Less than a week after our successful visit to UT Austin, Connor and I were off to our next (and likely final) college tour - the University of Alabama! The story of why Connor was interested in Alabama starts, of course, with his interest in college sports and Alabama's top ranking football program. But we later learned that Connor was eligible for a significant scholarship at Alabama due to a recognition award he earned earlier in his Junior year. Because of that, Connor decided that it was worth a visit to check out the campus and learn more about their student life and computer science curriculum. We got in touch with an area recruiter who arranged a VIP visit for Connor with multiple tours and meetings, so we booked our trip and couldn't wait to see what Alabama had to offer. Instead of making the 10-hour drive into Tuscaloosa, we opted to take a flight into Birmingham and rented a car for the 45 minute drive to our hotel near campus. Upon arrival, we settled in and turned on the World Series (Go Astros!) while Connor caught up on some homework.
We were up early the following day, which was a typical Friday morning with school in session. It was the perfect weather for our day of exploring Alabama - a chilly, gorgeous morning with beautiful blue skies overhead. As we pulled into the university entrance, we immediately noticed the charming and stately architecture of the buildings on campus. The grounds were so beautiful and expansive! We arrived early enough to scope out the area and grab some breakfast at the Chick-fil-A located inside the student center. We were excited for the full day ahead!
The UofA area recruiter had arranged a full day of meetings and tours for us, beginning with a personalized visit with an admissions counselor. She walked us through our customized itinerary, which included a tour of the Engineering facility, chat with an Engineering professor, admissions and financial aid sessions, Honors program session, lunch with a student recruiter, and finally, a campus tour. It was a long and exhausting day, but we learned so much about Alabama and truly enjoyed the university culture and experience.
When our tours were finished, we were able to do some shopping at the campus store and then we drove into Tuscaloosa to check out the town before calling it a day. We made sure to stop at some recommended restaurants, and of course, we wanted to maximize the college experience by picking up some Insomnia cookies to enjoy back at the hotel. Overall, it was a wonderful college visit and Connor was really impressed with what Alabama had to offer for future students. We both felt so lucky to spend the weekend together at the University of Alabama, the final stop on Connor's list of prospective colleges.
As we sat in the airport awaiting our flight home the following day, Connor and I talked about all of his previous college visits, the pros/cons of each, and all the fun we'd had on this journey along the way. The picture was starting to become more clear for his college and career path in the future, and we were all feeling so excited at his opportunities ahead!
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