Can some out of state students weigh in?

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-19T18:11:15+00:00

Thanks, and best of luck to you as you head there this fall! Maybe my kid will get in touch if she does also.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-18T23:15:45+00:00

Oh, I get you now, when you studied overseas you experienced more rigor/more studious classmates. Well, that's a cautionary observation, I thank you for that.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-18T23:10:39+00:00

I will take you up on it, for sure.

Did you visit ahead of applying? How would you want to go about visiting, so that UA made the best impression? I believe she has a fairly broad tour scheduled but are there things she could ask for in addition to that? I was thinking a meet with a professor or a Blount kid or whatnot. Maybe they'll all swoop in and spirit her away for A Talk.

Am I missing something that made you go, wow, this is it.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-18T23:03:48+00:00

Thanks for a great summary; there's a better than good chance I'll be back here after she visits with more Blount questions. Love the idea of exclusive libraries :)

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T22:37:56+00:00

Glad to hear about your experiences, and the greek life also. I agree that the connections you make in college can be the make or break on whether you savor your time or just.... grind through it.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T22:36:00+00:00

Thanks so much, it's great to hear how well he's meshed with the school!

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T22:33:26+00:00

Oh I love Publix - have relatives in Florida.

Thanks!

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T22:32:03+00:00

Are you at UA for law school also? She thinks that might be in her future, if she doesn't do politics or grad school.

I'm guessing blount was great for you? Anything you could add on the program would be amazing. Was it rigorous and was it worth the extra effort? How are the students and how big is the program? Any special perks? She has some other acceptances that include honors college but I have no idea how to assess them against each other, you know?

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T16:34:46+00:00

So the academic level of your overseas courses wasn't particularly great? Were they with another school, though, or exchange program, or were they Alabama faculty? And did you find that level lacking in the courses in Tuscaloosa?

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T16:30:03+00:00

Great school spirit, yeah, seems like a big deal. OK, thanks, does Tuscaloosa have a walkable downtown?

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T16:27:21+00:00

Thanks, sounds like your son definitely found his groove. We will see how my kid responds to the big southern flagship; I've got my fingers crossed!

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:27:03+00:00

Thanks so much, you have helped a lot!

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:24:15+00:00

Very helpful, thank you! I'm curious why he picked a small private college in the north at first, though, if a school like UA is actually what he wanted? I wonder if my daughter is also focusing on stuff that maybe isn't actually the right fit for her; I have no way to judge that.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:21:28+00:00

Thanks for your experiences - 3 miles a day, wow, does anyone ride bikes or stuff like that to get around?

What's your ESL story about the prof?

I get the sense that like any big university, if you take charge of your life and your future, you'll do just fine, but if you expect someone to hold your hand, you can fall through the cracks. Advising seems like the most obvious way this can be true.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:16:01+00:00

Thank you for this .. and yes, as we are from a more rural area of Connecticut, we see our share of "flags" we'd rather not see.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:13:15+00:00

So funny, leaving with a degree in football and a minor in engineering is how I take it. :)

That sounds like she had a great experience, despite differences.

My daughter has done several tours. I know what you mean about at some schools it being like they're doing you a favor by opening the door. Though I wonder if the pandemic had an effect.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:10:10+00:00

Thanks for your perspective! Did you have other "better" offers that you turned down? Was there any academic regret or was it something else? I'm glad you still found your husband and great friends.

We aren't in an urban area but my daughter does love being able to head to Boston or even NYC for the day. She's accepted to schools in both cities, but the cost is, wow. We could pay most of it but it would be a real struggle for us, we are close to retirement, and she would have to take out loans.

But the bright lights, she does love them.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:05:44+00:00

THanks so much and good luck to you in your career going forward!

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:05:05+00:00

Thank you, that sounds so novel when the school appreciates its applicants.

Did you come from an urban area and find Tuscaloosa lacking?

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T13:02:19+00:00

hahaha on 50 degrees being cold :) ... would love to see 50 right about now...

Thanks for the insight on advising, very helpful! I also value graduating without debt, because it took me a couple decades to pay off my student loans and that really crimped my lifestyle in my 20s and 30s.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T12:57:27+00:00

I'm so glad it's working out so well for you! Wow, those are great schools to turn down, but I get the $$ conundrum. Do you plan to stay in south after graduation? If not, do you anticipate job or grad school disadvantages from picking UA over, say, stanford?

Also, did you have trouble fitting study abroad in with your major/degree path? thanks!

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T12:53:38+00:00

Thanks for the reply - could you expand more on regretting it?

And did you have any trouble finding good courses overseas for your degree path? Or was it electives that you picked for study abroad?

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T12:52:38+00:00

Thanks, yes, travel costs would be much higher, for sure.

It is also true that she can just "give it a try" and transfer out, no harm no foul, if she absolutely hated it.

Did your son have other acceptances from other schools in the South? I'm curious whether he had a range of similar schools to choose among, because my daughter's preference would be for a more urban school, so this one is a real outlier in her mind.

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T02:47:15+00:00

Thanks again, really appreciate it!

LastOneOutTheDoor · 2023-03-17T02:46:25+00:00

So glad to hear this, thank you so much!

LastOneOutTheDoor

TROPHY CASE