FLVADAD

For those who have seen it, toured it, or attend UA, how would you describe the campus? Is it attractive?

What is the surrounding area like? Is it a good college town?

SewRad

I have visited the campus a few times, and I think it's a really beautiful campus. There are a lot of older brick buildings, with a lot of shade trees all over. The quad is large, and a great place to hang out, study, and do pretty much anything.
Tuscaloosa itself is amazing. It's a big small town, with a lot to do. Everyone is friendly, and the people are very pleased to have the college kids around. I've stayed in hotels both on and off campus, and everyone shows their Bama pride.

FLVADAD

Thanks SewRad. I'm very glad to hear that Tuscaloosa is a student friendly town.

We are considering a visit to UA, but don't want to take the time if it won't be a serious contender. A beautiful campus and "good" college town are not the most important factors, but pretty high on the list. We've been able to find a fair amount of info regarding what UA offers academically, but not too much about the campus and surrounding area.

I have to be honest though - never in my wildest dreams did I think AU would be seriously considered. However, the more we learn about it, the more it piques our interest.

Any other comments would be appreciated. Thanks again.

momof3boyz

My DS and I are visiting campus March 24th. I spoke with a parent of younger son's teammate that relocated from the Birmingham area a few years ago. The parent had wonderful things to say about the Univ of AL and area. I also spoke to a current student athlete's parent that said the community supports and treats the students (and athletes) with great respect.

FLVADAD

Thanks momof3. I hope you have a great visit, and it would be great to get your impressions after you get back.

I spoke to a friend today who is a fairly recent Ole Miss grad, bur he says he's been to UA many times. He said the campus is really nice and the people there are great. He didn't give Tuscaloosa particularly high marks, but said the community shows a lot of UA pride.

FLVADAD

***bump***

Any others?

FLVADAD

110 views and only two responses?

DSC

I liked the campus. Not spectacular, but certainly a very nice campus. The people were amazing though. Made my visit awesome.

I was kinda like you. Didn't really think about UA(at all), but now it's a serious contender for me. With the NMF money, it is food+travel+expenses per year. That is an amazing safety. The fact that UA will remain in the running unless I get into one of my top 2 schools(specifically Pomona and Williams) is all I really need to say. I have Michigan and Michigan State instate, excellent schools with excellent campuses, and Bama measured up in every way. I would probably say that in terms of 'beauty' the campus falls behind an MSU(top 10-20 campus in the country IMO). However, it does not lose by a giant margin, and seems to be a great mix of history and modernity. There has been a ton of recent construction that has resulted in a lot of the creature comforts in addition to raw aesthetics, and also provides confidence that the buildings that seem out of place will be replaced in due time.

Tuscaloosa is probably not Ann Arbor, but would compare to East Lansing. That is, with much less campus/town/police tension from what I've heard. But, from a students perspective, East Lansing(other than the aggressive police force) is perfect, Ann Arbor better as a visiting parent.

So I would probably give the campus a B, the city an A-, and the people an A+.

FLVADAD

Thanks DSC. Of course, I hope you realize some people on these boards will consider mentioning UA and UM in the same sentence a form of heresy Lol.

We watched the tour video on the website, and I agree with your comments regarding the mix of old and new. The physical fitness center, the new dorms, and the stadium are all state of the art.

Glad to hear the people are nice.

Btw, are any of you familiar with a group at AU called The Machine? Not a very flattering part of UA past and present history IMO.

DSC

I should apologize to Alexandre I guess.

But no, I'm looking at everywhere from Northwestern to Pomona to Williams and everywhere in between. And Alabama measured up. I visited 3 Ivies, Stanford, Berkeley and many more, and didn't feel the need to apply, but I did to Bama. (admittedly, I would probably have applied to Stanford now, and my list was somewhat reach heavy, so an easy in with $$$ was nice, but my point stands)

caffinefree826

DSC, I feel virtually the exact same way as you.

I'm from Ohio, and I also would have never considered Bama without the NMF money. But after visiting, I came back saying that there was no way I could ever go anywhere else, even if I were to get into my reach schools (like Harvard, Yale, Princeton). Now that sentiment's changed somewhat, and it worries me a bit... truthfully, I hope I get rejected from all my most prestigious schools, so that I don't have to make a tough decision.

The Bama campus is nice, but definitely neither the best nor the worst that I've seen. The buildings were nicer than some of the other colleges with similar rankings, but I personally did not like the omni-present roads across campus. Quite honestly, in "aesthetics", I would give Bama a 'C+', but, coming from Ohio, the amazing weather during the school year definitely boosted my impression to about a 'B'. I did not have the opportunity to see much of Tuscaloosa, but as UA is only an hour from Birmingham, a pretty active city, I can't imagine it to be too bad.

But, like DSC said, the people deserve an 'A+'. Really. Although I really only had the opportunity to receive impressions from people involved in the Honors College and University Fellows Experience, I had never been more impressed by any university at any time. If you're going to be in the Honors College, I don't think you could ever find a more caring faculty.

However, Alabama's rankings on 'the Princeton Review' were, for me, a cause of worry. If you go there, click on rankings and lists, and perhaps you'll agree with me.

Hope this helped.

FLVADAD

Exactly caffine, that's the situation we are looking at as well. I'm trying to figure out if some more "prestigious" school is worth an extra $120k - $200k.

I have duly noted the rankings, but I don't know how to interpret what that means exactly. As far as I can tell top students from UA do no worse than top students elsewhere. Are we supposed to think students from UA graduate with something lacking in their education? Do they not get into graduate programs or professional schools? Are they being passed over for the best jobs? I'm not seeing that at all, but yet the idea of Bama is difficult to get comfortable with. However, I'd like to since the prospect of spending so much more money for essentially the same opportunities elsewhere is also troubling.

Thanks for your insights. It helps to know that you had positive experiences there.

Are your sentiments changing solely because of the rankings, or do you have other concerns about UA?

What was it about the people in the Honors program that impressed you?

IsleofJD

Okay as a student from the Atlanta area, I can give help you set aside your fear that Bama is some second rate school (It is made up of many metro-atlantans and I have many friends there, so I have good insight). As of right now, Bamas admissions are lax because their plan is to build up the student population to about 28,000 undergraduates. Once that is reached, admission levels will be capped and the standards will be raised significantly (They are trying to get on par with UGA and UF). So yes, it may be easy to get in right now but it is in no way a second rate school. Would a second rate school have the most USA Today Academic All Americans in the country for two years in a row and the most in the past 5? UA beats out schools like Stanford, Harvard, Yale, etc... for this honor. In fact, Harvard finishes right behind Bama. Another huge benefit to the school is that you being work in you major RIGHT AWAY! If you are accepted to Alabama then you are automatically accepted to your major (Assuming no audition is required). For a major like Broadcast Journalism, which is what I'm doing, this is extremely beneficial. At any other school in the country, I would have to wait until my Junior year to even start intensive major work but at Bama, I dive in right away. This, coupled with the fact that they are only 1 of 2 schools in the country to have their own professional commercial news station (All of these reasons would explain why the Broadcast school is #3 in the country). The business school is phenomenal as well and just like broadcast journalism and all other majors, you start intensive work right away. Oh and about that whole "Mentioning UM and UA together is heresy" is ridiculous. My uncle and mother went to UM and I love big blue but, UM could not hold a candle to Bama IMO (A lot of factors went into it). So I urge all of you to give Alabama the credit and respect it deserves because it is a school that is on the quick path to becoming one of the new top public universities. UGA and UF went through these periods and now Bama is following suit. Also, I don't know what campus all of you saw but it deserves NO LESS than an "A" haha . To experience the true beauty, you have to see it in spring, summer, or fall when the leaves are changing color. If you visit in the winter, everything is just dead and a bit bleak yet somehow still pretty. I for one am proud to be attending the University of Alabama in the fall and cannot wait to see what is in store for me and how far the school climbs by the time I graduate in 2012.

Oh and one little side fact for anyone interested in Law, the law school is ranked in the top 30 (Over MANY prominent schools, like UNC-Chapel Hill). This in turn means that the pre-law programs and poli. sci. departments are PHENOMENAL and send students off to premier law schools across the country, while retaining many of their own.

momof3boyz

I must confess, I don't have a clue what "omni-present roads across campus" means? I am from central Ohio and my son is a NMF. The two of us are visiting Bama in three days. I know the weather will be better than it is here.
I wish everyone would put aside the "ratings" and evaluate each school on their own merits. Even with offers of great scholarships from top private "dream" schools to pick from, I believe Bama has been shafted by college rankings. Why take on the burden of $20000/year debt for undergrad degree? It has been said many times that where you obtain your undergrad degree if not as valuable as the college selection for your graduate degree.

FLVADAD

Thanks Isle. Great insights!

Thanks momof3. Please post here again after your visit. I'm very interested in getting your thoughts.