who can tell me about Bama?

[johnsontrio]

We are having the hardest time figuring out which schools DD16 wants to apply to for admission Fall 2011. She has wanted to go out of state for the longest time and by process of elimination we are now considering University of Alabama. I am looking for info, good and bad, that might help us decide if it is somewhere she should apply to and visit.

She is an only child, very outgoing, an athlete but won't swim in college, very bright but also very social, doesn't really identify with the brainiac kids, more spiritual and religious than most of her peers, very independent and relates better to adults than some kids, doesn't really care what the other kids are doing, doesn't hang out with the party crowd, but is open minded and doesn't judge. She likes to dress casually, jeans, yoga pants hoodies, cute tops, Uggs, etc.. She thinks that she wants to rush and pledge a sorority. She currently attends an all girls school. She isn't sure what she wants to major in but her interests probably lie somewhere in the medical field or something along the lines of hospitality or HR management.

She wants to go to school with smart athletic kids with mainstream interests. A great sports school with immense school pride in a must. On her visit to UM she felt like there were only super smart kids there with very specific niche interests. She would probably do great at MSU but wants a smaller school and one that is not in Michigan.

She is wondering if she will be accepted as an out of state Catholic student there. The OOS kids make up 31% according to their website and I have been told Catholics are 10% of the student body which is large for a southern university.

Any information is appreciated.

 

[laurie31]

We are having the hardest time figuring out which schools DD16 wants to apply to for admission Fall 2011. She has wanted to go out of state for the longest time and by process of elimination we are now considering University of Alabama. I am looking for info, good and bad, that might help us decide if it is somewhere she should apply to and visit.

She is an only child, very outgoing, an athlete but won't swim in college, very bright but also very social, doesn't really identify with the brainiac kids, more spiritual and religious than most of her peers, very independent and relates better to adults than some kids, doesn't really care what the other kids are doing, doesn't hang out with the party crowd, but is open minded and doesn't judge. She likes to dress casually, jeans, yoga pants hoodies, cute tops, Uggs, etc.. She thinks that she wants to rush and pledge a sorority. She currently attends an all girls school. She isn't sure what she wants to major in but her interests probably lie somewhere in the medical field or something along the lines of hospitality or HR management.

She wants to go to school with smart athletic kids with mainstream interests. A great sports school with immense school pride in a must. On her visit to UM she felt like there were only super smart kids there with very specific niche interests. She would probably do great at MSU but wants a smaller school and one that is not in Michigan.

She is wondering if she will be accepted as an out of state Catholic student there. The OOS kids make up 31% according to their website and I have been told Catholics are 10% of the student body which is large for a southern university.

Any information is appreciated.

Well, the bolded pretty much describes the University.

I wouldn't think of it as a smaller school, but that's all relative to what you consider large. I honestly don't think there would be a problem with her being accepted, though. The campus is nice, and there's lots of things to do in Tuscaloosa for college kids. The beach is only a few hours away as well. If it's on her short list, come on down and check it out.


I'm sorry, this is killing me. I'm an Auburn fan.

Good luck to your DD in her decision. Lots of my friends went to Alabama. They have a lot to offer.

 

[johnsontrio]

Well, the bolded pretty much describes the University.

I wouldn't think of it as a smaller school, but that's all relative to what you consider large. I honestly don't think there would be a problem with her being accepted, though. The campus is nice, and there's lots of things to do in Tuscaloosa for college kids. The beach is only a few hours away as well. If it's on her short list, come on down and check it out.


I'm sorry, this is killing me. I'm an Auburn fan.

Good luck to your DD in her decision. Lots of my friends went to Alabama. They have a lot to offer.

Thank you for your reply.

MSU enrollment last year was 47,300 with 36K+ being undergraduates. They have the advantage of being large enough to offer almost any major you can think of, once her choice is made, it is likely to be there. The downside is the size of the university. We are thinking it is really too big. The largest school she has ever been in is her high school and they have 780 girls. She's the type of kid that knows every teacher in the building and talks to them all.

I'm sure she has the stats to get in. We have discussed all kinds of smaller private more academic schools but her high school years have been a grind and she doesn't want that for college. She is upfront about wanting a social opportunity for college and sees herself working diligently Monday - Thursday and probably wants to work a little, maybe in the rec center, as well. Weekends, well those are for other things.

I'm just wondering about the whole Southern Belle thing. The University is putting a lot of money into getting quality out of state students but are they fitting in and accepted once they are there? The videos on the website show lots of students and they seem down to earth, not all dolled up for class like at Vanderbilt or Swanee for example. She really wants to pledge a sorority and I'm wondering if there would be any bias against a gal from the North? Just reading their rush information I am seeing that they strongly encourage a letter of recommendation for every house. I have never seen that with the schools here.

I am thinking she will apply and see what their offer is. If she decides to visit we can probably come the first part of Thanksgiving week since swimming will be over.

Any other opinions?

 

[marymouse]

I spent 4 wonderful years at The University of Alabama. It was 20 years ago and some things have changed but not the general spirit of the university.

They have a very active campus. Something going on all the time to keep you busy. You don't have to be a football fan to fit in either, it is actually more alumni than students that are crazy.

They have a huge Greek population. 20 years ago you nearly had to be Greek to "be anything" on campus. That has changed dramatically as all the groups on campus have become more accepting. We are a little slow to change down here in the South. She will need a recommendation letter or "rec" to have a good chance during rush. They have so many girls go through the girls have to either really stand out or know some older alumni from that sorority. That doesn't mean she doesn't have a chance, it is just easier.

The only thing I hated about Tuscaloosa was the heat. I was born and raised and still live in Alabama but Tuscaloosa is always the hotest most humid place in the state.

Roll Tide!!! My daughter is already making plans and picking dorms and she is only in 7th grade

 

[kymmyk13]

Was actually on the campus yesterday. DD19is transferring from a community college to Alabama in January. She was accepted last week and we went down yesterday looking for apartments. We have been down several times over the past year and everyone seems to be real nice.
DD19 does not have a southern accent because I am from NJ, so she has a nuteral accent, and no one has said anything. My daughter is very similar to yours, she is at home in a pair of jeans and Tshirt and she is at church when ever the doors are open.

Also at one of the apartments we loooked at (student only) they was a car with a NJ tag. So she won't be the only Yankee lol

I get the feeling that many of the students there are very dedicated to their studies but not all brains. There is alot going on all the time.
If you have any questions or if your DD wants to call mine and talk about the school, the way kids do just send me a PM.

 

[ctinct]

Go to College Confidential, and under the colleges part of the board (not sure what the header is exactly), click "alphabetical list of colleges." Under University of Alabama, there was a very recent thread about how out-of staters are treated. The consensus seems to be that things are fine. My daughter is not keen about the idea of going there because she wants a smaller school, although I'm sure she'd love the football. However, it is our financial safety because she is eligible for a guaranteed scholarship which would make it cheaper than our state school (which is only #3 on her list, again because of size). There are students at Bama from all over the US. I saw a breakdown somewhere, and was really surprised at the number of students even from the far western states. I think Bama is doing every thing they can to welcome oos students.

 

[johnsontrio]

Go to College Confidential, and under the colleges part of the board (not sure what the header is exactly), click "alphabetical list of colleges." Under University of Alabama, there was a very recent thread about how out-of staters are treated. The consensus seems to be that things are fine. My daughter is not keen about the idea of going there because she wants a smaller school, although I'm sure she'd love the football. However, it is our financial safety because she is eligible for a guaranteed scholarship which would make it cheaper than our state school (which is only #3 on her list, again because of size). There are students at Bama from all over the US. I saw a breakdown somewhere, and was really surprised at the number of students even from the far western states. I think Bama is doing every thing they can to welcome oos students.

I have read the first 10 pages of that thread and didn't see anything that raised any flags for me. I read somewhere on there that there were 54 students from MI last year. I am planning a call to the admissions office. DD watched the virtual tour last night and I spent a lot of time reading all the rush information. She is excited about Bama so far. She will definitely qualify for some merit money but her retake on the 11th of September will tell us if it is a contender. She is definitely looking for a change in scenery and wants to attend a big flagship school, preferably in the South. Other schools are difficult to get in due to their policies for admitting their freshman class, for example UTexas and UNC.

Keep us posted on the Sr. thread about what your DD decides to do.

 

[trip]

If you and she want to read about recruitment (rush) visit http://www.greekchat.com/

From what I have read, letters of recommendation are a must for every house! Southern rush is very different from the rush I went through at a northern school.

 

[czycropper]

I graduated from Jax State (much smaller college in Alabama) but took summer classes at 'Bama and I would absolutely love for my DDs to go there when they are ready (still in 7th & 5th ). So I would let either of them go there in a heartbeat!

I loved the school spirit - ok, it helped that I was a Crimson Tide fan & Bear Bryant fan (so now, I'm really letting my age known ) and that I went to their football games while I was in grammar & high school (my Dad's best friend was VP for CocaCola for Alabama so he got tickets) - all that aside it's a great campus, good professors & yes, a fantastic student life.

 

[mikki'smom]

We love the University of Alabama. Both of our daughters graduated from Bama. What degree will your daughter be pursuing? Her "major" area should be the detemining factor as to what university she attends. Make sure she gets a degree in something that is employable.

 

[johnsontrio]

We love the University of Alabama. Both of our daughters graduated from Bama. What degree will your daughter be pursuing? Her "major" area should be the detemining factor as to what university she attends. Make sure she gets a degree in something that is employable.

Well, if that's the case then she'd be home with me. She hasn't figured out what she wants to study but is leaning towards something in the medical field, either nursing or premed, HR management or hospitality. I think she'll end up in the medical field. She won't be 17 until December so she will be vey young as an incoming freshman. We are OK with her taking an extra year or two to figure it all out. Glad to hear you all love Bama. I had a nice talk today with an admission counsellor. She said they are assigning an officer to Michigan that will start next week and she is going to call me. Still haven't heard anything that makes me concerned.

 

[SydSim]

My niece will start her sophomore year there and loves it. Philly original, transplanted to Atlanta (so a northerner at heart). Definitely not a souther belle- AA female who loves sports (her major is athletic training with plans to go to med school)

If I see "roll tide" one more time on her Facebook page.....

 

[sharbear]

I don't know anything about Alabama but I have a friend who's D goes to the University of South Carolina. She is really happy there. Says that there are lots of Notherners and she pledged a sorority. She said that there are southern sororities but also sororities that accept northern girls also. She likes being in the south but most of her friends are from the midwest and northern states.

One plus, if you get any type of scholarship from them, you get instate tuition. Makes it very affordable.

 

[newddmommie]

I just wanted to throw this out there: Rush at Alabama is very difflicult. I was in a sorority at South Alabama and mathmatically speaking we had enough spots in all the houses for everyone who rushed. However, not everyone was chosen if it didn't match up. At Alabama (and Auburn too) there are many more girls who Rush then there are spots. Just wanted to give you a heads up so your DD isn't disappointed if she doesn't pledge. (Although, I hope it works out for her).

 

[Shmily1]

Not that I know much about Bama, unless it's about football and how they play our UGA Dogs, but just wanted to give you a comment.

Good luck in your college search. It's a long process but totally worth it. DS20 is in his 3rd year at Georgia Southern and loves it there. GSU does lots of out of state recruitement and he has many friends from all over, including Michigan, which is where one of the first people he met is from. I was happy that he picked that school after we visited because it was such a safe school. They are really into the students' safety and work hard to keep everyone safe.

Sorry for the long post, but wanted to tell you good luck!!

 

[sharlon]

Let me start off by saying I am an Auburn grad. I don't hate Bama, though, primarily because I was born and raised in Georgia and UGA was my family's school. I was a rebel, though, and went to a rival college. I did look at Bama, but it wasn't for me. Basically, that was what one Dean of Students taught me when I looked at colleges, to pick somewhere that I would be happy living, because ultimately you are picking your home for at least 4 years.

I am wondering, though, why Alabama. If she does want a change of scenery, has she considered any of the other southern state schools like South Carolina (mentioned above), Clemson, Auburn, LSU, or even something smaller like Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, or Western Carolina. These are all really good schools and so welcoming to everyone.

 

[tar heel]

Have you looked at Clemson? When we looked at colleges with my oldest son, it was by far my biggest surprise. We were impressed with the programs, the campus, the students, our graduate student's guide love of the school, the organization of the college day -- really everything. It's smaller than most comprehensive state universities and has a very rah-rah athletic program. My son did not end up going there, but it was his second choice.

My alma mater, University of North Carolina, is half the size of Michigan but probably still bigger than she wants. It's on all the lists of best state univerisities and has many nationally recognized programs, beautiful campus and big athletic program. UVa could be described the same way.

One of my sons spent his first two years at Western Carolina, and I agree with the prior poster that it is extremely welcoming. It doesn't have the big-time athletic program, however.

 

[tar heel]

OP -- I also want to add that, as one of the fastest growing states for many years, North Carolina has plenty of Catholics. Even when I was in college in the Dark Ages, the Newman Center was very active.

Like you I have a 16-year-old starting to look at colleges. I asked him to come up with a list that we might visit during fall break, and he started with University of Hawaii!

 

[johnsontrio]

Let me start off by saying I am an Auburn grad. I don't hate Bama, though, primarily because I was born and raised in Georgia and UGA was my family's school. I was a rebel, though, and went to a rival college. I did look at Bama, but it wasn't for me. Basically, that was what one Dean of Students taught me when I looked at colleges, to pick somewhere that I would be happy living, because ultimately you are picking your home for at least 4 years.

I am wondering, though, why Alabama. If she does want a change of scenery, has she considered any of the other southern state schools like South Carolina (mentioned above), Clemson, Auburn, LSU, or even something smaller like Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, or Western Carolina. These are all really good schools and so welcoming to everyone.

When we first starting looking at Southern schools we were looking at the private schools, such as Tulane, Vanderbilt, Florida Southern, Eckerd, Emory. Some we ruled out because she doesn't want an academic grind, others aren't big sport schools and others are too small. We then started looking at Southern Flagship universities basically looking for something that would offer what Michigan State offers without being 47K+ students. University of Georgia actually has sent loads of recruiting info here because they are looking for out of state students with deep pockets, like University of Michigan. Bama caught my attention due to it's ranking in the USNWR College Edition for commitment to undergraduate education and freshman programs.

Certain schools heavily recruit students in the Catholic Prep schools because they figure the parents are used to paying big bucks. We are looking for a school that wants bright out of state students and are willing to make it economically feasible to go there. She currently has a smaller public out of state college (around 18K students) on her list that is closer to home and will pay merit money for academics that makes it more affordable than our in-state options. She is OK with it, but not thrilled and over the moon. She has been so thrilled with her high school, loving it every single day, that I would like that for her in college as well.

Bama fit the bill but we are open to other suggestions. I am spending time looking at the websites of the schools that are mentioned here on this thread. I was also pleased that Bama has a huge Catholic Parish across the street with a very active collegiate program. DD is in the leadership group of her Youth Ministry and she would be more than happy to continue on in college. The other thread regarding the difficulty of getting in a sorority does concern me. If she doesn't pledge, she would be happy to be very involved in the campus ministry. Also, she's a march to the beat of my own drummer kind of girl so when she sees what rush is all about , she may decide it's not for her. She may be attractive to the Sororities for GPA purposes.

So to answer your question, we are looking for any school that will end up offering an alternative to MSU, cost the same or less, with the following parameters:

small class sizes
great school spirit and sports program
reasonably active Catholic Campus ministry
swimming pool available at convenient times/ great Rec center
Greek system
solid undergraduate education


I am open to any suggestions. Thanks

 

[smartkim]

Can't tell you much about the University although I did work in Tuscaloosa for 4 years. If sports is a major deciding factor, then I think U of A is the way to go. There is great "pride" associated with the school in terms of sports in general. A visit to campus would certainly be worth it. (Just be sure to wear your crimson and white!) If your child is wanting to go into a medical career field, I would suggest checking out the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). They are a medical research school and any medical programs there are top notch (can you tell I'm an alumni?!). The sports programs aren't what they are at U of A but it is still a great school. I loved UAB! There is also UAH, University of Alabama at Huntsville, although I can't tell you anything about it.

Good luck on college searches! We are about to embark on this journey with my DS also!