Which Texas school do you recommend and why? Just state schools, not the fancy schamancy expensive ones like Rice, Baylor & SMU.
1.UT Austin
2.UTD
3.UTSA
4.UH
5.TAMU
6.UNT
7.UT A
For music…UNT.
I’m not a Texan.
I have heard good things about the UNT Music Department. I remember that this is the school the “artsy” kids from my high school attended.
I went to UTA and I don’t remember hearing a lot about the music program there. I am NOT musical though so that might be the reason!
We’re NY’ers (with close relatives in Houston), but my son is looking at the following Texas schools for merit-based financial aid reasons…
TAMU - https://scholarships.tamu.edu/FRESHMEN/Available-Scholarships#0-AcademicScholarships
UH - http://www.uh.edu/tieronescholars/eligibility/#University%20Scholarships
Texas Tech - https://www.depts.ttu.edu/scholarships/incFreshman.php
Texas State - http://www.finaid.txstate.edu/scholarships/freshman/assured.html
Are you majoring in music? If so, UNT’s music school is the best. If you’re just looking at good/cheap(er) Texas public universities, then UT and A&M would be at the top of that list. The “other” UT’s would be less prestigious, although still good in specific areas (like, I think UT-Arlington has a criminal justice major, which is highly thought of).
One thing about UT-Austin, if cost is a factor, the on-campus housing is difficult to get into, which would leave you off-campus. Apartments and housing in general in Austin, especially in the city core where UT’s campus is, is very expensive. Keep that in mind too.
Texas Tech is another good public university, including a med school.
UNT’s high acceptance rate and low admission criterion kills it for good students. I’ve heard that their saving grace is a gifted STEM high school on campus, some of them stay on campus for two more years and take advantage of free tuition and dual credits to finish college in two years. Other than them, it’s pretty much dead for everyone with an exception of music majors who want to save money.
UT Austin and A&M are the only one who get respect from every one, only issues are related to overcrowding.
UTD is getting better and their lucrative full rides and tuition waivers steal a good percentage of good Asian kids who aren’t allowed by parents to go far from the home.
TT, UoH, UTSA, TS only attract ones who don’t get much merit or aid anywhere else.
Ones with money and grades or good aid, pick Rice, Baylor, SMU and TCU to avoid crowd related issues of public universities and to have a more intimate/catered/relaxed college experience.
@WorryHurry411 Are you interested in a particular major? Is this a discussion about which might be suitcase/commuter schools?
Son is at UT Austin for engineering. We consider A&M to be an equally good school for engineering but very different feel, with TT, UH and UTD being a rung down but very good options particularly if you are looking for instate merit.I would put UTSA, UNT and UT A(rlington) below them, but these schools may excel in certain areas, like music as someone said above.
@2019hope Just looking at all of the options out there for an undecided major.
While UNT overall acceptance might be easy, acceptance into their wonderful music orogram is competitive. And once you are accepted into that music program, getting into the ensemble of your choice isn’t X act,my easy either…especially if you are a jazz musician.
I don’t think the OP was asking about music. The first responder pointed out a clear way to decide, should music be the interest.
OP, does your student prefer urban, rural, suburban? Huge campus?
The other campuses in the UT system are nothing like the Austin campus.
My DD is a junior and also considering the various options in Texas. I think in very large part it depends on your student’s particular circumstances, i.e., where they are academically, do they prefer small towns or big, small campuses or large, what they want to study, financial needs, and especially the feel of the campus and how they react to that feel when they visit. I know “it depends” is not very useful advice but it does depend on a lot of things. That said, it seems to me that TAMU and UT are very solid choices, but UT clearly seems to offer way less merit aid.
Post no. 5 makes it sound like you know all the answers. I’m unclear what the point of this post is.
The UH Honors College may be a good alternative in a lesser ranked school that might offer good merit aid.
Urban or suburban doesn’t matter but wants a smaller campus and a wholesome college experience. Not looking forward to huge campuses or characterless commuters college. I guess that takes away UT and UTD. His counselor thinks that even with full rides to honors programs, UNT, Texas State and UTSA type places wouldn’t be a good intellectual fit.
Smaller campus definitely rules out UT and TAMU. I don’t know your student’s academics but UT has Plan II Honors which I hear creates a “smallish” more liberal artsy college feel within the college. UH is mostly a commuter school but not completely. I don’t know about the others.
@Youdon’tsay Just trying to find what others think, just because I have an opinion, doesn’t mean it’s gospel.
What’s the likely major?
Undecided.
Which private school in Texas gives best merit aid to NMF? SMU?