The University of Alabama offers a wide range of high-caliber academic programs, student organizations and countless opportunities to grow as a student and person. All of these factors and so much more have led UA to be a destination for National Merit Scholars from around the nation.
The number of National Merit Scholars enrolled has set a new University record every year since 2018, nearly doubling from 614 in 2018 to 1,173 this fall.
“The University of Alabama is committed to helping each student succeed, from National Merit Scholars to first-generation college attendees, ensuring that UA continues to be a leader in higher education,” said Dr. Jim Dalton, UA executive vice president and provost.
UA continues to see improvements in the academic credentials of incoming students, reflecting the University’s commitment to attracting top talent. UA’s competitive scholarships, dynamic campus experience and extensive academic resources have helped attract such highly qualified students.
Emily Rabbideau, a senior from Birmingham with a double major in studio art and creative media and minor in Spanish, came to UA as a National Merit Scholar. Rabbideau, an Honors College Ambassador, shared her experience and why UA was a great fit for her.
As a National Merit Scholar, what attracted you to UA?
The biggest draw to UA was the generous scholarship package it provided, as there really weren’t other schools around that could offer the opportunity to graduate college completely debt free. Additionally, the large number of National Merit Scholars at UA afforded me the opportunity to connect with other bright students and build a network of peers.
What were some of the offerings and opportunities that led to your decision to attend UA?
Aside from scholarships, the faculty in the two colleges I’m majoring in are incredibly dedicated to helping their students, and that was made clear on my tours. As I toured, I was able to speak with many different faculty from the art and creative media departments who helped me see the potential that UA offered. The art building had just been renovated, which was a major plus from many other universities I toured whose facilities were a bit older.
In the creative media department, it seemed possible to tailor my course of study to exactly what I wanted to learn, which wasn’t an option at some other schools. I’m not studying a traditional path — most creative media students want to go into film or social media, whereas I was interested in pursuing animation — hence the art double major.
How has your UA experience been so far?
I’ve loved every moment of my time here at the Capstone, from learning valuable trade skills in welding and mold-making to producing documentaries with an Emmy award-winning team. I’ve developed as an artist and learned techniques I never thought I could, all while having the experience of a large public university.
Before coming here, I was not a sports fan at all, but this last semester I attended every football home game. I’ve made friends from every single college within the University and have been afforded countless unique opportunities due to my participation in the Honors College.
Why would you recommend UA to other National Merit Scholars?
I would recommend UA to any National Merit Scholar because the benefits of graduating debt-free are innumerable. Alabama offers state-of-the-art programs in all academic disciplines, and if a particular discipline isn’t yet offered, the faculty are willing to work with you to allow you to study it.
One thing many of us ambassadors say on our tours is you can make a big school small, but you can never make a small school big. You will find your home at Alabama, whether that’s within your major or minor department, one of our many academic clubs or your on-campus internship, which was where I found mine! That will be your niche.
But when you need it, the substantial alumni network and hundreds of connections our faculty and staff have to the professional world will allow you to gain internships, research opportunities and full-time job offers.
Roll Tide!
More information about UA’s National Merit Finalist package and instructions on how to apply are available online.