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re: Alabama academics
Posted on 9/25/24 at 10:15 am to WG_Dawg
Posted on 9/25/24 at 10:15 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
how the hell do all these HS grads have 4.2+ GPAs?
AP classes and Dual entry classes. Straight A's in regular classes gets you a 4.0. Each AP class or Dual Entry class gets you an additional GPA bump above a 4.0. Those classes are typicallycollege level material.
My daughters have all taken at least 2 AP classes every semester 9th thru 11th grades then back off to 1 AP class their Sr year to cut back a little on the homework and study requirements to give their last year a little extra free time.
An AP class A is worth 5.0 GPA points on a 4.0 scale. At my youngest daughter's school in Atlanta, about 70% of her class has a 4.0+ GPA.
1
Posted on 9/25/24 at 10:45 am to Granola
quote:
I am an Alabama alum. I don't know if I like the trend for 67% of the student body being from out of state. And out of region. Auburn is winning the battle for in state students. The university at 30% OOS would be a more reasonable number. We don't need tons of kids from Chicago and Philadelphia.
UA has been increasing the in-state student numbers every year for the past 4 or 5 years. We actually enrolled more in-state students this year than AU. I love that we can attract both. We are far better off with both. UA is a national brand whether some like it or not.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 10:47 am to Amarillo Tide
quote:
I'm convinced that the entire reason UA loves those OOS kids is for the added revenue. While that's nice, I think that strategy may be to UA's detriment long term in terms of funding from the state legislature. Why? If most of the state legislators are NOT Bama alums but are AU alums, I could see how they would short UA in terms of state funding.
Funding from the state in all states are going down to the point that it's basically useless. Dr. Witt noticed that and that is why he started recruiting out of state to make up for the lack of state funding. The money the University is bringing in now from OOS is paying for a ton of building improvements and making the campus itself aesthetically appealing.
As far as grads that are state legislators. NO WAY in HELL AU has more than UA. Usually they major in Political Science/Law. UA owns that department.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 10:49 am to Granola
quote:
Good point. Most of the kids from Chicago, Philly etc come to Bama to party etc. Do any of them contribute to the universities endowment fund. The university is addicted to the OOS money and will neglect in state students to get them. LIke I said, 30 percent OOS would be a more reasonable number.
You'd be surprised then about how many of these OOS big city kids absolutely love it at UA. THey tell their friends, their friends come to visit, their friends apply and a lot of the time enroll. I don't see how some of you guys could see this being such a bad thing. UA is producing graduates now that are taking jobs all over the country, and yes, a lot are staying in state as well
Posted on 9/25/24 at 10:49 am to Tw1st3d
quote:
An AP class A is worth 5.0 GPA points on a 4.0 scale.
Interesting. I took some AP classes in HS but it didn't affect your GPA any it counted just the same as any other class. The only benefit was that you could mention it on your college application, and you could take some kind of AP test at the end of the year to gain a bit of college credit. I guess I'll try to steer my kids to take AP classes if given the chance.
How is UAB looked at around the state from an academic perspective? Non-nursing since I know that's the bread and butter. I know UA/AU will obviously get all the headlines but UAB seems like it might be an ok option as long as you take the city/surroundings area into account.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 11:04 am to WG_Dawg
I cannot help you much with UAB. Their Electrical Eng dept was fantastic for many years. I knew the past two department heads really well and they are/were fantastic. The second one is about to retire (may have already) so with DR Conner and now Dr Vaughn retired/retiring I have no clue.
I have a family member in and around the University of Alabama School of Medicine. It is an excellent program. But that ends any 'helpful" information that I might be able to provide.
I have a family member in and around the University of Alabama School of Medicine. It is an excellent program. But that ends any 'helpful" information that I might be able to provide.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 1:54 pm to WG_Dawg
To put it concisely health sciences and medical research is UAB's bread and butter. Anything in that area and you are in good shape. Don't know if they have any standout program elsewhere.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 4:07 pm to WG_Dawg
quote:
How is UAB looked at around the state from an academic perspective
The school of business and the school of medicine have received $25 million and $100 million gifts, respectively, in recent years, and is putting them to great use. Nursing is a top 10 program in the country, and the engineering school is solid, especially materials engineering and biomedical engineering.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 5:15 pm to Evolved Simian
I have a kid looking at schools now. Bama is his most likely destination unless scholarship offers elsewhere are too good to reject. Tons of AP classes, 4.3 GPA, etc.
We just attended UA's road show in Mobile with Pres Bell speaking. I will say that Auburn is getting many more students from our eastern shore area.
The biggest Auburn positive is that it's a better drive from here than Tuscaloosa is. Interstate the whole way.
One thing I do wonder about is why UA's ranking hasn't really risen with the influx of OOS students. UA has more national merit finalists than any other school (great scholarships)...you would think it would be a top 100 overall institution. Not that I put a ton of stock in US News rankings, but alot of people do. I just wonder what knocks us down in their methodology. Has a higher OOS student ratio enhanced the school's academic ranking? Doesn't appear so. As a taxpayer supported institution, they should require 50%+1 of admitted students be instate.
We just attended UA's road show in Mobile with Pres Bell speaking. I will say that Auburn is getting many more students from our eastern shore area.
The biggest Auburn positive is that it's a better drive from here than Tuscaloosa is. Interstate the whole way.
One thing I do wonder about is why UA's ranking hasn't really risen with the influx of OOS students. UA has more national merit finalists than any other school (great scholarships)...you would think it would be a top 100 overall institution. Not that I put a ton of stock in US News rankings, but alot of people do. I just wonder what knocks us down in their methodology. Has a higher OOS student ratio enhanced the school's academic ranking? Doesn't appear so. As a taxpayer supported institution, they should require 50%+1 of admitted students be instate.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 5:24 pm to Chad4Bama
Until the University has a medical school, its rankings will not shift dramatically. There’s been a substantial uptick in student quality GPA/Test score wise but that isn’t going to move much.
Additionally, as a state institution its ceiling is capped to a degree due to endowment growth/size being limited and state mandated acceptance guidelines
The university is in a much stronger place but I wouldn’t get caught up in USNews or anything of the sort.
Even students shouldn’t really care much about the overall profile, if you’re focusing on Y field then Y department should be your focus. Way too many people get caught up in the university name rather than the exit opps associated with their degree
Additionally, as a state institution its ceiling is capped to a degree due to endowment growth/size being limited and state mandated acceptance guidelines
The university is in a much stronger place but I wouldn’t get caught up in USNews or anything of the sort.
Even students shouldn’t really care much about the overall profile, if you’re focusing on Y field then Y department should be your focus. Way too many people get caught up in the university name rather than the exit opps associated with their degree
This post was edited on 9/25/24 at 5:28 pm
Posted on 9/25/24 at 5:36 pm to Chad4Bama
quote:
As a taxpayer supported institution, they should require 50%+1 of admitted students be instate.
There aren't enough qualified in state applicants to fulfill your wish.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 5:44 pm to Evolved Simian
quote:
There aren't enough qualified in state applicants to fulfill your wish.
I was thinking that while typing...but auburn doesn't seem to have an issue with it...smaller, but comparable overall enrollment. auburn is close to the top 100...just curious what the difference is when they're doing their computations for the rankings. The admitted student profiles aren't that different. I know it's not a huge factor, some random rankings, just curious.
Also, UAB is a good school...my wife graduated from there, but she didn't want our kids to go there just because of the downtown, urban campus...it doesn't have the traditional campus feel of a UA, AU, Samford, Troy, etc.
Posted on 9/25/24 at 7:32 pm to Amarillo Tide
quote:
I hate to generalize but a couple of years ago, we were able to hire some recent grads from Princeton, University of Virginia and Penn. I had this assumption that these kids would be "the best and the brightest". Instead, I felt they were entitled and arrogant. The funny thing is, they had terrible problem solving skills and not a lot of common sense. Needless to say, they didn't work out and eventually left.
We’ve had the same experience. One of my main problems was they were more focused on climbing the ladder externally than doing the job they currently had.
I’m sure it’s not universal, and it could be my firm is getting the leftovers from those schools after McK and Bain pick them over. But the performance was shockingly poor.
Posted on 9/26/24 at 12:50 pm to cdur86
I have very much enjoyed this thread.
My son is a sophomore at a very good private school in the Athens area. He was inducted into the Beta Club and the National Honor Society this year and is taking mostly honors classes. He will take the PSAT next week.
Seeing all of the posts about the scholarship money has my interest piqued.
He'll qualify for HOPE/Zell Miller in Georgia, but those scholarships only cover tuition.
He wants to study astronomy.
My son is a sophomore at a very good private school in the Athens area. He was inducted into the Beta Club and the National Honor Society this year and is taking mostly honors classes. He will take the PSAT next week.
Seeing all of the posts about the scholarship money has my interest piqued.
He'll qualify for HOPE/Zell Miller in Georgia, but those scholarships only cover tuition.
He wants to study astronomy.
Posted on 9/26/24 at 1:20 pm to Chad4Bama
quote:
I was thinking that while typing...but auburn doesn't seem to have an issue with it...smaller, but comparable overall enrollment. auburn is close to the top 100...just curious what the difference is when they're doing their computations for the rankings. The admitted student profiles aren't that different. I know it's not a huge factor, some random rankings, just curious.
20% of the ranking for the US News Report is from peer rankings. I mean who the hell knows about a University but it's own administration? What would stop a rival institution or multiple perceived rival institutions from giving a negative review? I wouldn't put too much stock into it. Also there isn't a huge difference in the # of in-state students at UA and AU. It's just magnified at UA because we have a substantial number of students in comparison. Like you said, there is very little difference in the quality of students that go to UA and AU
Posted on 9/26/24 at 1:51 pm to cdur86
quote:
20% of the ranking for the US News Report is from peer rankings.
this is crazy. If you are a southern university with a big time football program, they probably knock you down a few levels. It's just perception
Posted on 9/27/24 at 1:06 am to Chad4Bama
quote:
As a taxpayer supported institution, they should require 50%+1 of admitted students be instate.
UA get dramatically less funding from the state now than it did 20+ years ago. That's part of the reason they have focused so much on OOS students. It costs them the same to educate them yet they can charge them 3x the tuition.
Posted on 9/27/24 at 4:45 am to BamaDude06
Sounds like maximization of revenue.
A lot of us live outside of Alabama. It's still our alma mater. Who cares where the students are from.
Alabama is a national brand. You better hope that doesn't change.
A lot of us live outside of Alabama. It's still our alma mater. Who cares where the students are from.
Alabama is a national brand. You better hope that doesn't change.
Posted on 9/27/24 at 6:10 am to Chad4Bama
quote:
I will say that Auburn is getting many more students from our eastern shore area.
100% true…. my kid graduated from an Eastern Shore high school last year… 13 went to Auburn, 5 to Alabama… mine went to Miss State because of her program and scholarship money were double from State and they waived out of state… it was down to UA and State but State offered more. She loves it at State, it’s more her speed. Her friends at Auburn are not enjoying it and a few will definitely be transferring.
This post was edited on 9/27/24 at 6:10 am
Posted on 9/27/24 at 7:33 am to New Money
New Money, it really IS all about the money. You'd be surprised at what some of these schools are offering in terms of scholarships and perks. My advice would be to shop around and see what all your kid can get. You'll be surprised.
My daughter got the Hope scholarship and went to the University of West Georgia (NOT Auburn, LOL) to go to nursing school. She could have gone elsewhere but wanted to live at home, have her two dogs around and Mom's home cooking. Hope doesn't cover as much as it once did. They don't cover books and "fees". Fees are where these Georgia schools get you. It was literally several thousand dollars in "fees" alone.
Anyway, good luck to you and your son's college search. Have an open mind.
My daughter got the Hope scholarship and went to the University of West Georgia (NOT Auburn, LOL) to go to nursing school. She could have gone elsewhere but wanted to live at home, have her two dogs around and Mom's home cooking. Hope doesn't cover as much as it once did. They don't cover books and "fees". Fees are where these Georgia schools get you. It was literally several thousand dollars in "fees" alone.
Anyway, good luck to you and your son's college search. Have an open mind.
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