The university selection process can be a tough one for those interested in higher education, as each school evokes different emotions for every individual.

For many Alabama residents, as well as others living in the Southeast, the question of attending the University of Alabama or Auburn University is a tough one.

Ryan Missanelli, a UA graduate student and employee in the Office of Enrollment Services and Programs, said the University of Alabama offers a sense of family and tradition to prospective students.

“Most people attending UA today are in-state students, so they’ve been introduced to the school’s history in their Alabama history classes,” Missanelli said. “Whether it’s the ‘Stand in the Schoolhouse Door’ or ‘Bear’ Bryant and our football program, these prospective students know all about UA and have an idea of its identity.”

Missanelli said he thinks one of the primary factors influencing students about where to attend college is their family ties.

“Every school has its share of strengths and weaknesses,” he said. “But when all that is said and done, I think that one’s family ties really play an important role in the selection process.”

Those family ties attracted junior Kerri Pender to Auburn University. Her mother and father both graduated from the school in the mid 1980s.

“Auburn had everything I was looking for academically and was already my home,” Pender said. “I know you all have heard and talked about the Auburn family, but unless you have lived, breathed and loved it, you can never fully understand it. It runs deep with the students and we all feel a special connection, even with alumni. I’ve heard of many freshmen who have chosen Auburn because of the bond that everyone seems to share.”

In addition to her family ties to the school, Pender said Auburn University’s campus is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

“There’s a reason why Auburn is called ‘The Loveliest Village in the Plains,’” she said.

Trey Howell, an Auburn sophomore, said he was also drawn to the school because of his family ties, as well as the atmosphere the school creates.

“I was attracted to Auburn because of the usual stuff, really,” Howell said. “The campus is beautiful, the traditions, athletics, plus the school is good academically. Most people who come here have some kind of family tie to the university. But it’s not just that. You just feel at home here.”

But Alabama families don’t just bleed orange and blue.

Anna Sedlak, a UA freshman majoring in English, said she chose the University of Alabama partly because her father went here.

“My family ties were a big factor in the decision to come to UA,” she said. “Plus, it has a pretty campus, offered me a scholarship and the incoming freshmen are guaranteed a dorm. They’re not at Auburn.”

Sedlak said she looked at Auburn University, but knew it wasn’t for her as soon as she saw it.

“The campus isn’t pretty,” she said. “It’s spread out all over town. I made the right decision in coming to UA.”