Bama vs LSU academically ... rubbing it in just a little more.
- Thread starter theballguy
- Start date
I may be in the minority on this one, but I have to admit that the long-term out-of-state recruitment policy that was enacted 10 years ago doesn't sit so well with me, particularly as a parent living in Alabama.
You're right. I need to show a little humility next time. I need to but I can't guarantee I will.
I like this out of state recruitment. I have kids I taught coming up to me so happy they were accepted into Alabama because they knew how much I liked going there. They are also very high quality kids that really will make the University proud. Some of the kids I know love the University so much that they stay in Tuscaloosa to work on campus helping with the incoming freshman classes. If my son decides to go to The Capstone I wouldn't mind the out of state recruiters trying to woo him either. They visit our school at least a couple of times each year.
I can see both sides of the argument. I'm just not sure how much stock I put into the belief that a lot of these OOS students will stay in Alabama after they graduate. I'd be interested in seeing the statistics regarding that. I also think that preferential treatment should be given for an in-state student who grades out comparably to an OOS one. This may be happening, but it doesn't seem like it if the OOS students make up 60% of the student population. Again, this is only my opinion as an Alabama parent and tax-payer. If I lived out-of-state, I may view it a bit differently.
Dr Witt has been a fantastic President (now Chancellor).There is a night and day difference in the U of A since the days of Andrew Sorrenson.
Out of state graduates, even if they don't stay in the area, will increase the influence and prestige of the University on a national level.
Whereas the out of state students may be taking slots from marginal in-state ones (who probably should give junior college a try to get themselves in order), you can thank the money they bring in. If it weren't for all those parents of OOS kids paying $22k per year the IS cost would be waaaayy more than $9k. So, you would rather pay about $14k per year so that the University can be full of IS kids rather than soaking the OOS parents for that extra $5k? If I lived in Alabama I would be absolutely loving them picking the pockets of the parents of all the kids from Georgia going to school in Tuscaloosa.
I can see the benefits of both sides, and I see this and the overall gain in reputation as the main benefits of the change in philosophy. Even if they leave after they graduate, you would hope they would give donations back to the university. And if we are talking about marginal in-state students, I can agree completely. I was mainly referencing an in-state student who had comparable grades, extracurricular experiences, potential, etc. as an out-of-state student. I'm not sure how that would be handled, but I hope it would lean toward the in-state student.
However, if you are asking if I would pay $14k instead of $9k per year so my children could go to school there and get a spot over a comparable out-of-state student, my answer right now would be yes. The children are still young, though, so when it becomes a reality instead of a hypothetical, my answer may change. We're hoping scholarships will take care of the bulk of their college, though.
Sorry, by the way, for hijacking the thread. Where Alabama is now compared to other universities and even themselves 10 years ago is a great testimony to the academic and athletic leadership that the university is now experiencing. Football is only one of the things to be proud of right now as a fan of Alabama.
Actually, the standards are exactly the same for both instate and OOS. There is no preference given to instate or OOS, and IMO, that's as it should be - a level playing field. If a preference is given to instate students, then basically we'd be using an academic institution as a tool of social engineering. If you believe in that, then OK. I just don't think it's good policy. There are plenty of very good instate four-year universities for students to attend who can't quite make Bama's existing standards. There should be no vested right to attend Bama, just because a kid is an instate kid...
Exactly - this is making Bama competitive with the UVA, UNC, Cal, Wisconsins of the the world, and in turn, is making our other state schools better. It's really a great time to be an Alabamian, not just a Bama fan.
But cheering for the Tide sure does help.
Well, not to brag, but my son was a National Merit Finalist here in New Orleans. He could have gone to LSU, but my wife and other BAMA friends in the area convinced him to check out BAMA. He took a look, and even got to talk with Dr. Witt for about 30 minutes as part of his recruitment. He didn't tell me right away, but he told my wife how much he liked it while on the tour. I think the person that impressed him the most was Dr. Karr, head of the Engineering School. Anyway, BAMA offered him a great package, and he spent a great 4 years from 2007 to 2011. He was an honor graduate in Mechanical Engineering and walked right out of school into a job. Met his fiancee there too, and they just had a big time in Bryant-Denny on Saturday night. The thing is, if BAMA had not recruited him, he probably would not have ended up there. I'm an out of stater, but I'm glad my son had the opportunity to go there. The thing is, there are BAMA fans everywhere, not just in the state of Alabama. Roll Tide, Krymsonman
Neat story and thanks. If you drill on down through that story, you find that Bama has 37 academic recruiters spread through the country, as against LSU's 12. I have several friends whose kids were heavily recruited. All were surprised at how much time was put into their kid's recruitment, along with financial incentives, depending on grades, etc. There are a lot more aware of how serious we are about football than those who realize how serious we are about academics. BTW, there are several anecdotal posts in that thread by LSU fans who purport to have talked to OOS Bama students who came there only for the football team. That is the sheerest BS. In today's economy, how many OOS parents are going to pay a $15K-20K per year so their kid can attend a school with a good team. Tell me another lie, LSU fans. I'm pretty much bullet-proof...
Going to a university so you can get cheap seats for Bama games may make sense to me :smile: but to parents of a smart kid coming out of high school ready to take on the world, not so much. I've done much nuttier things to try to get into a game before 
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