DaNDHSIrishGuy

My year just ended as a SO, so I'm pretty much a junior now; I guess. Anyway, my mom got a job offer in Birmingham, AL; she's looking at it pretty favorably. How would you judge UA? Is it real southern, like is there confederate flags everywhere and the KKK, along with southern accents? I'm originally from Chattanooga, TN and it's suprsingly not bad at all, maybe on the outskirts... Any info?

feenotype

Chattanooga and Tuscaloosa are not all that different.

BunnygirlLEH

wow, Alabama is definitely not that racist. I've grown up here (well Mobile) and the only time someone ever brings up the KKK is when people ask questions like this. You will see some confederate flags, but I personally haven't met anyone outwardly racist.

UA's campus is beautiful and they have a strong engineering program. The dorms are great too. I can't imagine it would be any different from Chattanooga.

You'll probably hear the accent though. Best of luck!

IsleofJD

The University of Alabama is in no way what you think it might be. The school was recently ranked as the #7 public university in the nation and the #42 university in the nation for both public and private universities. The school is surging right now in terms of reputation and the programs have never been better. The incoming freshman class is the biggest they have ever had and this year they have also had their biggest number of students from the north and the west choose to attend. Also, there is a HUGE number of students from metro-Atlanta and that is anything but redneck, KKK, etc...

So in short, the University of Alabama is not at all a KKK refuge. In fact, it has probably become one of the more progressive public universities in the South. When you have a Student Government Association where the majority of reps. are self proclaimed Moderates, Democrats, and Liberals...well then you know this is not the University of Alabama of yesteryear. UA, like all southern universities (with probably the exception of Ole Miss) has shed it's redneck racist reputation and is becoming one of the premier schools on the rise.

aherro

With all due respect, Alabama and Ole Miss are the backup schools for any student wishing to attend a large southeastern University. I would look at schools like U of Georgia (#1), U of Florida (#2), or even Auburn (#3) which is the top tier public school in Alabama. Auburn is the better school in the state of Alabama so you definitely need to take a look at that.

Whatever random statistics Alabama students and alumni want to throw at you, the bottom line is the faculty is very weak compared to higher ranked schools, and your classmates were average or below average high school students.

IsleofJD

Aherro,
I do not know where you are pulling your facts from but that is a complete falsehood. I wrote a long diatribe about why you were mislead but, the damn website didn't post it. I will concede that UGA and UF are great schools but Bama is in now way a back up and it is certainly not inferior to Auburn. Nearly all of Bama's programs are ranked higher than Auburn's because all Auburn really has are technical and agricultural majors. Their business school is ranked among the lowest in the SEC.

SewRad

I am coming from Florida to Bama, and I have found that the racism and hatred is far worse here than what I found in Alabama. Tuscaloosa seems to be a town steeped in the southern hospitality and tradition. I chose Alabama over UF, Auburn, etc etc because I felt I would get a better education at UA, and the honors program is far superior to any in Florida, or the south even. Overall, I think it will be extremely hard to find the racism and hatred you seem to believe exists there.

BUBound09

7th and #42 according to who? According to the U.S. News and World Report University of Alabama is ranked #91. Far from your #42. See the link below USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2008: National Universities: Top Schools

amkesler

Alabama is ranked #7 according to forbes.com which uses a different grading rubric than us news.

feenotype

And the 42nd is US News among the publics.

IsleofJD

#42 is also where Forbes puts the University of Alabama on the overall list of national universities.