Please, let’s NOT debate the U.S. Civil War here! That was ONE foreign professor’s experience while visiting UA. If you have an issue with him, shoot him an email. Or, better yet, hunt down the dad who made the actual comment!
@healthandmusic, I am a parent of a sophomore mechanical engineer at UA. He was born in CA, raised in the Northeast, and educated at Quaker schools. He is a liberal, agnostic Jew, so he is very much in the minority at UA, but he has had a wonderful experience so far. He lived in the Blount Undergraduate Initiative LLC last year, where he made a terrific group of friends comprised of students from many different states and of a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, and he has a couple of gay friends too.
There is no question the majority of students at UA are white and Christian, but there is also a sizable percentage of African American students. The majority of students are Christian (and many are regular churchgoers), but there is also a very nice Hillel, and I’m sure there are other religious groups on campus (although I’m not sure how active they are).
Only you can decide whether or not UA is the right fit for you, but I would highly encourage you to visit and find out for yourself. Make sure you arrange to visit the honors college and get in contact with them ahead of time so they can plan a schedule for you that addresses your interests. And do look at other schools like ASU to see how UA compares, both in terms of its academic and social fit and overall financial value. No school is the right one for every student. One of my son’s best friends from home (an Indian-American) attends Temple University in Philadelphia, which has scholarships comparable to Alabama’s if cost is a huge factor for you.
Best wishes!