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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]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.  [/quote]

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. [/quote]

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. [/quote]

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.

[b]I think students from the north who head to schools like Bama are getting a far more diverse experience than others.[/b] 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. [/quote]

I was ready to ridicule this, but with more nuance, economically, yes, racially and culturally, it depends.  Bama is 72% white, comparables would be Bates, Holy Cross, Skidmore, Hamilton, Notre Dame, Colgate, Vassar, UMass Amherst, Villanova, Lafayette, Bates and some other SLACs that have percentages of white students in the mid-50s to around 70% .

There are plenty of PWIs up North, too.

As a large Southern school, Bama will provide an entry into engaging life in the South across nearly all economic classes.   In that respect, it is a more culturally diverse experience than a lot of selective schools in the North.  So, if you are fine with a PWI, it comes down to what experience an applicant prefers.  Having spent my childhood in Georgia (and still visit family there), while becoming an adult in California, I can respect the lives of people there even if it is not for me and my family. [/quote]

How about Red/Blue diversity?

Or North/South?

Or urban/rural?

If your kid is born and raised in the super blue/uber diverse DC metro area and heads to uni on the East or West Coast, that’s just more of the same.

But if your kid ventures out of their comfort zone—particularly to a school like Bama where they might be the political and geographic and religious minority—then that can be a more powerful learning experience. [/quote]

It’s not more of the same at all…go look at where kids come from at all the top northeast schools…way higher %ages of kids from the south or west or Midwest at those schools vs kids from the north or Midwest or west at an Alabama.[/quote]

Not the same at all.

Non-religious liberals are the majority at schools up north and on the coasts and at SLACs, etc.

If your kid is haven’t sent a kid from the dc metro area to a SEC school, you really can’t imagine how different it is. And I’m glad my kid ventured outside their comfort zone. [/quote]

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