Bama or UT Knoxville

College Search & Lists
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Hello! I have pretty much these 2 choices for safeties. In a previous thread, I stated that my parents would pay for college, but this was under the assumption of 60k a year total for a T20/Ivy. Unless I get around 100k in scholarships(or take out student loans, which I really don’t want to do for undergrad), I’m probably not going. Poor communication, I know, and I’m currently trying to get scholarship money and likely a part-time job to help pay if I do get in. However, my safeties(which have already accepted me) are Bama and UTK. My parents are pushing me for prestige.

For Bama: It’s full COA with the national merit Finalist package(which, as a current semifinalist with no contraindications, I assume I’m getting). However, it is lower ranked overall. I believe I’m in the University honors program and am now applying for Randall and McCullough. I’m okay with attending but my parents are pushing me away from this.

For UTK: I have gotten the Volunteer scholarship and TN HOPE scholarship, which is more than full tuition but not full COA. I’ve gotten into the Honors Program and the Cook Grand Challenge program. However, my high school is basically a feeder school for UTK and I would probably be seeing a lot of my classmates there, which I don’t like(let’s just say people are not the brightest…)

For me, the biggest reason for UTK is my parents: they would rather me go to UTK than Bama due to ranking, even though I want to go into pre-med(looking at BE, BME, ChE, BioChem). Can someone with knowledge of these 2 schools help vouch? Thanks!

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The reality is they are subs. Once is not better than the other.

We live in Williamson. My kid refused UTK. Thought it’s ugly.

He was all set on Purdue - much higher ranked but in our district there’s college visit day. Three friends invited him to go visit Bama. It was game over.

Two internships (one place) and 5 offers by xmas Senior year, and he’s working with Purdue and Michigan kids, all at the same salary.

UTK is great - but it’s a sub - like Kentucky, LSU, Mossissippi StatE, U of SC and if you want to know the truth - UGA and UF.

If you have interest, go see the engineerimg facilities. Bama’s engineering quad is as nice as there is. The campus is like Disneyland. Pristine, green.

Knox is in the big (mid size) city, there’s homeless. Tuscaloosa a small town. Has palm trees but different environments. It has mich more geographical diversity with over 1500 kids from Illinois, 1k from CA and Texas and 2k from the NY/nj/CT area. This is where they are different. Neither is better. They are just different from one another.

Rank is to sell magazines. Sorry but there’s zero difference between the two. I was upset when my son bailed on Purdue for Bama. He told me rank is for foolish parents. He’s right.

Also at Bama, if you live in Ridgecrest (Honors), you get your own room and share a bathroom with one other. That’s what sold mine. I don’t know if UTK does the same or the other programs at Bama have a housing requirement.

It’s not apples to apples but the median salary from UTK Engineering (not by major) was $73,509 last year (2023). For Bama in 2024, $77,600 is the average. So median at UTK a year ago vs average at Bama today.

The schools are the same.

Your bigger issue is not the school name but is engineering (a brutally hard major) right for pre-med?

Pick the school that fits you best. The rank of these and even other high rank - sorry big state school = big state school = big state school in most cases.

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My son is a junior at UTK. Biochemistry major. It’s definitely not an easy major there. Chemistry dept is notoriously difficult. But I agree with tsbna44, UTK and Bama are the same as far as prestige. Prestige should NOT matter to you parents. I am sorry that it does and they have fallen for the marketing scam. Either of these schools will get you where you want to go (med school) if you make the grades. Honestly I would go where it’s affordable and you like the place. Knoxville is a really cool town, I have not toured Bama so can’t really comment on it.
We are also from Williamson county (Franklin) and lots of kids from here go to UTK but my son rarely, if ever, sees anyone he knows from school. There are something like 29,000 students at UTK. It’s not going to be like high school. I would set that notion aside as part of your decision making.

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U Alabama will likely have more geographical diversity.

Visit both and consider which offers the better living accommodations and more updated facilities in your department.

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I suggest you wait until you get all of your admission decisions, financial awards, honors college decisions in – then, if possible, revisit your top choices before making a choice. It is great that you have affordable options already in hand.

FWIW I don’t think there is a notable prestige difference between UA and UTK. And I would not be too concerned about seeing HS classmates at UTK – it is a large enough school that you can forge your own path and develop new relationships.

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Bama treats its NM scholars like royalty.

Your parents will only pay $60k if it’s on IVY plus type school?

USC offers half tuition to most NM Finalists. Would they pay the difference there?

I started as chemical engineering pre-med on a full ride NM scholarship like you. I ended up with a finance undergrad and no debt with no parental help. I paid for Ivy MBA thanks to some inheritance and working wife at that time.

Med school is all about grades and MCAT. Research helps on the margin and MCAT/undergrad seems to help for top med school admission.

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Just an fyi, USC recently reduced their merit for NMF to $20k flat instead of half tuition. And I believe they require an EA application to be considered.

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If you can get into McCullough at Alabama, I would take that since you are pre-med.

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That’s correct, I missed the deadline for that. And 70k, they probably still wouldn’t pay.

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That’s correct- I have to get the rest of the 30k per year. And of course, expenses and such for a doctorate degree are even more…

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I’m kind of on your parents side. Alabama has a great football team and good college atmosphere, but it’s a second tier school. You really want a tier 1 research school like Tennessee if you’re going into premed. Medical school is ridiculously competitive. Plus you have a great scholarship there.

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Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure both are R1 research universities?

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Hmmm

U of Alabama and UTK are both R1 schools.

For many Tennesseans, Alabama is less expensive than Tennessee.

Tennessee also had a great football team and a similar reputation.

And career stats are near identical.

So I wholly disagree with this.

If the OP can get into the McCullough Scholars at Bama, it’s a win.

But the schools are entirely substitutional in so many aspects.

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I live in Knoxville; and while I have seen a few homeless people downtown (usually the same ones time and again), I think that it is a different matter around campus – really nothing that I have seen in and around campus.

I agree with @tsbna44 when he and others suggest that you visit both campuses – and specifically the engineering facilities – perhaps on admitted students days at the respective campuses. UT has been spending a lot of money on its engineering facilities in the recent past (Engineering Buildings - Tickle College of Engineering), so there have been some significant upgrades there, in addition to lots of money being raised for engineering programs. I also agree with the posters who suggest that you shouldn’t have any trouble avoiding other students from your high school at UT.

And, UT has beaten Alabama 2 out of the last 3 years in football. :smile:

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I must’ve gotten them confused with another school. It’s a Tier 1. I still recommend Tennessee because of the scholarship. You do whatever is a better fit for you :slight_smile:

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Oh I should mention: since I’m NMSF(likely NMF), I get a full ride to Bama. That was pretty much the only reason I’m considering it.

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Heck of a reason but even for some -my engineer kid - the $30,500 off tuition made it cheaper than UTK. So that happens too - where an OOS is cheaper than in state - even outside of NMF. And some just prefer one over the other to begin with. They are substitutional for sure but not environmentally identical. And housing may (or may not) be different - single room, shared bath at Bama most likely - if it matters to you check about UTK.

But with NMF, you have ‘options’ - and you likely will have more beyond these two. You still have a lot of schools you are waiting on as I recall.

I forget - have you looked at Tulsa - I know you have smaller schools on your preferred list. At least last year over a quarter of their class was Natl Merit.

The good news is - no matter what - you’re going to a great school.

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Net price at each?

How much will your parents pay for most colleges?

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He’s assuming NMF for Bama so essentially free - the offset covers most if food but even a Masters may be free. Some do that with the 5th year - whether in engineering as he’s studying or STEM to MBA (which I don’t love timing wise but for someone not interested in an mba later would be ok)

I don’t think this is a money decision. If you read up thread, it’s parental pressure toward UTK based on overall school rank.

Bama NMF

  • Value of tuition for up to five years or 10 semesters for degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate or law studies
  • Four years of undergraduate on-campus housing at regular room rate* (based on assignment by Housing and Residential Communities)
  • $4,000 per year undergraduate supplemental scholarship for four years**
  • $2,000 one-time allowance for use in research or international study (after completing one year of study at UA)

UTK is about $27k direct billed. The Hope gives $4500 the first two years then $5700. So year 1 is $22k ish. Best case but not necessarily another $9k ish. OP didn’t say but it’s $3-9k the scholarship he won. So maybe $13k unless he wins full tuition - one from every county.

This is hypothetical. He has lots more apps out.

The parents see UTK as higher ranked I believe - in us news 109 / 171.

Only in US News ( and @coolguy40) would anyone not see these for what they are - identical solid SEC state schools. But environmentally and special program wise they differ - Bama has McCullough Medical. UTK has Grand Challenges.

I don’t think cost is the issue although if he gets into the ‘more prestigious’ schools applied to it may then become so. OP is aware of loan impact on further schooling.

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OP did not say what the parents will pay for “ordinary” schools. If the UTK net price is $13-19k and the parents will not pay anything at all, then it is beyond the budget of federal direct loan + typical student work earnings.