Auburn is currently her top choice now I would say. Her only hesitation is that several of her other choices are ranked higher academically. She wonders how much she might be giving up by going to Auburn in terms of career or grad school placement. But Auburn does seem to be respected in her major, Wildlife, so that helps. As for other visits, UGA would be the logical choice, but we are still waiting to hear if she gets into honors there. Auburn with honors trumps UGA without for her. But if she gets into honors at UGA, it will be very interesting.
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9 posts were merged into an existing topic: Auburn Class of 2030 Official RD Thread
Been awhile. Just got an email that said my housing slot opens 3-27-26 at 10 AM. Anyone know if this is good or bad?
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I think thats a great time slot since selection opens just two days before on 3/25, and most will have dates in April. I believe your chances are even better if you’re going in as a single. Good luck!
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My twins were EA1 and got 3/26 at 4 PM and 3/30 at 9 am. Does anyone know much about the new dorm? Wishing all of those still waiting good luck for great news tomorrow!
Congrats on your twins acceptance! I was wondering about the new dorm building as well, does anyone know if it is available for tours?
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Still waiting for ours!
Just wanted to provide an update based on some discussions above. My daughter has decided to attend Auburn! She is in the honors program, but is turning down honors programs at Purdue, University of Florida, and Virginia Tech. She was recently waitlisted for honors at UGA, and strangely turned down for honors at Clemson. The main deciding factor was simply the feeling she got being on campus during two campus visits - student happiness, school spirit, and how welcoming everyone was. As a parent, I’m still processing the decision to turn down other higher-ranked schools, but of course my main priority is her happiness, and she is over the moon with the decision.
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We may be in the same boat. My daughter got into the Engineering RLC for Honors at Auburn and they have done a really great job of pursuing her as a student. When I read about the stress levels for many of the students at some of the more prestigious schools, it makes me wonder if it is worth it.
As a parent, Auburn felt like a pleasant place where the students truly enjoyed being there. Tours felt “normal” without any side political agendas being forced down the students’ throats. We are still waiting on 6 or so decisions but Auburn is definitely at the top of the list for the reasons that you mentioned.
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Congrats to your daughter! I was thinking about her after our past posts and wondering what she decided! My daughter visited Penn State this week and liked the campus well enough but couldn’t get past the feeling of missing something compared to Auburn. She also felt an energy at Auburn that we haven’t found anywhere else and just feels like herself there. My husband and I are still processing as Auburn had never been on our mental list prior to her applying (just didn’t really know much about it as we are from the north) but we were so impressed with all the ways the school seems to support its students and the kindness we saw at every turn.
Another thing that impresses me about Auburn is they seem committed to doing things well and maintaining a good experience for students vs. expanding their empire at all costs. I read an article about how Auburn has stated they will hold their first year class at 6100 students for the next four years. To me, that signals that they are trying to maintain high standards for their students and are managing their funds well (look up their financial situation, it’s excellent vs. Clemson who is carrying a $1 billion debt as of 2025). With their applications surging, they could certainly grow their freshman class year over year but they don’t seem to be doing that. Compared to other schools (looking at you, PSU and UTK) that are committed to getting larger every year, they are not focused on growing their empire at the expense of the student experience. I see signs of administrative disorganization from my friends whose kids attend some of these schools and I don’t hear the same complaint coming from Auburn parents (aside from the housing issue, that is).
So happy your daughter has found her place, I’m sure it’s hard to mentally let go of the honors programs at some of those other schools but if she is happy and supported in her college experience she will thrive and be set up for success in every way. Congrats to her on her decision!!! And congrats to you as well for helping her get there!
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It is interesting for sure. She is waiting to hear from Purdue and we are NOT impressed with them right now. She was deferred (Seems like everyone she knows was deferred) but then they tried to pressure her to take a spot at their Indianapolis campus stating that her application would be “fast tracked” if she did. No HC or merit aid either vs both at Auburn.
She is waiting on Cal Poly, which likely will be full price OOS tuition, Notre Dame, Cornell, Dartmouth, Purdue and USC. Quite a few stretches but we feel good about ND at least. I know she would love to stay on the west coast and be near the beach but will have to see how the acceptances and Fin Aid packages flow.
She hasn’t made up her mind but with the HC at Auburn and the merit aid they have offered, it is going to be hard to decline the package. And, thankfully, with the RLC, she has checked off the housing issue as well.
My daughter got the hour ahead of you, I think it is a pretty decent slot. She is not going for what seems to be the 2 most popular choices, so hoping she will get her number 1 with this time slot
Good luck on picking day!
My son was in a similar spot three years ago. The societal pressure to attend the highest ranked school can seem overwhelming, but almost three years into this I am pretty sure he would attend any other school if given the option. Rankings are silly and are manipulated by schools and those that devise them.
It has always been my opinion students will learn and grow the most at the place they get involved, get engaged and take leadership roles. If your child is just another student in a classroom what are they gaining? They will likely do more of this at a place they want to be at and feel a connection to.
Now add in the finances and money Auburn offers for merit and it makes the decision a lot easier, especially not knowing what kind of work environment these kids will be entering over the next 10 years. As someone who went to one of those “elite" NE schools I was often asked why I was letting my son go to Auburn. I would always answer, “I guess you never been there.”
The community at Auburn has been great, the entire family loves going there and my younger son is most likely going to end up there in the fall. Football weekends are pricey, but there are ways around it and so much fun. If they could win a game the place might explode.
Honors college was a plus for my son. Helped with course selection and the dedicated small classes they offer are nice, esp freshman year. And if your child is not rushing or involved with a team or group going into Auburn it is a good way to meet people and be part of something at Auburn on day 1.
In summary no regrets, love the place, has been great for my son, and will probably have another one going there in the fall. Good luck!
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Thank you so much for sharing your son’s experience! It really helps for all us parents who are a bit on the fence at the moment. Helping your child decide is a bit of a leap of faith and you want to give them the best possible advice!
Has anyone heard back on the AUSOM scholarships?
No, we’ve been wondering the same thing. My daughter got another financial aid letter, but it is the same one she received a month or so ago.
Reached out to the engineering college about AUSOM scholarships. This was the response, if helpful for others here:
“Thank you for reaching out! The college just began awarding scholarships. Engineering scholarships will continue to be released throughout the next two weeks. Continue to check your email for additional opportunities!”
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visited campus for Talon days past Friday…. told that AUSOM were given out by each college based on major and some don’t do freshman awards.