Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. The reason I wouldn't send my kid there has nothing to do with any assumption that people are racist, though there are some, just as in the DMV. The AL educational system has consistently ranked near the bottom, #47 out of 50 states https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education. According the AU's web site, in the Class of 2019, 40% were in state students with 39.9% scoring 30 or higher on the ACT and an average high school GPA of 3.8. The school has to offer full rides to attract stronger OOS students. That's a smart strategy, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

If you are pre-med and surrounded by other National Merit Scholars, why does it matter what the bottom of the class is doing?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is going to Alabama (Honors College) on nearly a full ride scholarship.

Roll Tide!

From the State that brought Jeff Sessions, Roy Moore and Mo Brooks, never....

Don't forget Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Jesse Owens, Hank Aaron, Helen Keller, Tim Cook, Carl Lewis, Lionel Richie, Joe Lewis, Satchel Paige, Condoleezza Rice, Willie Mays and of course George Wallace, the famous Democrat and champion of segregation.

+1 Keep it coming!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. The reason I wouldn't send my kid there has nothing to do with any assumption that people are racist, though there are some, just as in the DMV. The AL educational system has consistently ranked near the bottom, #47 out of 50 states https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education. According the AU's web site, in the Class of 2019, 40% were in state students with 39.9% scoring 30 or higher on the ACT and an average high school GPA of 3.8. The school has to offer full rides to attract stronger OOS students. That's a smart strategy, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

If you are pre-med and surrounded by other National Merit Scholars, why does it matter what the bottom of the class is doing?

I agree. Financially it makes perfect sense. It does seem odd though to guarantee a free ride based on the results of a meaningless practice exam.

The fact that it's a meaningless practice exam means the kids who score highest are the ones most likely to be brilliant rather than the ones most prepped for the test.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. The reason I wouldn't send my kid there has nothing to do with any assumption that people are racist, though there are some, just as in the DMV. The AL educational system has consistently ranked near the bottom, #47 out of 50 states https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education. According the AU's web site, in the Class of 2019, 40% were in state students with 39.9% scoring 30 or higher on the ACT and an average high school GPA of 3.8. The school has to offer full rides to attract stronger OOS students. That's a smart strategy, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

If you are pre-med and surrounded by other National Merit Scholars, why does it matter what the bottom of the class is doing?

I agree. Financially it makes perfect sense. It does seem odd though to guarantee a free ride based on the results of a meaningless practice exam.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup. The reason I wouldn't send my kid there has nothing to do with any assumption that people are racist, though there are some, just as in the DMV. The AL educational system has consistently ranked near the bottom, #47 out of 50 states https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education. According the AU's web site, in the Class of 2019, 40% were in state students with 39.9% scoring 30 or higher on the ACT and an average high school GPA of 3.8. The school has to offer full rides to attract stronger OOS students. That's a smart strategy, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

If you are pre-med and surrounded by other National Merit Scholars, why does it matter what the bottom of the class is doing?

Anonymous wrote:Yup. The reason I wouldn't send my kid there has nothing to do with any assumption that people are racist, though there are some, just as in the DMV. The AL educational system has consistently ranked near the bottom, #47 out of 50 states https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education. According the AU's web site, in the Class of 2019, 40% were in state students with 39.9% scoring 30 or higher on the ACT and an average high school GPA of 3.8. The school has to offer full rides to attract stronger OOS students. That's a smart strategy, but it won't be everyone's cup of tea.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is going to Alabama (Honors College) on nearly a full ride scholarship.

Roll Tide!

From the State that brought Jeff Sessions, Roy Moore and Mo Brooks, never....

Don't forget Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Jesse Owens, Hank Aaron, Helen Keller, Tim Cook, Carl Lewis, Lionel Richie, Joe Lewis, Satchel Paige, Condoleezza Rice, Willie Mays and of course George Wallace, the famous Democrat and champion of segregation.

Anonymous wrote:44% graduation rate four years enough said.

68% six years enough said.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best deal at Alabama is the National Merit Finalists package, which requires selecting Alabama as a first choice with the College Board. This is a true "full ride" plus annual stipend and is the reason why Alabama has one of the largest concentrations of National Merit Scholars in the country. The $28,000 scholarship doesn't even cover the full cost of OOS tuition, so it is far from a "full ride." "Full ride" means that tuition, room, and board are covered. "Full tuition" means you don't pay tuition. https://scholarships.ua.edu/freshman/nationalscholars/

Oklahoma does this better.

I believe that Oklahoma used to have more National Merit Finalists than Alabama, but this is no longer the case. I'm attaching the 2018-2019 National Merit Report, the most recent version that I could find.

270 NM Scholars - U of Florida
265 NM Scholars - USC
258 NM Scholars - Alabama (Tuscaloosa)
244 NM Scholars - Northwestern
207 NM Scholars - Harvard

Way down the list is Univ of Oklahoma with 87 NM Scholars

Look at p. 40 of the document (or page 38, depending upon how it's numbered)

https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/annual_report.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61&sessionid=68d499bc-c1d6-4661-917f-f927c8047bb0&cc=1

Hmm, something strange must have happened in 2017 - look at the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 lists here and the drop off is substantial. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Merit_Scholarship_Program

But I was talking about the substance of the scholarship itself, and upon investigation I was wrong. When I went there it was significantly more generous than Alabama's is as described at the top link, but looking it up for incoming students now it has changed. Now it's not even a full ride; I got a full ride plus a check back at the bursar ever semester that covered off-campus housing. I wonder if that change was in 2016/17 and that's what cost them the pole position?

It looks like Alabama now covers full tuition, full room, and another $4000/year, which is enough to cover almost all of the board/food rate. That means that $800 for "fees", $800 for food, and books are left uncovered. A pretty good deal, but not as nice as Banneker Key at UMD!

https://scholarships.ua.eandu/freshman/nationalscholars/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I kinda like roll tide guy myself, just because I know it gets under the skin of the douchiest DCUMers. And I pretty much hate Alabama.

Pretty sure he doesn't get under anyone's skin. Its just a joke at this point, follow along.