My daughter has full scholarship to pursue Comp Sci in UTD. Acceptance to college of Engg but no scholarship in A&M. We are torn as to which one to pick. Advise?
We live near UTD.
Find out from the Texas A&M CS department what college GPA gives a good likelihood of admission to the CS major in the secondary admission process. 3.5 is automatic admission, but 3.5 college GPA is typically a lot harder to earn than 3.5 high school GPA.
UTD with a full ride is attractive anyway, although pay attention to any GPA requirements to renew the scholarship.
Full scholarship to UTD as in full ride or tuition?
Look at TAMUs ETAM stats and the process.
https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/undergraduate/entry-to-a-major/index.html
Look at the TAMU ETAM thread for more resources, CS is very competitive.
If there is any chance of a change of major, which school would you pick?
Full tuition.
Yeah, so that is different, would you have her commute to UTD?
TAMU is about 12K a yr or so for now for tuition.
She is pretty set on her major. She wants CS. We will try to find out if all CS entrants are auto admits, if that is the case it’s probably not safe to risk the major and tuition award at UTD is what we are thinking.
Yes. It’s a commuter school but they do have good dorms if she wants to stay the first year.
I believe tuition is same in UTD. Scholarship is 13k a year.
I hear internship ops and research ops are better at A&M, reason we are contemplating. We have to come up with some major options in case she doesn’t make it to CS at TAMU.
She is a very strong student, did she miss NMSF? She has no merit money at TAMU at all?
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We will try to find out if all CS entrants are auto admits<< At TAMU this requires a 3.5 gpa and the proper course reqs.
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Yes she missed it. Top 10% and perfect ACT score…
Money is not a huge deal breaker, if she can get into CS at TAMU. She hasn’t really thought about what else she would be interested in.
If money is no issue it really comes down to if she likes it, TAMU does have a certain flavor, you are waiting on other schools? She has visited TAMU and UTD? What does she make of them both as an either or?
We haven’t visited either of them yet. We shall soon.
With computer science, prestige really doesn’t mean anything, because it’s an industry driven by practical work experience. UTD is still a top CS program nonetheless. Dallas is also a tech hub city, which means internships and job prospects, plus he’s graduating debt free.
The downside of UTD is the atmosphere. It’s a commuter school with zero school spirit. A&M is the exact opposite. It really comes down to preference if you can afford to pay for A&M.
As you have visited neither yet live up the road from one, it would seem neither would really be top of your list, right? These are your back ups? The thing about TAMU, is will she love it if she thinks of it as a backup plan? Lots of kids would end up at UTD for the money and their high stats. That won’t mean much at TAMU. I wouldn’t pay for TAMU over UTD if she dosesn’t like the TAMU shebang. The Brockman and Brown scholarships were not in play?
What Sybylla is alluding to above regarding the TAMU ETAM process is VERY REAL. If you are not the tip top of your class, you will be asked to change majors at TAMU. If you are okay with that, then TAMU is a viable choice. If you are certain that Computer Science is what you want to major in and you would NOT be okay with the possibility of TAMU telling you at the end of your Freshman year, either change majors or leave the University then UTD is a wiser/safer choice. Don’t be naive and think it can’t happen to you. Every freshman admitted to the CS program are 4.0 HS GPA and high ACT/SAT scoring students. Only the very top will get to stay. THIS IS A HUGE RISK. There is a very real possibility that even freshman GPA’s between 3.0 and 3.49 will not get their major of choice.
OPs kid is an outstanding student. Probably no huge risk.
UT D is upping the campus vibe and the dorms are very nice. I know a number of happy UTD first years.
TAMU is bigger than the town of college station and reflects its ag history by remaining a favorite of families who don’t have a preference for an urban area. It is a big enough school that you are still likely to find like minded people regardless of your bent.
If you visit both schools, your daughter will have a preference because they are so different.
Your reference to TAMU’s “ag history” and its being bigger than the town of College Station is a bit misleading. Today’s A&M is not your grand-daddy’s A&M of the 1960s. The Bryan-College Station metro area is now around 250,000 people and is consistently ranked as one of the fastest growing areas in the country. If you are looking for restaurants, retail, etc. you will find everything you could possibly need as a college student in Bryan-College Station. That being said, A&M is still not in midtown Manhattan. It is a Southeastern Conference school and definitely maintains a college town vibe, especially in the areas around campus.
UTD is in the city of Richardson…not Dallas. IT IS BY NO MEANS URBAN. As a matter of fact its location is the epitome of generic, suburban sprawl. It is located in the land of strip malls and restaurant chains and is almost 20 miles from downtown Dallas.
Both are great schools (especially for STEM). A&M is for a student who really wants to experience the traditional college feel whereas UTD is for a student who just wants to take his classes without all of the campus distractions.