Harman, an idea for your son. '94 can advise better on value of a Bama degree
from a prestige and edumacational perspective, but hard to imagine it is horrible.
Of late, Bama has been handing out a lot of $$$ to non-southerners to get them to enroll.
My daughter, who wanted to go south, looked at this, and it was very compelling financially. Almost a free ride if grades and SAT are top tier, and they give you housing and $$$.
Plus, all the people in this program live in the same dorm, so it's not your smart kid getting dropped into general population. And, I tend to think that name brands hold up well in most perspectives.
And finally, their enrollment is heavily skewed female at something like 60/40.
Anyway, if a four-year degree is the desired outcome, this could be a way to do it. You risk raising a Bama fan, but if they are willing to pay most of his way ...
Link: Bama
Replies to: Harman, an idea for your son. '94 can advise better on value of a Bama degree
The big southern state schools are very hot right now
Applications are up at many of them.
It sounds like Mark’s kid’s best option is a junior college, then a transfer. It is an underrated way to save money and still get a great education.
Some areas give free community college if high school grades are high enough.
Mark, your son could always start with something inexpensive like that, and work while going to school. One of my kids was admitted to the only top 20 university to which he applied, but he decided to go in a different direction...totally his call, and he made the case, and we supported him. He will do fine in life. He is not a huge fan of class work (although he does fine), but he loves doing real work in real life, so his employer will love him. He went to a smaller specialty state school that was much cheaper (and he had some academic scholarships), and he worked summers, and he took a semester off for a co-op job (mostly because he wanted to do that, not because he had to do that)...and he saved most of his earnings. Take fewer courses, and earn the degree while working, and take longer to graduate. When I interview people, I always give them a bump up in my estimation if I see they worked their way through school. They may have taken longer than normal to do it, but they have a great reason to do so, which I happen think makes their resume look better.
Just make sure your son is working for a degree that will get him a good paying job. For example, a major in engineering or business. There are a lot of hobby degrees out there, but those are for the very rich.
I second this...but with a caveat.....
....here where I live in Michigan, there have been many people doing just what Chris mentioned. However, when Michigan and Michigan State realized that it was cutting into their enrollment potential, they changed their curriculum requirements such that the kids who thought they would save 2 year's tuition money by going to JC found after the fact that these schools no longer accepted the transfer of some of the credits - particularly some of the ones that went to core major requirements. This resulted them in having to pay for another semester's tuition anyways. ( I also am friends with a Junior College career counselor who had to deal with this issue).
The solution is simply to ensure from both sides (JC and future desired school) that they do indeed accept the credits.
Paying for the 4-year school for two years is the problem. We just don't have the money
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Also Ole Miss and MSU give away a lot of money to out of state students
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Are you in Georgia? Hope Scholarship? Does he have the grades/SAT/ACT scores?
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NROTC?
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GI Bill is still a thing, I assume.
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You probably would qualify for a lot more aid than you think
Apply, then see what the colleges will do for you. You’d be surprised.
I have further insight on Northerners going to Alabama (nephew) and it isn't good.
My nephew was in the business school.
The southern frats and southern kids are the ones allowed to make important connections in their business school per what my nephew has said.
They take a ton of northerners now as they try to improve their academic milestones on admittance, but they essentially isolate them from what is important about going to college.
I do not know about non business school practices, but I personally would expect the same.
They seem to be using the northerners.
Btw, Baron...Mark lives in the South...so try to focus on his situation.
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Not my experience
Here in my humble OH village, our local high school - the top public HS in the region - sends multiple kids to Alabama every year.
Southern schools love smart northern kids and give them very generous aid packages. My anecdotal feedback is very good - these kids have good experiences. If by 'using' you mean receiving a quality, free, education, I suppose you are right.
By "using", I mean not giving them access to the same postgraduate connection opportunities.
None of what you said really addresses my message to Mark.
I am glad that you know people from your town that have gone to Alabama. That is interesting.
Thanks, I'll explore this (although he's not a sports fan at all...)
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Sports fandom is not a requirement for an education, even in the South.
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