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Avery Muir

Ms. Mann

English II

19 November 2018

The University of Alabama

Founded in 1831 The University of Alabama (nicknamed “The Capstone”) has a rich

history and culture among students and staff. The University of Alabama has experienced many

different iconic moments over the past one and a half centuries. Some notable events include the

creation of one of the first five engineering programs in the country in 1838, opening a medical

school, establishing the graduate school in 1924, being ranked as the number one law school in

the country in 2001 for the third year in a row and hiring the first female president of the

university in 2012.

Alabama is a public 4-year university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. They currently

enroll 38,563 male and female students within their network of campuses. Of the 38,563 students

55.1% are female and 44.9% are male. The university has a higher national diversity average in

ethnicity, gender and geographic location among students. Students from all over the United

States and the World choose to attend the University of Alabama, due to the large athletic

success along with the large academic success of the students.

Some of the minimum requirements for applying to Alabama include a 3.0 GPA, a score

of 21 on the ACT exam and a score of 1060 on the SAT exam. Alabama also requires 4 high

school credits in English and social studies, 3 credits in math and science courses with at least 2

of the science credits containing “lab components”, 5 elective credits and 1 foreign language

credit. Students who are applying should submit any documents to undergraduate admissions by
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February 1. Students who are admitted into the program by December 15 are eligible for

different types of scholarships.

Alabama offers 72 undergraduate majors within 12 major colleges. These colleges

include multiple Colleges of Science, a College of business, nursing, social work, law,

engineering, and education. Study abroad programs are offered along with a double major

program. The graduate school offers degrees in 150 different master’s, education specialist and

doctoral degree programs. Financial aid and scholarships are offered at a relatively high rate to

students. 6 types of scholarships are offered to students including entering freshman

scholarships, transfer student scholarships, offers for current students, in-state merit scholarships,

out-of-state merit scholarships and alumni scholarships. 3 different financial aid grants are

available for application by students upon admission to the university.

The University of Alabama offers career services to students who are searching for

employment opportunities. The university provides job fairs, practice interviews and help place

students in jobs. Examples of placement rates by major include 94% for athletic training and

99% for sports management. The Capstone also sponsors an internship program and information

sessions with recruiters for students along with a “Career Closet” which allows students to

borrow formal clothing for job-related purposes.

While students at The University of Alabama spend lots of time doing challenging school

work, they do have opportunities to relax and let the stress melt away. Students can enjoy

attending sporting events, escape rooms, taking a stroll near the riverwalk, visiting sports

museums or enjoying a wide variety of cuisine in the Tuscaloosa area. Some on-campus

activities for students include awards programs, volunteering, fashion shows, friendly

interactions with campus police dogs and sorority/fraternity parties.

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Alabama has 17 different housing halls on campus with a few different styles of living.

Some halls are a suite-style which contain 1,2 and 4 bedroom variations. A suite comes with a

private kitchenette and a private bathroom/s depending on the number of occupants. Some suite

style halls are specific to either one or more colleges or athletic teams. Of the 7 suite halls, only

one of them is gender specific. A traditional-style hall contains 2, 3, 4 and 5 person rooms. These

halls have shared bathrooms with the rest of the floor. A “typical unit” has two bedrooms in a

very confined room with no extra amenities. Of the 6 traditional halls, only 2 of them are gender

specific. Apartment living provides 3 bedrooms, 1 ½ bathrooms and is equipped with private

laundry and kitchen. Basic furniture is provided and only 2 apartment living halls are provided

on campus, but none are gender specific. All residence halls come with high-speed internet,

cable TV access, fully furnished, laundry services and kitchen access.

For colleges students dining is a major part of the daily life, and Alabama offers different

meal plans to cater to the majority of students. All freshman students are automatically enrolled

in the freshman dining program, which comes with unlimited meals and 10 guest meals available

at the students discretion. 5 different upperclassmen dining options are available. The options

include unlimited access meals, 125 meals, 90 meals, 55 meals and 55 meals along with a VIP

meal plan. The VIP meal plan is charged per semester and allows students 25 meals with the plan

at select higher end locations. This is an alternative to paying cash every single visit at these

places.

With all of this information, students will enjoy their experience to continue their

education and grow as a person at the University of Alabama.

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“The University of Alabama.” The University of Alabama, www.ua.edu/.