Thousands upon thousands of students apply to The University of Alabama each fall in hopes of being accepted into one of the top universities in the country. The University of Alabama is known for its prestigious programs, but many prospective students feel the application process is too easy and that their college experience will not be a challenge. 

It seems as though almost half the time, students attend The University of Alabama because of its athletics, Greek life and warmer weather. What they do not consider is education. Although the University offers over 70 undergraduate degree programs through 12 colleges and schools, it doesn’t seem to matter to students. 

When applying to The University of Alabama, many students consider it a safety school since the University doesn’t ask for much during the application process. When submitting a college application, The University of Alabama asks for a completed admission application provided by the University. In addition to this, students are required to send in their SAT or ACT scores along with paying a $40 fee. Yes, that is it. There is no essay, no letters of recommendation and no other hidden fees to be paid. 

For many students, this is a great process to take part in – especially if they are not comfortable with their college essay being good enough to send out. On the other hand, students feel as if there is nothing to take into consideration and that perhaps The University of Alabama accepts anyone who applies. 

To start, The University of Alabama has a 53% acceptance rate, which means you have about a 50-50 chance of actually being admitted. In addition, one must score at least a 1060 on the SAT along with having a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in order to be considered. Compared to other colleges and universities, even some located within the state, these numbers are very low. 

After students start their classes, many feel as if high school was harder and that they are capable of taking much more difficult courses. I disagree with that statement completely. It is all about challenging oneself in college. The difference between college and high school is completely different depending on the classes a person took. Based on previous experiences, some classes may be a breeze and others may be a challenge. If someone feels that the classes they are taking in college are too easy, they should take a step back, examine the options and think that maybe the easy stuff has to be gone through in order to be prepared for the challenges up ahead.  

No matter if one believes that The University of Alabama is an easy or hard college to apply to, the opportunity to attend it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.