It was really hard to get into Purdue Honors this year. I think admit rate was 8.something percent. I’d seriously consider Purdue. Where are you located?
There are a lot of great research opportunities at Purdue and the new honors dorm is fabulous. Another plus on the financial side for Purdue is that they haven’t raised tuition in the last 6 years and currently have a freeze on tuition for the next 2.
That being said I think the type of education and opportunities you will get at Purdue and UT Austin are comparable. The main difference in the 2 schools would be one is in the heart of a big city and the other isn’t. So does your S have a preference of if he wants an urban or rural school?
I live in Texas but don’t have a student at UT (although my D’s best friend is there) but I do have a student at Purdue and would be happy to answer any other specific questions you might have about that school.
My DD just graduated in Chem from our state school and is now first yr grad school. Once the usual boxes were checked (grades and scores), Grad school admissions was all about her undergrad research – particularly her summer REU and ACS conference presentations. Her research and the support of her professors was a direct result of her Honor’s program; she would not be where she is today without it. I would definitely talk to others in the Purdue Honor’s program and find out more.
As far as Georgia Tech, IMHO, abandon that. Freshman year is very important to learn your way around & establish relationships. Don’t go in somewhere behind the curve. And transferring out-of-state credits? I shudder to think about it.
Other questions to ask:
- At UT, can he take honor’s classes without being in the honor’s program? If not, what is the size difference in the classes? What other advantages will the honor’s students get that he won’t?
- Where will your son get the most support for research as an undergrad? Some schools we looked at sounded great on paper, but when we investigated further, we discovered it was lip service to undergrad research. The undergrads didn't actually do anything, the grad students did it all. Ask what internships/REU's/summer experiences their undergrad students have done. What does the dept and/or honor's college do to help the student with that process?
- Where will he feel most comfortable? Wherever he lands, he will need to seek out and actively pursue his research opportunities, and if he is not happy/comfortable there, he will be less likely to push himself.
- If he does decide to shift majors, say Chem to ChemE or Materials, can he do that easily/how far behind would he be?
- Last but not least -- make sure you tour the Chem dept, and look around carefully. You can tell a lot about a program by seeing the labs and the study areas. Arrange ahead of time to speak to an actual Chem student and meet with a Chem professor specifically. Ask questions about lab classes -- how crowded are they? What kind of shape is the equipment in? Are supplies readily available?
Good Luck! It sounds like he has two great options to choose from, which is the best place to be 
I am I awe wth all the responses. Specifically from those who are doing it or teaching it.
We are visiting Texas in a couple weeks and will see first hand
Today … he just got in the honors program at va tech too.
So
We do have first world problems.
And There are two more big schools that have not reported yet.
At this point … and along with the last comment from clkmom… Purdue looks really good.
But … must see Texas and decide
We know a ton about Purdue… a visit there the summer before last was quite wonderful
And this is saying a lot since I graduated from IU some 200 years ago.
The only thing we don’t know about, is Texas
I think at this point the real choices is between Purdue Honors and VaTech honors. Both will offer extra opportunities that being one among hundreds at UT won’t.
Explore the differences between what honors entails at both, perhaps plan for a day there.
Be sure to consider the Chemistry building facilities (assuming a separate building). Are the undergrad labs run down or recently renovated? What are the courses offered, required, research opportunities in courses, grad level courses available… Chemistry is still hands on. Want good facilities, chances to “play” with equipment et al. How well off is the department- able to have the expensive equipment for undergrads, do actual labs (not just watching prof do it)…
If your planning on visiting UT anyway, go to see it and get a feel. I would also look at what research each school is doing and see what appeals to your student. UT does not hand kids research but opportunities abound if they are pursued. I think it comes down to fit and costs overall. I have a friend with a daughter who is Chem E at UT and one who is Mech E at Purdue. Totally different experiences but both have been positive.
By the way … we visited last week.
Ut Austin is a wonderful school and full of very helpful people and great students and good programs.
That being said, and article in the Washington Post today drove home the point that it was exceptional to be accepted at all as an out of state student at Texas. There is no chance he would have access to the honors program and we won’t hear about the research initiative application for another month. Not even a hope for any type of break on the 54k tuition
Our impression is that Texas is for Texans. Purdue is the choice for us.
@Dan Dad I am a senior 18 who is choosing between UT Austin and Purdue. I am from Texas and have In-State tuition at UT Austin, but I do not have honors. At Purdue I have the Presidential Scholarship ($10,000/ year) as well as honors. I am a chemical engineer. I would like to share some observations from a student’s perspective.
Cost: I would focus on that to begin with. Both offer an amazing education and would give similar return on investments, so it comes down to how much are you willing to pay? They are about the same for me, so I was able to analyze the programs in more dept.
Fit: Besides cost, fit is probably the second most important to consider. I went to UT Austin now twice and loved it both times, but when I visited Purdue it felt like home. The things that made me love it were: the architecture (all the buildings are very aesthetically pleasing), it is a very walk-able campus, lots of green space, and very nice people (when I looked lost people asked to help me before I asked them for help). Also, I love the football culture at Purdue. I like how there is a sports culture, but that is not solely what the school is known for.
Academics: Both are very high ranking programs, so you will receive an amazing education at either.
I then compared the opportunities with the Purdue Honors College:
~Honors students get 2 year old dorms. These dorms are huge and very nice. Another plus is that there are advisors and classrooms within the buildings. An added bonus was the amazing Harry Potter style study hall.
~Honors students get priority registration. This was huge for me since I want to major and triple minor. This relieves the stress about classes. Also, it guarantees that the student can control if they get a 4 year or 5 year education.
~Honors students get special advisors. An honors advisor has 200 students compared to a regular advisor who has 2,000 students.
~ Those are the main 3 pros, but there are also special classes honors students take, special honors study abroad opportunities, and special leadership opportunities.
I then tried looking for those same opportunities at UT Austin.
~At UT they do housing based on first come first serve. That means that if you have not done it by now you are probably not getting into San Jacinto or Duren (the nicest dorms). My friend is housed in Jester; it is nice, but very small and old feeling compared to the honors dorms at Purdue.
~I asked my friend how class registration at UT works. He told me that during orientation you are placed in a large room. The classes open at a certain time and you have to copy and paste class numbers over to get the classes. He told me that the classes fill quickly, so if your computer has lag you may not get the class you want. That means you could easily have to add a fifth year.
~At UT I felt like I would be a number and not a person.
For me, the decision was clear- I am going to commit soon to Purdue. Boiler Up!
My daughter is on the precipice of deciding between Purdue (non-honors) and Univ of Cincinnati (Honors
Where did you get the info & can you tell me more about your statement
“…what they didn’t like about Purdue? If it is recent data specifically about mistreatment of undergrads, or consistent poor-quality work of first year grad students coming out of Purdue, that would be one thing.”
I need to hear more about that!
@EsDad - That was directed to Dan Dad who had reported that an acquaintance didn’t like Purdue. Without knowing the details of the reasons for that specific dislike, there is no way to know if what ever it was that was dislikable is pertinent to any student who is currently looking at Purdue. To reach Dan Dad, click on the blue user name and send a PM. Depending on how he has his preferences set up, you message might reach his email inbox.
Depending on how cheerful and gossipy the students are, and how well they warm to potential freshmen, current students should be able to respond with reasonable accuracy to questions about how they are treated by faculty. The faculty members themselves can report on where students have landed for grad school in recent years, and time to finish and post-doc and industry placements can give some sense of whether or not they entered grad school well-prepared.
I know a kid who went to Purdue who was a finalist to work on the Hadron collider in Switzerland. Every person I have known who went to Purdue is in good if not very good employment. Purdue is not Cal Tech, perhaps, but good grades from Purdue will get you anywhere you want to go as well as any other school in the country.
Boiler up the !
Boiler is … then! (Editing on an iPad can be precarious)
My next door neighbor’s daughter just graduated with a degree in chemistry. She had numerous grad schools to choose from and is at Rice currently. She loved the university and had a great education. She was not in Plan 2 or in honors but is crazy smart. I think UT would be great. (and I am an Aggie)
I’m guessing the choice was Purdue 
Congratulations!