I also grew up in Georgia and I agree with all of this (except for the West coast experience). There are wonderful things about the south and things that I miss about the people, but there is still a big cultural divide and casual racism and closed mindedness. Of course, you can find those things anywhere, but it’s a matter of quantity and how in your face it will be. You just have to be prepared. |
Campus wise, Alabama is spectacular. Not many schools on its level for its beauty. For example, UVA/Charlottesville can NOT hang with UA/Tuscaloosa. |
Because it’s in Alabama |
+100 |
Not really able to understand what you are spewing Karen. You must have been educated in the South. |
Perfect example of the poor state of Southern education. |
You obviously don’t get out much. |
😱 see, this is my fear sending my kid to Alabama. My kid is half white, half Asian. No thanks! I know the word “othered”’ is lame, but my kid doesn’t want to go some place where they’re made fun of! I don’t imagine all those Alabama fraternity bros would be particularly nice. |
Depends on the experience that you want. I have experience with both schools the PP mentioned ASU and Rochester. Rochester is definitely the better school but ASU is fine as well. If your kid wants the large school experience at a great price ASU is an excellent choice. I personally would choose ASU over the equivalent Southern school unless one really wants the SEC Greek life experience. |
Parts of Boston are pretty racist, but they are the exception not the rule. The reverse is true in the South. |
Amherst 21 Bowdoin 22 Middlebury 16 Wesleyan 14 Williams 35 Nuff said… |
2025 is not 2018 or 2000 or even 1980. Sending a kid to a red state, particularly a DD at this moment in time, is a death sentence. Don't say my DD won't have sex if she is sexually assaulted, they won't help her either. Not only is Project 2025 a huge problem moving forward, but so are the laws that are changing in these states. Then there are the employment issues. Companies are not investing right now, and they won't, it is ECON 101. GA just lost a ton of jobs because of the Republicans' stupid ICE stunt. Factories are closing in red states left and right with Trump's policies. If you want your kid to remotely have a chance at employment moving forward, blue states, not red. Then there are healthcare costs. Red states are going to follow Project 2025 to a T. If you have not read the sections about healthcare might want to find them now!. |
I actually lived this (went to college on a full NMF scholarship in a state where I didn't live or plan to live). I think if your "wants to buy a house some day" comment is about how cheap houses are in Alabama, it's probably a bad idea, but if you just want to save money on undergrad it can be good. The fact that your kid wants to pursue a graduate degree means that undergrad won't be as important, and the geographic diversity element can work to their advantage if they're applying far from Alabama for the next step.
The Greek scene is both everywhere and nowhere if you don't rush. Like it's crazy how prevalent it is in freshman year as all the people in your dorm talk about it nonstop, but then when they join they kind of disappear into that world and you stop seeing them at all. I had no interest in that stuff so I just . . . never went to frat parties. I find the concern about it to be overblown unless your kid is actually planning to rush. The football/basketball stuff was actually really fun for me. I didn't arrive a college football fan but I left as one, and it's a nice community-building vibe to have everyone tailgating/cheering/partying on game days. If you truly hate sports, you will never find a quieter library than during a home game. The racism is real. Yes racism exists everywhere, but it's a complete fiction when people from the South try to insist that noone uses the "N" word, that nobody is really racist, lookit Boston! Even if your kid finds a good friend group, they're going to be living in a small town in the Deep South where the population quadruples on game day. There will be culture shock. The weather is going to be despicable (not sure what "so nice to jog" pp is on; mild winters don't really make up for excruciating heat and humidity the other 9 months of the year), but you have to factor that into the cost savings. |
Translation: LGBTQ kids need not apply. |
Now show us how many of those winners were from the last 15 years. |