While we live in Charlotte, NC, we are considering schools both in and out of state. My girl is the oldest child and wanted to keep her radius of schools in a relatively tight distance from home but as most parents of juniors know, the college application playing field competition is at an all-time high. We decided to open up our hunt so she applied to The University of Alabama during their free applications week. When she was accepted in October, we decided it was time for an in-person tour so she could get to know the campus a bit better. I’m sharing all my tips and tricks and a peek inside the tour to help you and your student navigate a college tour of your own. But don’t miss my general college tour tips here, too! If you’re starting from the south side of Charlotte, NC like we did, plan for about 8 hours with minimal stops. However, if you want to see campus in person, take part in an information session with an admissions officer, and get a guided tour with a student guide, you’ll want to register for a campus visit before you go. Be sure to sign up with one of their open dates, you can find all the information you’ll need to register here. To minimize the time away from high school classes since we were visiting in December, we planned our trip for a 3-day weekend where she did not have school on a Monday but Alabama was still in session and offering official tours. SUNDAY: Drive down from Charlotte to Tuscaloosa, check in to hotel, eat dinner. MONDAY: Early morning tour of Alabama at 8:15 am. We weren’t sure if we’d attempt to leave in the afternoon or stay one more night so I booked the hotel for 2 nights. I’m so glad we did. The 8 hour drive home would have been too much for us after the tour. This also gave us more time to explore the area since a return visit would be much more difficult later. TUESDAY: Quick breakfast and hit the road home. Be extra careful to avoid popular times like football games, move-in weekend, parents’ weekend, graduation (both spring and December) if you don’t want to spend $1000/night for your hotel room. We stayed at the AC Hotel Tuscaloosa Downtown which has an amazingly convenient location near campus and the restaurants on University Blvd. The location was the best part of our stay, unfortunately we had troubles with our room. Due to a poor design of the bathroom door, my daughter got trapped inside. We had to call maintenance to remove the door so she could get out. If I hadn’t been in the room with her, she would have had no way to get out and she didn’t have her phone with her to call for help. I’m not certain we’d stay there again but if you go — just be sure to take your phone into the bathroom with you! There is plentiful free parking near the entrance so you shouldn’t have any trouble. We had to print a parking pass for our car window before we arrived, don’t forget to bring yours along! Our day went as follows: **Of all the colleges we toured last year, University of Alabama blew us away with their personalized assistance in planning our tour. A representative from the university took note of our interests when we registered for the tour and arranged a special itinerary that went far beyond just the general information session and tour. My daughter was registered for the Honors College information session and a private meeting with the marching band director of her preferred instrument. Both sessions were invaluable in her decision-making process and we were extremely grateful for the opportunities. If you have specific interests you’d like to explore at UA, be sure to mark your preferences when you apply for the tour. Once you’ve parked, head up to the front desk and check in with the team who will direct you down the hall towards the theater. You’ll be assigned an information session with an admissions officer who will present the basic information you need for applying to the University of Alabama. This is an excellent place to ask any general questions you have about the admissions process. This was especially welcome on our rainy tour day but I can imagine how amazing it would have been in the extreme summer heat! This was one of the most accessible college campus tours we had the pleasure of experiencing. No matter your fitness level, this will be an easy tour for you to do. More than just a gym, this is a popular student hang out. We visited during finals week, so campus was much quieter than usual. Every captain of the football team since 1948 has left their hand and footprints in cement slabs surrounding the base of the bell tower. The university definitely has that rich sense of history at every turn. The campus tour ends right back where you started at the Randall Welcome Center which is very convenient if you plan to drive off. We had extra sessions to attend and had to reach them by foot. Moving the car would have been extremely difficult for parking so for as easy as the general tour was, be sure to plan good walking shoes if you have plans beyond the first sessions. Since our breakfast had been such a grab-and-go affair and the weather was so drizzly, we both wanted a relaxing hot meal for lunch rather than quick service or fast food. Thankfully, we lucked out with a last-minute find right on campus. To be honest, I don’t even remember what we ate there. We were both so overwhelmed by the tour at this point we seem to have blanked lunch out. But, I can promise you the service was warm and attentive and the food was exactly what we needed to brave the cold and rain and another few hours of the campus experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back there for another lunch. Be sure to ask them for more information if this is of interest to you! I had planned a simple dinner for us, but we were definitely in the mood to celebrate this big accomplishment. We headed out for dinner at the Half Shell Oyster House on University Blvd. and it was absolutely perfect. We enjoyed another warm welcome by our server who walked us through the very seafood-heavy menu. But don’t worry, they do have chicken and steak options if you prefer. The food was amazing, the ambiance was celebratory and perfectly grown-up rather than a typical college campus pub. We give it a solid 4 thumbs up. The University of Alabama’s Supe Store is unlike anything else we witnessed at other college campuses. They win Best Bookstore, hands down. You can see the stadium from a distance during the campus tour but it is worth getting up much closer for a photo op. We were there during the Christmas season and the houses were all decked out for the holiday. I would have just swooned to get to visit inside the TriDelt house since I’m an alum from Wisconsin. I’m saving all the campus pics in an album on my phone for easy grabbing when the time comes. NOTE: This was my daughter’s idea, not my own. If you think your child would feel way too much pressure with this, skip it! They don’t need any more stress placed on their shoulders. For us, there was just a simple feeling of excitement and potential and hope surrounding that pic. We know she’s an awesome kid who will land some place that is the right fit. Maybe that will be Virginia Tech, maybe not. This was crushing news for my daughter who has high hopes of performing on field for her school next fall. She still plans to work hard and audition but has her hopes in check. If you have a band student, I strongly encourage you to take a walk through the music building. If you’re a superfan of the athletics, it might still be a fun little peek to see where the band is organized. The Kennemer Center is right in the central hub of campus and easy to find. The session was very helpful for my daughter, even before she found out she was accepted later that afternoon. We arrived knowing very little about the school and left absolutely impressed and hopeful. Though she has not yet made her final decision, she is thrilled to have this option for her future college home. Roll Tide!
