A few questions about UTexas Austin

mikesown · April 1, 2008, 2:27am

After getting rejected from both Ivy Leagues I applied to, and CMU(SCS), I find myself liking UTexas. Actually, thinking about it even more, I think I might like UT better than the ivy leagues I applied to and CMU. I've been admitted to the CS program(or pre-CS?) at UTexas Austin, and I have a few questions:

1) Is it worth applying to the Turing scholars program? My stats are kind of(just a little ;) ) bad - 3.1UW GPA, 740M/670CR/660W 710 math iic, 640 chem, 5 on AP Calc AB, 3 on AP Chem, but I do have strong computer ECs(doing two CS research projects, teaching robotics). I guess I don't have much to lose(just the time it takes to write the essay, but if the program is completely useless, or there's no chance in hell I'll get in, I won't bother.

2) What's the weather like in Austin? Is it usually hot? Can you almost always wear T-shirts and shorts?

3) What's the food like at UT? I'm sort of a foodie(I was spoiled by Cornell food at their summer program), so food is an important attribute of the school I'll be attending. Specifically, is the food good on/off campus? Pricey? Is the Whole Foods flagship store any good?

4) Is it easy to become a Texas resident(if your parents don't live in Texas), after the first year of going to UT?

5) Are the on campus dorms good? Personally, I'm not much of a party-er(yeah, yeah, I know UT is the #1 party school), and I'd much prefer to live in a quiet place, but I don't want to give up sociability. Are dorms the way most people meet each other?

6) What's UT's policy on courses taken elsewhere? For example, I took a Data Structures and Algorithms course at Cornell, and I'm taking Calc III at my HS now(Multivariate calc, differentiation, integration, and vector calc). Will UT honor these courses for credit, or will I have to endure a bureaucratic nightmare to make that happen?

7) What are class sizes like? I guess this, along with getting a job, is one of my prime concerns about UT, as compared to the Ivy League schools I applied to. When I think of UT CS courses, I think of huge lecture halls with hundreds of people and almost no student-prof interaction. Is this an accurate picture?

8) How is UT's job office for jobs outside of Texas? I know UT has a particularly strong alumni network in Texas, but I'm not sure I want to go stay in TX after I graduate(I probably will want to move back to NYC). Does the job office help in getting internships?

9) Are there a lot of research opportunities (specifically in CS) at UT? Going with #7, the current picture of UT in my mind contains very little undergrad research involvement.

10) Are prereqs set in stone? Not to sound arrogant(I really don't mean to be), but I do have a fair amount of programming experience, and starting with the introductory level CS classes would likely be very boring and would not teach me much(considering I've taken Data Structures and Algorithms already), so again, I wouldn't want to have to jump through bureaucratic nightmares to make this happen.

Sorry for the huge list of questions, and thanks in advance for answering them!

Myrmidon73 · April 1, 2008, 10:07am

I’ll try to answer these:

I don’t think it costs anything extra, so you might as well try. I’m not too familiar with Turing, but if its like any of the other honors programs, you will definitely get some preference over stuff like interviews, research opporutinites,…etc.

During December and January, you usually have to wear jeans, but, yes, it’s quite hot. Right now, the temperature is hovering a little above 80 degrees, but the humidity makes it so that its still in the 70s in the middle of the night. It’s definitely one of the warmest climates you could be at for college.

I don’t eat whole foods because I’m poor, but I’d say the campus food is so-so. There is a LOT of fried stuff, and you get tired of that really quick. IMO, the best on-campus food is an Kinsolving, but it’s pretty standardized dorm food. There are a lot of restaurants in the union, Jester, and on the drag, so you’ll definitley find whatever you’re looking for. There are also like 5 HEB grocery stores somewhat near campus, so if you (or a friend) have a car, that’s always an option.

I think so. I’m OOS, but I think you can get in-state tuition for your fourth semester onwards, unless you decide to live in Texas all summer (and even then, I’m not sure you can achieve residency before tuition is due).

I live off-campus, but I met the most people during Freshman Orientation when there were 1200 of us living in Jester. People always complain about it, but I really like Jester. The dorm itself isn’t too bad, and it’s definitely the most sociable. Most of the parties happen off-campus, so don’t be too worried about partying…etc.

I took Calc III, Linear Algebra, and Diff Eqs in high school, but I didn’t get any UT credit from them. I think the only ways you can get credit are your accredited colleges and universities or APs.

I don’t know much about CS in particular, but the freshman classes are HUGE. As you go into upper division, the classes get noticeably smaller though. This semester, I’m taking a lot of UD classes, and only 2 of my classes have more than 100 people (compared to 5 last semester).

I’m not entirely sure about this, because I haven’t looked much into the job placement for engineering or CS. I know that for finance, most people choose to stay in Texas, although if you want, upon getting an offer, most people have a choice in location (so you can go back to NYC).

I’m not sure about CS (I’m in biomedical engineering), but a lot of my freshman friends work in labs across the engineering school. I’d imagine that CS would be similar. There are a lot of opportunities. You just have to look for them.

If you took Data Structures from Cornell, you can probably get that waived. Prereqs are only set in stone if you don’t talk to your advisor/department head(s). For example, I can take some higher math-major classes because I showed the math department head that I had taken the prereq courses before hand. Your advisor also has a lot of power is removing prerequisite bars in course selection.

I hope that helped. If you have anymore questions, just ask.

mikesown · April 1, 2008, 11:59am

Thanks for the response. I still have a few more questions.

<ol>
<li>For residency in TX, the UT Austin page([University</a> of Texas at Austin - Texas Residency FAQ](<a href=“Home - University of Texas Admissions”>Home - University of Texas Admissions)) says that you must " live in the state of Texas for 12 consecutive months and establish a domicile in Texas prior to enrollment… A domicile in Texas is presumed if, at least 12 months prior to the census date of the semester in which he or she is to enroll, at least one of the following applies: 1) the person owns real property in Texas, 2) the person owns a business in Texas, 3) the person is married to someone who has established a domicile in Texas, 4) the person has had gainful employment other than work-study and other such student employment in Texas." So, my question is, do I need to actually buy an apartment in Austin to claim in-state residency? What are the prices like? Can my parents still pay for this while counting me as an independent for tax purposes?</li>
<li>Can you elaborate more on the class size? That’s one thing that, erm, well, scares me a bit. I want to be able to easily interact with profs and not get a “Well, why don’t you talk to one of the TAs?” reply whenever I try to ask a question. I also don’t want to feel completely lost in my classes. I consider myself to be pretty independent, but I hate the thought of it being near-impossible to interact with a lecturer. Do profs have office hours? How small do the upper level classes get? Are we talking 300 students in a frosh class down to 40 in a sophomore advanced class?</li>
<li>Do the dorms have A/Cs and heat? This is probably a very dumb question(as temps are in the 80s now), but I just wanted to check.</li>
<li>Is the jobs dept of UT good at finding finance internships? Basically, what I’m (tentatively) interested in doing is majoring in CS and applying machine learning techniques to financial data. Will they be able to find me quant internships during the summer in NYC, or will I get a “You’re own your own” response?</li>
<li>How hard is it to maintain a good GPA during frosh year? Not to sound like a pessimist already, but I was thinking about trying to transfer to Columbia after frosh year(this is where I really wanted to go initially). My college applications looked like this: 3.1UW GPA(ouch!), 1410/2070 SATs(740M/670CR/660W), 710 math iic/640 chem, 5 on AP Calc AB/3 on AP Chem, but awesome ECs and awesome supplemental recs(showing my passion for CompSci and community service), so the main thing holding me back was my GPA. I looked into transferring and you pretty much need at a bare minimum a 3.7-3.9. Will this GPA be easy to attain or will it be as hard as an ivy to get with the huge frosh classes ruining the curve? Also, to transfer, I need a rec from a college professor. Will a good rec be hard to come by(with the huge classes) during my first semester at UT? I’ll definitely give UT a shot(its CS dept. looks great), but I just want to keep as many options as I can open now.</li>
<li>Going back to food(yeah, I really like food this much), what do most students do? Stay on campus to eat? Is the majority of food on campus fast food(or fried food)?</li>
<li>Do most students own cars? Are they generally needed for going off campus?</li>
</ol>

mikesown · April 1, 2008, 6:08pm

One more question:

<ol>
<li>How are classes usually graded at UT? Curved? If so, to what grade? Is it hard to beat the mean, or if you study is it easy to get an A?</li>
</ol>

Myrmidon73 · April 1, 2008, 10:06pm

I can’t help you with your residency question, because I’m not sure of the right answer.

It depends on the subject. Like, intro chemistry, biology, calculus, and physics classes tend to be quite large. My Calc III class last semester had about 150 people. As you go through more major-specific classes, the size shrinks to around 40ish (maybe lower, if you’re taking an obscure class). I’m in physical chemistry right now, which is supposed to be a 4th or 5th semester class for most people, and the class size is only about 30. I’m also in microeconomic theory, which is supposed to be a 3rd semester class for econ majors. My class is about 25 people, and I have about 12 in my recitation session. Also, office hours are extremely helpful. Use them.

Absolutely.

The truth is, McCombs is the most elitist school at UT. It’s VERY tough to get a good lineup of interviews, even if you’re in finance. I don’t know much about financial modeling, but I know that some consulting companies like BCG recruit Plan II and engineering (so, they probably like CS students as well) students. I went to the Engineering Career Services office, and I didn’t see a lot of jobs with hedge funds or anything. There are a few (~5) people each year from engineering who end up working for a BB bank. If you’re really interested in finance, you might want to do a 2-3 year investment banking stint, which will open up more doors in the future. However, it’s tough to get a finance job if you’re not from McCombs. You need to network like mad.

Texas does not have a +/- system yet, but some schools will get in for the next year. I believe (but I’m not 100% sure) that engineering will still be under the old system next year. This means that if you get a 90 in the class, you get a 4.0. If you get an 89, you get a 3.0 for the class. If you get 100, you still only get a 4.0. Tests are usually curved to a 75% average for freshmen intro classes, but the curves tend to get nicer as you move in the courses.

Maintaining a 3.9/4.0 means that you need all A’s (except maybe one B) for your first two semesters. It’s definitely do-able, but you need to be able to manage your time, and focus. Sometimes, you might need to go study instead of hanging out with people…etc. Also, since you don’t get tests as often, it’s important to read over material you cover in class, because cramming 6 weeks of information is not a good way to do well in a class.

If you live on campus, I think you get $1200 for food per semester. There are some franchises close by (Wendy’s, Quizno’s, Chick-Fil-A, Subway, Potbelly, Chipotle, McDonalds…jut off the top of my head). There are also a ton of other places to eat (chinese, pho, sandwich places, Texadelphia,…etc). A lot of people eat out a lot too. It’s definitely a lot more expensive though. I’d say most people that I know eat at J2 (a dorm cafeteria) or JCL (a place that serves pretty much the same stuff as dorm food), but most of my friends like in Jester and San Jac, so those are the closest options to them. Regardless of where you are on campus, you’ll always be close to food. Don’t worry.

A lot of off-campus parties and stuff are in west campus, which only only a few blocks west of campus. There are a TON of buses that run through UT and Austin in general. I know a few people with a car, but it’s really not necessary, unless you guys are going to a mall, or another city or something. Most of the time, you’ll find people willing to give you a ride. Parking is fairly expensive, and you won’t usually need your car on weekdays, so my guess is that it’s a huge hassle.

UcMichigan · April 1, 2008, 10:14pm

For the residency question, you have to buy a house/condo and own it for 12 months in order to gain residency. In areas close to UT, condos (cheaper ones) cost about $150,000 to 200,000. After twelve month, you can apply for residency and pay in-state tuition for sophomore year.

mikesown · April 1, 2008, 10:53pm

Myrmidon73: Thanks again for another lengthy reply…
Here’s my current impression of UT(feel free to comment/correct/guide):

I still find the class size issue to be a big one. A huge bio/chem/calc class curved to 75% with (presumably) a lot of geniuses in the class? Getting an A sounds very very very hard(In all honesty, I’m a B student in tough classes at my HS, due to my work ethic, but this is what I will definitely try to change in college). Following up on my GPA question, what’s the caliber of students like at UT, in terms of test performance? Is the average student, well, average, or are we talkin’ Ivy League performance on tests? I guess what I want to know is if I will have to kill myself to get a 4.0 GPA. The lack of +/- actually sounds beneficial in terms of transfering, because I can strive to just get 90s in my classes and have myself appear as a perfect student. I’m actually in the CNS(college of natural sciences), so I hope that they don’t use +/- next year.

The networking issue for financial institutions sounds like a huge problem(a reason to transfer out). I get the impression that, in general, the finance world is obsessed with prestige. While UT definitely has a great CS program, and is a great university(#44), it isn’t recognized as a top-10 university or similar(i.e. no one from JP Morgan is going to go “Wow, you went to UT! You must be really smart! We’ll hire you on the spot.”), and it sounds like there’s no real career office that’s in touch with financial companies. I guess there’s always grad school for making connections…

The food (yes I’m going to keep coming back to this; I’m that much of a foodie) sounds kind of like low-rent fast food(“Wendy’s, Quizno’s, Chick-Fil-A, Subway, Potbelly, Chipotle, McDonalds” all make me cringe). Are there decent higher-end places near campus(like a good sandwich shop / high-end diner)? Also, Is Whole Foods’ flagship store near campus(within walking or bus distance)? I think that buying stuff there and preparing it sounds like a good option.

Also, one other thing I’m curious about is social life. I know UT is the #1 party school, but could you elaborate on what it feels like to be an incoming freshman? Do you meet most people through your classes, or do you meet everyone at parties?

Additionally, do most students live on/off campus? Buying an apartment sounds very premature to do frosh year, especially considering that I might(probably will, if I get into Columbia/Cornell/CMU) transfer, so I’m not really sure whether to live in a dorm or rent off campus.

I guess, to sum it up in a few sentences: UT sounds like the best place I’ve gotten into so far. It isn’t everything I like about a school(huge classes, lack of finance connections for CNS students), but out of the choices I have(Bucknell, UMass, UConn, Rensselaer, UTexas, (almost definitely Stevens Institute of Technology), (probably University of Waterloo)), it’s the best(great CS dept., great student life, great profs). Ideally, from what you’ve told me, I’d go for my frosh year, work my ass off first semester, prove my worth, and transfer to Columbia(or Cornell/CMU). Does that sound like an accurate picture of UT to you?

Jchu41 · April 1, 2008, 11:02pm

I found these videos to be pretty helpful with campus life.

<a href=“theu.com”>theu.com;

VectorWega · April 1, 2008, 11:37pm

Your exposure to the hottest Austin temps will be limited as August is the hottest month of the year, followed by July, and then June. However, it’s quite likely that there will be girls laying out in bikinis every month of the year. December and January will be the coldest (with avg highs of 62-60 and avg lows of 42 to 40)…however, temperatures vary a lot in tx and can change quickly (actually, i experienced a 60+ degree temperature drop in 1 hour in Dallas…it was pretty crazy)…so it could be in the 40s for several days and then be in the 70s and 80s for the next few days.

As for food, there are a large concentration of food places right off of campus on “the drag”. This includes a lot of food places that are a step up from fast food (but certainly not “nice” restaurants)…things like sandwich shops, wings, burrito places, pizza parlors, etc. In terms of overall restaurant selection, Austin is obviously better than Ithaca, but perhaps the proximity of nicer restaurants at cornell would be more favorable for you.

<a href=“I%20probably%20will%20want%20to%20move%20back%20to%20NYC”>quote</a>.

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You probably won’t want to.

Most importantly, there are buses running directly from UT Campus to the bars and back until late in the morning Thursday thru Sat nights. Also, there is good bus access to UT. A lot of people in Austin ride bicycles and it is the only pedestrian friendly city in Texas. Even so, Austin is still very sprawled out and access to a car would be very helpful for access to shopping (even groceries). However, it is not necessary. (actually, if you just used cabs the few times you actually need a car, u would save a ton of money).

Well, the business school has very good connections, and someone in BHP (for example) would have excellent opportunities to land NYC ibanking jobs. I have no clue about CS and would be very surprised if they had similiar connections. There are a lot of Ibanking/financial jobs in Houston..although these are generally not as sought after as opportunities in NYC.

Myrmidon73 · April 2, 2008, 1:40am

The tests so far have been pretty standard. You absolutely need to read the book and do the homework. Be aware on concepts, and it will be fine. In some classes, it’s tough to get an A. For example, I’m in a C Programming class now, and the majority of it is EE and CS students. I have never had any programming experience, while a lot of the kids there have had tons. So, while I’m struggling to learn about function pointers, they’re way ahead. That said, I read, went over lecture slides, and went to recitations, (i.e. worked hard), and I have a solid enough grade in the class that I only need like a 65% on our final to end up with an A. A lot of collegiate work is what you put into it. If you work hard, getting As shouldn’t be a problem. Also, pick-a-prof is your friend. It shows the general grading curves that different professors use (like some may only give 20% As, while others give As to 40%,…etc). You DON’T need to be a genius to get an A; you just have to work for it (and I’m not talking about working around the clock every day; I put in maybe 30-60 mins in per day per class outside of class time).

Freshman Orientation was the most fun I’ve had at UT. No work, an intro into the college lifestyle, everyone wanted to get to each other, open frats,…etc. However, I don’t really hang out with the people I met there. Most of the people I hang out with, I either knew before hand (like two other people that went to my high school), or people I regularly associate with. This is mainly people in my major, since we have so many common classes. I also hang out a lot with people I met in various clubs. I’m not a huge partier, but you usually don’t meet a ton of friends at parties (unless you’re in a frat, and will see some more people regularly).

I think you have the right picture about UT. If you really want to pursue business, you could also try applying to McCombs for sophomore year (you need like a 3.7 GPA to get in, but that’s basically the only requirement), and see if you could pull off a double major in something like Finance (or even BHP/Finance) and CS. That would look very strong. It should be another option (in addition to transferring out of UT).

MidwestMom2Kids_1 · April 2, 2008, 4:27am

I think it is possible that the Business Foundations minor (I think that is what it is called) would be of interest - this is specifically for people outside of McCombs.

Also, I think if you are coming in with a lot of AP credit you will have relatively few of the enormous classes.

If you haven’t already applied for on campus housing, you should probably investigate the private dorms, which are basically across the street from campus and cost little more than the on campus dorms. If you apply for housing on campus now, I think the odds are high that they will put you in “supplemental housing,” i.e. a study lounge with beds added for a while, until dorm room space opens up. Could you live with that?

If you are a teaching assistant or a research assistant you can get in state tuition. This is possible but not common for an undergraduate.

There were many healthy food choices in the kinsolving cafeteria the day we ate there. Dorm food does get boring, but if you live on campus you get the 1200 cafteria credit (I think that is per year) plus you get additional bevo bucks for eating in other on and off campus eateries to add some variety to your life. There are cool-looking restaurants nearby on Guadalupe - we saw a Pho place.

The whole foods place is not in walking distance of campus.

noct · April 2, 2008, 10:48am

Regarding food:

Austin has a decent food scene, but in the immediate proximity of campus it is nothing special. Despite the above poster, Whole Foods flagship and CM are both within walking/biking distance (<2 miles). There are also fairly easy bus routes to both, but the buses in Austin aren’t the greatest (I’m sure someone will disagree with me). Even the closest HEB is essentially as far way as the CM. The closest grocery store to campus is Wheatsville Coop, and while quality is usually pretty good, the prices are a bit high and the place is really small.

As for restaurants, most of the places on the drag are disappointing. There are places which are okay. People will rant and rave about Kerbey Lane and Madam Mam’s, but I wouldn’t listen to them. Even most restaurants in Austin are disappointing compared to where I grew up. It’s taken a lot of driving and trying new things to find even a handful of places that I like. Having a car in Austin isn’t necessary, but it certainly makes things more interesting…

Myrmidon73 · April 2, 2008, 11:29am

I was in business foundations, and it was the biggest waste of time ever. It doesn’t really help with interviews or anything like that. Honestly, it’s better to just graduate sooner or do something you’ll enjoy for another 18 hours.

A few of my friends lived in supplemental housing, and it’s terrible. It’s hard to get work done, or do anything else constructive. It’s better to just look at an off-campus dorm, like Dobie, the Castilian, or Towers.

Kerbey Lane sucks. If you want a 24 hour place, Taco Cabana is the way to go.

UcMichigan · April 2, 2008, 8:50pm

Hey Myrmidon,
just wondering… what did you guys do at the freshman orientation other than register for classes? I’m pretty excited.. just wanted to know what’s coming up =]

theloneranger · April 3, 2008, 12:05am

If you are going to college and looking for “high end” food anywhere, expect to be disappointed. Most restaurants in Austin actually aren’t chains, and most are very good. I’ll give you a few recommendations of great places that are local or locally-started chains: Chuy’s, Magnolia Cafe, Trudy’s, and County Line BBQ are just a few that come into mind. If you don’t like Mexican and/or Southern food, there may not be as many different restaruants to choose from but they food will be quite good.

But if you are looking for Ruth’s Chris at college prices it ain’t happening.

There is a lot of good cheap food near UT. A lot of it is chains, and those tend to be popular with college kids. If your tastes are more sophisticated, then they won’t be catering to your tastes in the area.

Whole Foods is NOT within a reasonable walking distance if you are only going for meals, at least not often. I would definitely not recommend going that far to shop as you’d have to carry the food back. It’s on 6th and Lamar. If you live at Duren, you will be walking over 20 blocks. The bus isn’t any more efficient.

Taco Cabana is heaven! But it is very much a chain, so you may not like that.

kwyml · April 3, 2008, 11:52am

more about food:

[Division</a> of Housing and Food Service - Kinsolving Fresh Food presentation](<a href=“UHD Homepage | University Housing and Dining”>UHD Homepage | University Housing and Dining)

ortaluce · April 4, 2008, 12:01am

As far as the Business Foundations Certificate being a waste of time - do you think it would look better for me to have it if I were to apply to the MBA program years after I graduate (with a degree not in Business)? Or if you would please elaborate some more if possible since I was actually thinking about the certificate.

Clint · April 4, 2008, 5:53pm

Any good (authentic?) sushi restaurants in Austin?

gub · April 4, 2008, 8:19pm

Veggie Heaven is a pretty good cheap Taiwanese restaurant near campus with only vegetarian and vegan dishes. And I personally like Kerbey Lane. It’s not necessarily the best food in the world, but its pretty good for a diner that offers a wide variety. And their pancakes are amazing.

shananana · April 5, 2008, 12:44am

Clint, there is a place called Sushi Nichi on 24th street that has really good sushi and bento(?) boxes, plus it’s a good price for a college student! And I agree with gub, Kerbey Lane has great pancakes.

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A few questions about UTexas Austin

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