Have to respond to something @Jpgranier said up-thread about an employer maybe not thinking an engineering student who is in STEM MBA is as ‘serious’ in engineering. Almost half of the Million Dollar Band students (including DD) are engineering majors - would employers think this EC would make them less of a enthusiastic engineer? The STEM MBA class is 1.5 hours/semester. The rest is done summer between jr/sr year; and for SU/FA/SP after the student completes UG degree.
The engineering courses are the same for the students that do the engineering plus the STEM MBA and the students that do not.
More education, especially business education in addition to engineering, is usually valued by employers. That in combination with some engineering work experience - via internship or co-op or other, and that is super attractive to employers for a new college grad.
Also, JPG, if you do attend UA and are in the STEM MBA, hang in it long enough to get into an internship or co-op job, and then decide. DD kept saying she wanted to drop it until after her last summer internship - she finally was seeing the merit of the MBA. If you enjoy the classes and do well in them, hang to give yourself the fuller perspective. You don’t want to look back and say “I wish I had stayed in…”
As others on this thread have said, for a student that qualifies for a Presidential Scholarship at UA, at least apply and visit. It does give a financial safety for many. Some of the other schools that may be a student fit may not come through with the scholarship level needed; some families may be able to afford other options. And for some, UAB or UAH may be a fit - the scholarship level will be there too.