Please tell me all about the University of Alabama - Page 10

vlines · 10-01-2011, 11:40 AM

Tommy- start a FB page, or a thread on the Alabama forum here on CC for incoming freshman 2012.

mom2collegekids · 10-01-2011, 11:49 AM

Tommy....

Post that Q on the Bama forum. The students there know how to find future roomies on Facebook. There is some kind of roommate finder option.

University of Alabama - College Confidential

writtenwords · 10-05-2011, 07:25 AM

Why are you trying to come here when I'm trying my best to get out?!? Let me be honest.

If you are a minority or anyone looking for the least bit of diversity, do NOT come here. In my experience, everyone has stayed within their own little groups. I rarely ever see anyone who's white, black, Hispanic, Asian, etc, etc, walking together. Those types of friends are rare. Actually my group of friends is the only one that's open-minded. We hung out at the University Mall once and received like so many stares. No joke!

I talked to many good students from other high schools in this area (ex: Northridge--who last year had students accepted into Stanford, NYU, UChicago, etc, etc), and they are all trying their best to get out.

They have the same reasons I do: UA-big party school, overrun by the Greek majority, crazy football scene. Very close-minded. There is a certain way to dress here. Obviously you need to wear Toms and Shirtshop shirts. Almost every older woman I've seen has dyed her hair bleach blond and is so wrinkled from overexposing themselves at tanning salons. I'm sorry but I've been here five years and aside from my experiences at a nursing home, I've never felt like I was home here. And I have volunteered and joined many clubs and sports at my school.

Just think about it. If you are a smart student, you want to be surrounded by people like you. UA would give me a full-ride, too, because I have good credentials, too, and am also a NMerit Semifinalist and the money may seem attractive at first, but there are other things to consider. I am still applying to UA this fall as my safety, but I am going to look at other colleges, too, such as Emory, Vanderbilt, UChicago, Duke, etc, etc. Do not hang yourself on one tree.

loring · 10-05-2011, 08:08 AM

@writtenwords

My son is a Freshman NMF from North Carolina and his experience at the University of Alabama has been vastly different than what you describe. What you are describing is life as a High School student in the area (from your perspective) and thinking that is what the college experience will be like. I can understand your sentiments, most high school students think their home town isn't all that by the time they are ready to graduate. Often times, when they go away to school, they find that things weren't so bad there after all. Good luck to you in your college search. I would suggest that you go meet with the folks at the Honors College at 'Bama. You might be surprised after you talk to them and some of the students in the program.

BAMAMom2Be · 10-05-2011, 10:30 AM

@written words

My D was one of the top students in her high school up here in Madison County (Huntsville area, but we're in the county school system). She had the grades and test scores to qualify for admission to any college she chose. (Of course, actually being accepted would have been another story, since so many qualified kids with equally impressive stats apply to top schools.) UA was the ONLY school she even considered applying to.

She ended up with one of the elite Crimson Scholarships (equivalent to the NMF scholarships, but awarded on a competitive basis, not solely on a test score), is part of the Honors College and the Emerging Scholars program. As such, she is surrounded by kids who are just as smart as she is, and probably quite a few who are even smarter.

I agree with loring that what you have seen and experienced as a local high school student is much, much different than the actual experience as an on-campus UA student. It's also very common that students want to get away from their hometown. Huntsvlle is a wonderful area, but D couldn't get out of here fast enough and on to a college experience in a different town!

We all here think UA is a fabulous school, but there are many other fabulous schools out there. I would encourage you not to look at UA as just a safety school. Think about what majors might be of interest to you, and check out those departments. Talk to some of the faculty, arrange a campus tour through the Honors College. Talk to some of the students in the Honors College to see what they think of their UA experience.

You may end up deciding that another school is a better fit for you personally, and that's okay. But you could end up discovering that UA is a wonderful fit, too.

mom2collegekids · 10-05-2011, 02:10 PM

In my experience, everyone has stayed within their own little groups. I rarely ever see anyone who's white, black, Hispanic, Asian, etc, etc, walking together.

Actually, that is quite common EVERYWHERE. I'm from Calif, and the students there often hang out with their own ethnic groups. My older son is at a Top 20 school and all the Asian kids hang together, the Muslim kids hang together, etc. It's a national concern that ethnic groups tend to socialize in groups. There's even a book about it...
Amazon.com: "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?": A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity (9780465083619): Beverly Daniel Tatum: Books

This book isn't talking about southern schools..it is talking about schools all over the US.
Amazon review: Anyone who's been to a high school or college has noted how students of the same race seem to stick together. Author Beverly Daniel Tatum has noticed it too....

I have one son at Bama and one that has graduated from there. Bama is not as you've described from a high schooler's perspective. Oh, and as for Tom's shoes...they're a national phenomenon with college kids....not just at Bama.

wdaveo · 10-05-2011, 02:17 PM

LOL...my daughter must have 10 pairs of Tom's shoes...and she is 15! She keeps using the line, "but MOM, they are sending a pair to kids in Africa! How can you say NO to that?" She's right. I usually can't.

vlines · 10-05-2011, 02:18 PM

Writtenwords...I am going to reinforce what the others have said. We are from the east coast- Maryland, between Baltimore and Annapolis. We have limited diversity in the small area we are in, but over all a diverse state. My son wants out of here too. He would like to experience a different environment, in a different state. Does not want to go to school where the rest of his friends are going to school. So your desire to "get out of here" is very normal for all students your age, regardless of where "here" is.

tommykirkpatrick · 10-05-2011, 03:12 PM

That's how it is everywhere.. ethnic groups will tend to hang out together. I don't know what the demographic is like at Bama, but I'm one of the only 4 or 5 Asian kids at my high school, and I've had no problem making friends and hanging out with whites, blacks, Hispanics, etc.

mom2collegekids · 10-06-2011, 07:06 PM

A couple of Bama tour reports that were posted in the last day or so...

Tell me what is great about Alabama?

Tell me what is great about Alabama?

robotbldmom · 10-06-2011, 08:46 PM

I know that all my fellow posters are trying to be very kind and give good solid advice to writtenwords but we probably need to realize that this person is a TROLL. If they are not, then I suggest that they lose their poor attitude before applying to ANY colleges.

In the first sentence of their rant, this poster says that they are "trying to get out". This suggests that they might already be a university student but it soon becomes obvious that this person is still in high school. What then exactly is this poster referring to as "out" -out of town, out of their own high school, or out of Alabama? It cannot be out of UA. Therefore, since they are not an enrolled student, what do they truly know about the various interactions of UA's students?

The poster also goes on to say that "UA would give me a full-ride, too, because I have good credentials, too, and am also a NMerit Semifinalist and the money may seem attractive at first, but there are other things to consider." I will answer this statement by saying that I doubt UA would give a full ride to someone as inarticulate as this. I also doubt that this person could be a National Merit Semifinalist.

I usually do NOT feed the trolls (see posters post count) but writtenwords' disparaging remarks makes a mockery of those students and parents who are entitled to honest discourse about The University of Alabama in this thread.

I will apologize if the poster is real (though I doubt it) and suggest that take the advice to heart that has been thoughtfully doled out.

linnylu · 10-08-2011, 09:55 PM

D got her acceptance letter today! Does this mean she will now be able to apply to the Honors Programs? She already filled out her scholarship app. She's trying to finish up her other college apps and is going to ask her teachers for recs on Monday.

mom2collegekids · 10-08-2011, 10:14 PM

Congrats...

Yes, your D can now apply to Honors...the link should be on MyBama...I think it may be in the left column on the Academic tab...or maybe the Student tab..

robotbldmom · 10-09-2011, 08:27 PM

Congrats to your daughter linnylu!!!!