Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably not an issue for OP because it sounds like they have a high achieving kid but when I looked into 'bama a couple of years go, less than 50% of kids graduated in 4 years. That was concerning to me. It looks like they made progress and it is now 53% that graduate in 4 years. We were chasing merit and I dont know what drives this % - partiers, classes not available that force you to stay on, credits not transferring?? No idea but was a red flag for me.

This is true, and that is why Alabama is ranked so low. There are essentially two groups of kids there: 1) super high achievers (NMFs and scholarship kids) and 2) kids who are less interested in academics and are there for sports, Greek, etc. Some in the second group should probably not be in college and they don’t make it through. However, the two groups don’t really mix socially or even in classes. They just co-exist. If you are a high achiever, your friends typically are too.

No

1. Laws are changing fast no one should send a DD to Alabama
2. Jobs unemployment is rising in Alabama and the whole country a degree from AL will be worthless.

Wrong!! Alabama is one of four growing states in the country, while Birmingham is the second fastest growing city in the country and is becoming a biotech center offshoot from UAB. Huntsville is getting Space Command so the whole program is in Alabama.

The new president of Univ. of Alabama is a scientist, previously president of Ohio State, and is focusing on research.

There are lots of things I don't like about Alabama, but this is correct.

Wrong!! Alabama is one of four growing states in the country

Completely wrong, and the propaganda/dishonesty matters.

Alabama has the fourth lowest per-capita income of all 50 states. Last year its economy grew at the 17th fastest rate of all 50 states, which at least puts it in the top half but is a slower rate than Pacific states like California or Washington or a slower absolute level than northern states like Mass and Wisconsin. Alabama's 'hub' Birmingham is small (47th largest metro area in the country) and growing at a slower growth rate than almost any metro area in the South (and also growing at a slower rate than northern cities like Hartford, Philadelphia or Minneapolis).

In part as a result, Alabama's public schools rank 49th of the 50 states. Which is by and large the people you'll be studying with in Tuscaloosa (notwithstanding the weird claims here that "you can go to Alabama but avoid Alabamians almost entirely if you want")

SLACs aren't for everyone, but there are a lot of other state flagships that offer the experience of a big state university without Alabama's additional challenges of being in a relatively poor state with poor education levels. It might be the right school for some, but I'd pay more attention to those documented facts than to silly anecdotes about how happy and well-dressed 'everyone' looks.

Anonymous wrote:Why not Alabama?

Because you could spend $300k+ going to some northern SLAC where the weather is cold and gray, the women are LGBTQ+, the men are trans (except for the lacrosse team), the students are socialists, and everyone is miserable.

Or you could save the dough, have a great experience, and be happy in normal in the southern sunshine.

The choice is yours. Roll Tide!

And this is why my kid had no interest in schools like Alabama. The stereotyping in this post, and the clearly delicate, snowflake nature of PP’s “normal” kid are so off-putting.

"They will go back to their southern hometowns, get married young and start families. That’s not the life I want for my kids."


"Oh no, your kid might have a marriage and family. What a tragic outcome."

Clearly you must be a troll for Northern U, because your silly, dishonest and sarcastic twisting of the previous comment is convincing most readers here that Alabama boosters and by extension the university are best avoided.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not Alabama?

Because you could spend $300k+ going to some northern SLAC where the weather is cold and gray, the women are LGBTQ+, the men are trans (except for the lacrosse team), the students are socialists, and everyone is miserable.

Or you could save the dough, have a great experience, and be happy in normal in the southern sunshine.

The choice is yours. Roll Tide!

Just went to the Bama game this weekend in Tuscaloosa. The campus is beautiful, the place is absolutely stocked with smoking hot young women who know how to dress and attractive, preppy well-mannered young men. Everyone smiling and having a good time, clearly on their way to a prosperous, well-adjusted and successful lives.

Why anyone would want to pass up this Elysian vision in favor of some cold Northern hell of neuroticism and wokeism is beyond me.

First I assume you’re a middle aged man and calling college students “smoking hot” is creepy. They don’t want you drooling over them.

Second, the weather is MISERABLE. The town sucks. And most of the students are low achieving. They will go back to their southern hometowns, get married young and start families. That’s not the life I want for my kids.

Oh no, your kid might have a marriage and family. What a tragic outcome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Yes on 42% but most of the OOS are Texas, Florida and Georgia. It wasn't said that every student has a confederate flag and uses the n-word. It was said that you can't get away from it. Even if it is 1/10 it's overt.

The largest state represented at Alabama, other than Alabama, is Illinois.

Georgia is second after Alabama, then Illinois.

Anonymous wrote:I think it comes down to financials and how much weight you put on the college experience. Mine turned down a full-ride at UofSC honors college. The school administration left a very positive impression, but the student vibe was just not what they wanted. I absolutely see the value if finances need to be a primary concern though.

There’s actually a lot of reasons to go outside of financials. The programs for motivated kids like Blount and Randall are incredible and there’s a lot of opportunity. Great grad and professional school placement among these kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

Yes on 42% but most of the OOS are Texas, Florida and Georgia. It wasn't said that every student has a confederate flag and uses the n-word. It was said that you can't get away from it. Even if it is 1/10 it's overt.

The largest state represented at Alabama, other than Alabama, is Illinois.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sent my pretty good stats kid down south for a free education so that we had money for graduate school/law school.

I think he got a good education.

I used to try to talk to him about racism and he thought I was over reacting… it’s not the 60’s anymore.

Going down south you are literally gonna see it face-to-face kids using the n words on the daily. People making racist and insane remarks..

So I’d say the best education my kid got out of the south was that yes racism exist.

This is totally 'tarted. No you aren't.

I don’t really think you’re credible considering use the R word.

A group of racist, on campus day, one protesting women and black being in the school.

Kids dorms had confederate flags and they don’t thread on me. They’ve been multiple viral videos from their school showing students being racist and getting kick kicked out of school.

Without getting into an argument with posters on the specifics of their experiences, the Deep South has a different culture. It has changed a lot since I was a kid in Georgia decades ago, but it is still more socially acceptable there to make racist, comments there than other parts of the country. You don't have to drive far out of Atlanta to run into it. And the Confederate flag is a big part of the culture there.

The paradox is that people in the South are some of the warm, friendliest and kindest people I have ever met. They aren't as reserved, and sometimes aloof, as people on the coasts. It is more socially segregated by race than the West Coast, especially more than the newer developments in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys and the Inland Empire, but it is a matter of degree. There's plenty segregation out here, too.

I live on the West Coast, and I knew a couple of families who had kids who were thinking about going to school in the South. I never said, no, that's a bad idea. I did say, it is different in ways that can't be experienced here, you might want to check it out before sending your kid there. Go there and spend some time to find out if it works for you.

But the University of Alabama is 60% out of state. It’s not the same as Alabama itself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably not an issue for OP because it sounds like they have a high achieving kid but when I looked into 'bama a couple of years go, less than 50% of kids graduated in 4 years. That was concerning to me. It looks like they made progress and it is now 53% that graduate in 4 years. We were chasing merit and I dont know what drives this % - partiers, classes not available that force you to stay on, credits not transferring?? No idea but was a red flag for me.

This is true, and that is why Alabama is ranked so low. There are essentially two groups of kids there: 1) super high achievers (NMFs and scholarship kids) and 2) kids who are less interested in academics and are there for sports, Greek, etc. Some in the second group should probably not be in college and they don’t make it through. However, the two groups don’t really mix socially or even in classes. They just co-exist. If you are a high achiever, your friends typically are too.

No

1. Laws are changing fast no one should send a DD to Alabama
2. Jobs unemployment is rising in Alabama and the whole country a degree from AL will be worthless.

Wrong!! Alabama is one of four growing states in the country, while Birmingham is the second fastest growing city in the country and is becoming a biotech center offshoot from UAB. Huntsville is getting Space Command so the whole program is in Alabama.

The new president of Univ. of Alabama is a scientist, previously president of Ohio State, and is focusing on research.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably not an issue for OP because it sounds like they have a high achieving kid but when I looked into 'bama a couple of years go, less than 50% of kids graduated in 4 years. That was concerning to me. It looks like they made progress and it is now 53% that graduate in 4 years. We were chasing merit and I dont know what drives this % - partiers, classes not available that force you to stay on, credits not transferring?? No idea but was a red flag for me.

This is true, and that is why Alabama is ranked so low. There are essentially two groups of kids there: 1) super high achievers (NMFs and scholarship kids) and 2) kids who are less interested in academics and are there for sports, Greek, etc. Some in the second group should probably not be in college and they don’t make it through. However, the two groups don’t really mix socially or even in classes. They just co-exist. If you are a high achiever, your friends typically are too.

No

1. Laws are changing fast no one should send a DD to Alabama
2. Jobs unemployment is rising in Alabama and the whole country a degree from AL will be worthless.

Why is this? Are you afraid that she's going to meet a nice, educated Southern guy and never want to leave?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well you said your kid has no interest in sports. So would they like a school where everything revolves around football?

And basketball. Alabama is a Top 25 national program and has gone to an NCAA regional final.

Not regional! They were in the final four two years ago, elite eight last year. Number one in the country for a while.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Probably not an issue for OP because it sounds like they have a high achieving kid but when I looked into 'bama a couple of years go, less than 50% of kids graduated in 4 years. That was concerning to me. It looks like they made progress and it is now 53% that graduate in 4 years. We were chasing merit and I dont know what drives this % - partiers, classes not available that force you to stay on, credits not transferring?? No idea but was a red flag for me.

This is true, and that is why Alabama is ranked so low. There are essentially two groups of kids there: 1) super high achievers (NMFs and scholarship kids) and 2) kids who are less interested in academics and are there for sports, Greek, etc. Some in the second group should probably not be in college and they don’t make it through. However, the two groups don’t really mix socially or even in classes. They just co-exist. If you are a high achiever, your friends typically are too.

No

1. Laws are changing fast no one should send a DD to Alabama
2. Jobs unemployment is rising in Alabama and the whole country a degree from AL will be worthless.

Anonymous wrote:Probably not an issue for OP because it sounds like they have a high achieving kid but when I looked into 'bama a couple of years go, less than 50% of kids graduated in 4 years. That was concerning to me. It looks like they made progress and it is now 53% that graduate in 4 years. We were chasing merit and I dont know what drives this % - partiers, classes not available that force you to stay on, credits not transferring?? No idea but was a red flag for me.

This is true, and that is why Alabama is ranked so low. There are essentially two groups of kids there: 1) super high achievers (NMFs and scholarship kids) and 2) kids who are less interested in academics and are there for sports, Greek, etc. Some in the second group should probably not be in college and they don’t make it through. However, the two groups don’t really mix socially or even in classes. They just co-exist. If you are a high achiever, your friends typically are too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is there now on a full ride as a NMF, also a city kid. Not rushing but has joined tons of clubs!

He is in the Blount Scholars program, a cohort within the Honors College. It is run by a U Chicago PhD who is fabulous, Dr. Whiting.

Other options are Bama include Witt Fellows and Randall Research Scholars.

https://blount.as.ua.edu/

https://honors.ua.edu/apply/witt-university-fellows-program/

https://honors.ua.edu/apply/randall-research-scholars-program/

https://manderson.culverhouse.ua.edu/stem-path-to-the-mba/

https://history.ua.edu/history-major-named-a-rhodes-scholar/

University of Alabama senior Kate Herndon, a History major, is one of only thirty-two students in the nation to be named a Rhodes Scholar, the most prestigious academic award given to American college graduates and the oldest award for international study.

Herndon is a University Honors Program student majoring in criminal justice and history, with a concentration in legal history, and a native of Newburyport, Massachusetts. She is the fifth History major* and seventeenth UA student to be named a Rhodes Scholar.

https://history.ua.edu/history-major-named-a-rhodes-scholar/

Amherst 21
Bowdoin 22
Middlebury 16
Wesleyan 14
Williams 35

Nuff said…

Now show us how many of those winners were from the last 15 years.

Please do so for Bama....Amherst, Middlebury and Williams all have at least one winner in the last three years.

Did you not read the original post? Bama has a 2024 Rhodes Scholar. And now has 17 total so it’s clearly producing a competitive number of Rhodes Scholars.

There are also 15 Fulbright Scholars at Bama this year. I get that it’s not for everyone but high achieving kids with full rides can absolutely have an amazing experience there.

https://news.ua.edu/2025/06/ua-students-offered-u-s-fulbright-program-awards-for-2025-2026/

I agree completely, my kid had it on her list for a very short time since she was NMF and the money if great.