.
Graduates from the University of Alabama had a median earning of $37,400 within two years and $44,500 within six years of graduation.

Great idea to pay OOS tuition to a school with those types of returns on investment.

Rape is extremely high on campus. And just fantastic Alabama law that, requires sexual violence survivors to demonstrate "earnest resistance" during an assault.

It is also one of the most dangerous campuses in the US for crime.

The reality is smart kids will do well wherever they go.

Your bright kid from Dcumlandia is likely to get merit aid from Bama and will graduate in 4 years. What the other kids do isn’t your problem.

Sometimes it’s better to be the big fish in the small pond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree 100% with this prior post. The generous scholarship options based on GPA and test scores are what got us to consider it and the campus tour sold us. Honors students are impressive. Love that my son has grad school effectively paid for from undergrad savings. His roommates - first AND second year - are 70% from Northern states (first year was randomly assigned). Just go visit - we were not expecting to like it and both my husband and I (who are not big sports fans) loved it and DS is science major and completely thriving

Prior Post:
The knee-jerk reactions in this thread are not accurate. Unlikely that one will hear racist talk of any kind at any time while on campus.

FACT: The majority of students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa are not residents of Alabama.

U Alabama's Honors College offers students a solid education.

The Alabama beaches are gorgeous & welcoming. For decades, U Alabama's largest alumni group is based in NYC.

The beaches are 3.5 hours away. I don’t get why that is brought up. The Hamptons are only like 50 miles from Columbia and are incredible, but that’s not a reason to pick Columbia.

It’s not unusual for kids attending Bama to go to the beach in AL or the FL panhandle—or have Greek events in New Orleans, Nashville, and beyond. I believe the senior trip was to Vegas. These kids are social and adept at networking, and the parents and alumnae groups are invested in helping students get good jobs or get into grad school.

I don’t hear anything comparable when I compare notes with other parents.

Ok…what does that have to do with day-to-day life at the school? It’s not Pepperdine which is across the street from one of the best beaches in the country…or even UCLA which is 5 miles from Santa Monica.

The reason I guess they need to make these trips is because the school isn’t located in a particularly exciting place.

The students make their own fun.

There are music venues and fun bars all over town.

One of my kid’s fraternity brothers brought a boat to school for fishing. Lots of kids golf and intramural sports are big (for everyone).

My kid went to a pool party over the weekend.

Plenty to do on campus/in the area, but weekend trips to other areas are really fun.

You just described hundreds of colleges…and many like U Miami, UCLA, Pepperdine, U San Diego…we can go on…where the beach is next door and your weekend trip options are infinitely better.

The conversation is going strangely sideways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree 100% with this prior post. The generous scholarship options based on GPA and test scores are what got us to consider it and the campus tour sold us. Honors students are impressive. Love that my son has grad school effectively paid for from undergrad savings. His roommates - first AND second year - are 70% from Northern states (first year was randomly assigned). Just go visit - we were not expecting to like it and both my husband and I (who are not big sports fans) loved it and DS is science major and completely thriving

Prior Post:
The knee-jerk reactions in this thread are not accurate. Unlikely that one will hear racist talk of any kind at any time while on campus.

FACT: The majority of students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa are not residents of Alabama.

U Alabama's Honors College offers students a solid education.

The Alabama beaches are gorgeous & welcoming. For decades, U Alabama's largest alumni group is based in NYC.

Why are the majority of students at a state school not state residents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At Alabama, in the humanities, at least history, the most powerful professors (including head of department) are Ivy League phds from the north, particularly New York. Well-run school with a lot of money for research (they use sports money) so they attract really good professors. Amazing school.

That’s nice. But why suffer living in Tuscaloosa to get access to Ivy League professors? Many universities up north have Ivy League professors, and you don’t have to live in depressing Alabama.

I think the point is that Alabama professors are not parochial and southern, but bring national/international, diverse perspectives. It’s a surprisingly impressive place.

This.

My kid goes to Bama and one of their favorite professors grew up in the dc metro area and went to a top private HS in dc before going on to a fancy university. Other favorite profs are from all over.

And the campus is the quintessential college environment but bigger/better/nicer. They are pouring money into the school at an unparalleled level and it shows. The strip and downtown area ooze small town charm (although Ole Miss wins when it comes to the most charming town vibe). The locals and students are friendly, fit, and fun. And the parent group is ridiculously friendly and helpful. There are local parents who will literally pick up your kid from the airport or take them soup when they are sick. It’s not unusual for girl moms to post their kid needs help moving heavy furniture and boy moms to send their son over with a buddy to help.

I think students from the north who head to schools like Bama are getting a far more diverse experience than others. There is a broad spectrum of people and beliefs, and kids must learn to get along…and they do.

PS - There is a lot of wealth on campus. My kid knows students whose families own private planes. I think most dcum parents would be very surprised if they bothered to tour Bama. I encourage you to tour during the school year.

Same experience. Visited on a whim, no expectation and was blown away. DS is now a senior there and he leaves with two publications in serious science journals, a job offer, a diverse world view and having enjoyed every minute of his time there (he is not Greek). His friends are headed to top med schools, engineering firms and phd programs. All educated for free!

Alabama is spending like crazy and has healthy financials, unlike many — Stanford (laying off 700), Northwestern (laying off 400), Chicago is $6 billion in debt!

The school has a 4 year graduation rate of 56% that is horrifying.
Graduates from the University of Alabama had a median earning of $37,400 within two years and $44,500 within six years of graduation.

Great idea to pay OOS tuition to a school with those types of returns on investment.

Rape is extremely high on campus. And just fantastic Alabama law that, requires sexual violence survivors to demonstrate "earnest resistance" during an assault.

It is also one of the most dangerous campuses in the US for crime.

The reality is smart kids will do well wherever they go.

Your bright kid from Dcumlandia is likely to get merit aid from Bama and will graduate in 4 years. What the other kids do isn’t your problem.

Sometimes it’s better to be the big fish in the small pond.

And you are who your friends are. 56% graduation rate. There's a reason why they're throwing tons of merit money to practically anyone. Their marketing is all about how fun the school is, how great the greek life is, etc. Smart parents and kids make choices that look beyond that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree 100% with this prior post. The generous scholarship options based on GPA and test scores are what got us to consider it and the campus tour sold us. Honors students are impressive. Love that my son has grad school effectively paid for from undergrad savings. His roommates - first AND second year - are 70% from Northern states (first year was randomly assigned). Just go visit - we were not expecting to like it and both my husband and I (who are not big sports fans) loved it and DS is science major and completely thriving

Prior Post:
The knee-jerk reactions in this thread are not accurate. Unlikely that one will hear racist talk of any kind at any time while on campus.

FACT: The majority of students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa are not residents of Alabama.

U Alabama's Honors College offers students a solid education.

The Alabama beaches are gorgeous & welcoming. For decades, U Alabama's largest alumni group is based in NYC.

Why are the majority of students at a state school not state residents?

Because even the people of Alabama don't want to go there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree 100% with this prior post. The generous scholarship options based on GPA and test scores are what got us to consider it and the campus tour sold us. Honors students are impressive. Love that my son has grad school effectively paid for from undergrad savings. His roommates - first AND second year - are 70% from Northern states (first year was randomly assigned). Just go visit - we were not expecting to like it and both my husband and I (who are not big sports fans) loved it and DS is science major and completely thriving

Prior Post:
The knee-jerk reactions in this thread are not accurate. Unlikely that one will hear racist talk of any kind at any time while on campus.

FACT: The majority of students at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa are not residents of Alabama.

U Alabama's Honors College offers students a solid education.

The Alabama beaches are gorgeous & welcoming. For decades, U Alabama's largest alumni group is based in NYC.

Why are the majority of students at a state school not state residents?

Because there's not as much money in admitting in state students. North Carolina has the right approach here.