<p>I want to go into either engineering(probably electrical) or computer science. I'm fairly certain I will get capped and auto accepted to A&M. My stats are here: <a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/texas-m-university/1440054-high-school-gpa-engineering.html#post15270876%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/texas-m-university/1440054-high-school-gpa-engineering.html#post15270876</a></p>
<p>This is my understanding so far:</p>
<p>UTAustin CAP -> Austin
pro:
Friendly environment for minorities
Better Post Graduation Job Market
Auto into Computer Science
enormously better city + culture
knock out irrelevant classes at CAP at easier level</p>
<p>con:
year late = hard to make friends
rigor jumps enormously
extra year of college likely
no engineering likely
too difficult?
last choices on campus (as transfer)
life ruining if I flop
would be the stupid kid at UT
more expensive
poor benefits(housing, parking, class picking)</p>
<hr>
<p>Texas A&M
pro:
auto accepted, easily engineer
very safe bet
would be a snugger fit academically
could potentially transfer?
more familiar with A&M policies
con:
terrible city
disagree with values(gay, atheist, arab, liberal, democrat..)
plus potentially ostracizing or closeting
probably stuck in state after graduation</p>
<p>Anything to add? I'm posting in Austin because I know less about it. What do you think I should do?</p>
<p>It depends where you see yourself fitting. They are both fantastic schools. My son had exactly the same choice. We visited A&M and UTSA (his CAP choice) in the same week and it was absolutely a no-brainer for him simply based on atmosphere and campus culture. He did the CAP year, got nearly a 4.0 and was accepted into ME at UT Austin. He is finishing his sophomore year in Austin and couldn’t be happier.</p>
<p>If both schools offer what you are looking to study, go with whichever is cheaper.</p>
<p>If you already have your mind set on UT, then I think you already have your answer.</p>
<p>You’ll be a Sophomore after you CAP, you won’t be the dumbest student in class unless you choose not to work. People transfer in as juniors every semester.</p>
<p>As good as rankings and safe bets sound, if you know you don’t fit in with the ideologies and values college station has, you will absolutely hate it and that will affect your mental health and your grades. Do the CAP program and get straight A’s, transfer to UT Austin, and you won’t be too behind since freshman year is mostly about core requirements that you can satisfy at your CAP school.</p>
<p>“As good as rankings and safe bets sound, if you know you don’t fit in with the ideologies and values college station has, you will absolutely hate it and that will affect your mental health and your grades.”. Indeed, I totally agree. I’m straight, Christian, & conservative and attending a college/university where my views are ridiculed and mocked by liberal professors who claim to be tolerant but in reality aren’t. UT Austin seems like a better fit for you. I don’t mean this sarcastically or in a mean way, I’m just stating this because I’m in the polar opposite end of the situation you described.</p>
<p>That actually puts you in a very similar situation to me! So thank you for the perspective.</p>
<p>franko5150,</p>
<p>I don’t believe that most universities like Texas or A&M would blatantly “ridicule” a student simply for stating their beliefs. Nor do I believe that you would be continuously mocked for your religion either, especially at a state school.</p>
<p>Either you are thin-skinned and don’t like rebuttals to your beliefs, or you are doing something more than just stating your beliefs to them to provoke a response.</p>
<p>propayne7, that kind of answer really didn’t need that last sentence. You’re taunting him, and this isn’t the point. Tell me your experience, don’t deny the experiences of others. I might share his lense for thick skinned ness or being over sensitive, or someone will. The belief is irrelevant.</p>
<p>It’s upsetting that something meant literally was taken so emotionally.</p>
<p>Welcome to adulthood, where you don’t always hear what you’d like to.</p>
<p>I’m not really sure what you mean by not hearing what I’d like to. I don’t disagree with you, but this isn’t the place to knock someones POV.</p>
<p>Propayne7 I’m not thin skinned. It’s just gets old time after time to have some liberal professor constantly distort my beliefs, mock them, or call me intolerant while he’s not exactly being tolerant of my viewpoint. I don’t mind an opposing viewpoint, I completely understand not everyone will agree with my viewpoint, however just because you disagree with someone you don’t have to blaspheme their religous views. I didn’t say anything about A & M or UT. I’m not attending either one, & I would be honored to attend either one of them so not sure what your bone to pick is. If you don’t want to believe what I state fine. I don’t need your validation for my experiences or anecdotal references. My advice to jasseraid was simply meant as that, advice. I’m assuming if he’s attending the school that’s ranked the most conservative in the nation and that actually voted to defund the LGBT center there, he PROBABLY would not feel that comfortable there. Just like I wouldn’t feel to welcome at one that was the super liberal, and not welcoming toward Christians. Take it however you want it. Even though me & Jasseraid are nearly polar opposites I can relate in someway to what Jasseraid probably feel. Not sure it makes sense, but it does to me & apparently to Jasseraid as as well. By the way I don’t state my beliefs in class, I’m there to study & pass the class not to evangelize the classroom, so don’t be jumping to conclusions.</p>
<p>I’m currently a CAP student and my only regrets are that I didn’t care the first three years of HS. A lot of my friends went to A&M over UT and almost all of them regret it. Once, during some kind of gathering for new minority students my friend over heard a guy in the store on the phone saying “ There sure are a lot of ni…black people around today.” I mean really? I loved Austin when I went there and can’t wait to return next year.c1</p>
<p>I never really got the impression they were as a whole racist, and I doubt there engineering department would be that screwy at least. Could have just been a jerk you met. idk, I think I’ll settle for cap if its offered to me.</p>
<p>It’s really not that bad although, most of us think the same. Every CAP student I’ve asked has been ashamed to say where they were going and none of us can just say our CAP school, we have to explain the situation. There are a lot of CAP students at UTSA, which is where I’ll be and I say take CAP. In the end people can say all they want but UT is recognized as a prestigious school while A&M is recognized as more of a traditional-centric school. I’ve been to both schools and really enjoyed the campuses but I found A&M’s campus was plain and everything looked alike. It was like a strip center or something. I liked the freeness of UT’s campus, it wasn’t walled in. I was in two programs at BCM here in Houston and met a few people that went to A&M but most attended Rice or UT, some from Baylor too. Make sure you get the earliest orientation and look up your professors on sites like “ratemyprofessor” and pick the easiest teachers. Pretty much all of my teachers give out grades other than my chemistry teacher and chemistry is easy anyway. All you have to do is get pretty much all B’s and a few A’s and you’re off to Austin. Lots of pretty ladies at UTSA and they have really good facilities. Of course I’m biased towards UT and will say theirs are better but, I’ll be at UTSA for a year so I may as well enjoy it.</p>
<p>The thing about cap is youre at least a decent worker if you got in, and going to a random school feels bad. </p>
<p>A&Ms campus was way too bland for me, I like cities. </p>
<p>This is really good advice i wouldnt have thought of, thanks for being so chill. When you got to austin did you have troublr getting certain services from the school or making friends?</p>
<p>Yeah, A&M’s campus seemed the same way to me. Also, there was this air of hate towards UT. Every chance he got, the tour guide bad mouthed UT. I saw none of this at UT towards A&M. I actually have yet to go to Austin as I will be entering UTSA this month. I do however, know a lot of people at UT and still speak to my college advisor all the time, who is a UT alumni. I did a lot of research into it and I’d like to share what I’ve gathered with those who have more time to make a difference than I did. </p>
<p>I chose UTSA based on the fact that it not only has the highest transfer rates for CAP students, but it also admits a lot of students who have low GPA’s and low test scores. By doing this, you maximize your chances at an easy transfer. The amount of CAP students at UTSA increases the chances of you making friends there and all of you transferring to Austin together so you wouldn’t have to make new friends. All of my friends that are either going to UT, at UT, or have been to UT say that their offices aren’t really that helpful and you have to do a lot of the stuff on your own.</p>
<p>I can say that through my experience, UT is very slow with getting things done. In contrast, UTSA is very fast with getting things done, but they often provide inaccurate information and seem to have a problem comprehending simple questions. The CAP advisors are great though. I can’t say for sure, but I think UTSA is the only CAP school that has CAP advisors, I know UTA doesn’t.</p>
<p>“Make sure you get the earliest orientation and look up your professors on sites like ratemyprofessor and pick the easiest teachers. Pretty much all of my teachers give out grades” - HookemBeevo
HookemBeevo & I have a totally different approach to taking classes & how to go about it. I always look for the most rigorous professors rather than the easiest. I guess it just depends on what we are looking for. I plan on attending graduate school in hopes of earning a PhD therefore I feel I have to take a different route if I plan on getting into a good graduate school. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with taking easy professors I was just given that advice from people who already have doctorates & are doing what I’d like to do. To each his own.</p>
<p>Well if i need a 4.0 to get into a engineering transfer…plus cap courses are more core classed</p>
<p>No prob there, you gotta do what you gotta do. Good luck!!</p>
<p>By all means, take more rigorous courses. Just know that if you tease the line between transferring and not transferring, it’s your fault. If you don’t get at least a 3.2, you’re stuck there and no school in the same league as UT will accept you as a transfer, especially into engineering. Yes it seems like the easy way out, but it’s the smartest choice for those in our situation and if taken advantage of, can provide an advantage over other UT students due to your easy curriculum compared to UT’s. If that’s the case, then it’s their experience that will give them an advantage over us and would balance things out. If there are any grammatical or spelling errors, please excuse them as I’m on my phone.</p>