Hi,
My S18 and I have started doing some research regarding UT-D, the academic and social offerings, and the scholarship opportunities that may be available to him. We have reviewed some of the material on line, but real world responses are always helpful.
He is in position to potentially receive National Merit Finalist awards, and is a high testing student.
ECs and GPA are ‘ok’. We are OOS. 36 ACT comp. 1530 SAT.
So, a few questions to start:
Is McDermott a sub set of NMF awards or independent of it, or …?
Is it helpful to start a dialogue with the school now?
UT-D has a blossoming reputation in terms of STEM education. How about other academic subjects?
McDermott is independent of the NMF scholarship. Many but not all McDermott scholars are NMF. They of course are not stackable; if a student gets McDermott they do not also get the NMF package.
Highly recommend setting up a tour as a potential honors/NMF. I did this by contacting the NMF point of contact on the UTD website, and she set up a wonderful personalized full-day visit. In fact I emailed her before S even had his PSAT score back. He took the PSAT sophomore year and got a 220 selection index, which would have made the cutoff for Texas , and he felt good about the 2016 PSAT. The NMF contact at UTD was happy to arrange a visit just on that info…it is definitely not necessary to wait until you’re sure your S is a semifinalist. If you’re interested in McDermott you can visit with that department, just let the coordinator know. We sat with a McDermott rep and had a very interesting session. S doesn’t plan to apply, but it was great to have the opportunity to learn about McDermott.
My S is a STEM kid so I haven’t done much research on non-STEM offerings at UTD but I believe the business school has a good reputation. Humanities and fine arts majors, probably less so as a primary major (although as a minor or second major they might be great).
There is no football team, and no plan to ever have a football team. Sports are division 3 and the campus is definitely not a rah-rah sports school. That’s a plus for some and a minus for others.
Financially, is McDermott basically like the NMF with an additional stipend of a few thousand dollars?
EDIT: I found the McDermott breakdown. It was unclear, but appears room and board ARE totally included for McDermott, and then some.
My sons SI is 221. Out state cut off was 219 LAST year. With the newly discovered rise in commended of two points this year, I think we are on the edge - of course won’t know until the fall. We may have a chance to visit this summer, if so we will reach out to the honors/NMF folks in advance.
I agree with everything @traveler98 says. My DD is there as a freshman on the NMF scholarship. She now somewhat regrets not trying for the McDermott. The application for the McDermott does take some work so at the time she was happy with the NMF package (and still is) but they do get some extra benefits that she would have liked; including $12,000 for study abroad vs $6000 for NM, learning how to play golf, tickets to more of the symphony/orchestra performances and just some additional perks. The NM and McDermott’s do socialize quite a bit and they do know each other. I am happy to report that the school has honored all commitments to my DD and continues to support her fully in everything she is trying to do. It was an excellent choice for her.
My DD is a feshman as well and is on the AES (just missed NMF) She did apply to McDermott but was not selected. McDermott offers full ride plus a stipend monthly for living expenses. It also offers enhanced social and development opportunities and higher levels for Study Abroad etc. Fantastic program and comparable to any of the top tier offerings at major flagships, like the 40 Acres at UT, Alumni Distinguished at Michigan State and the many other similar type programs. R&B is covered and the monthly stipend make sit more like a major college athletic scholarship IMO.
@txsparty and @GTAustin
Thanks, may I ask what your kids are studying at UTD?
Are the Dorms really as well configured as they appear? I have much familiarity with University dorms, and UTDs seem more spacious and private than the typical dorm. (I understand the issue with a lack of dorm inventory in general)
The dorms are AWESOME! Recently built, well maintained, nicely situated on campus, and each student gets a single bedroom with a locking door. The bedrooms are nicely sized. It isn’t explicitly stated but it was implied that it’s easier for honors students (whether NMF, McDermott, or direct application to Honors) to get spots in the dorms.
The dorms are the best I have ever seen. Each person gets their own bedroom but also sink and drawers. The honor students are located in RHS. Another nice thing is the parking right next to the dorm for a minimal amount of money.
My DD is majoring in CS but just picked up a 2nd bachelors in cognitive science with an emphasis in human-computer interactions and intelligence systems. She is also getting a minor in fine art. She did go in with 27 AP hours and is taking 6 more hours this summer at a CC to get all this done in 4 years. She is using her travel abroad stipend for studing art in Florence this summer. Life is good!
My DD is in JSOM and still considering options. Is currently a General Business Management but is considering Accounting now or possibly the new HR major coming next year. She entered with 22 credits in AP and is enjoying that she can take some classes outside her core. She is taking a music class in the fall (she misses choir) and is in both the CV honors and the DMHP (business honors program. She plans to do at least one study abroad maybe next summer as well. NIce to be two classes away from junior status at end of freshman year, it opens a lot of options!
^Room and board is always factored in all 4 years. stipend is $400 a month during 1st year since they pay for room and board. Years 2-4, stipend is 1400 a month, and you pay rent with part of the stipend
Yes, it is meant to be something they start to include as part of their budgeting (which I love as a tool!) I only meant to say not to expect room and board the entire four years. I wasn’t sure if that was clear in previous posts…
Is McDermott a sub set of NMF awards or independent of it, or ....?
The McDermotts are treated well at UTD. In addition to getting money to spend a year abroad, they’re constantly going on retreats and meeting various business and community leaders. They get to go to many cultural events for free. So if your kids have good credentials, definitely apply for it. My son is kind of a laid back kid so he’s not McDermott material, but he’s likeable so they ask him to do things with them all the time. I’ve taken a few out to dinner and such. They’re talented kids, but I’ve also met equally talented non-McDermott kids at UTD. And there are a few McDermotts that have no social skills. Makes me wonder how they ever got selected. So what does that mean? It’s a crap shoot among the top applicants. But the privileges that go along with McDermott is fairly impressive.
NMF is good, but not the travel and networking perks like McDermott.
Is it helpful to start a dialogue with the school now?
Not really necessary.
UT-D has a blossoming reputation in terms of STEM education. How about other academic subjects?
Engineering, business, pre-med are good. Liberal arts, not so much. Fine arts, definitely not so much, though that means more opportunities for non-Fine Arts students to do Fine Arts. My son’s been in a some plays and musicals. He has friends who started their own orchestra, and that orchestra has a choir component that has over 200,000 views with one of their videos.
@txsparty, if she likes choir, there are some good options. Kathryn Evans kind of runs the show there. Since performing arts is weak at UTD, she can easily get into the choirs there. Then if she wants to do more, there are some student-run choirs. Then there are always opportunities in musical theater. They’re putting on urinetown next fall. The opera Marriage of Figaro is being performed at the end of this month.
As for JSOM, CV isn’t really necessary. The CV lounge can be unwelcoming and there’s really no reason to take additional courses. The only advantage is the earlier registration. DMHP is good, but look into the professional programs if the major offers it. And Business Laws honors is a terrible class. The professor, though personable, grades it competitively. That means that even if a student works hard, he can still get a D because someone has to be at the bottom and it doesn’t matter if the difference between a B+ and a C- is something ridiculous like 3%. As for the profession programs, the Accounting professional program (PPA) is worth joining as most of the top 10 biggest accounting firms recruit at UTD. The PPF (Finance) is rather new, so no war stories yet.
I would recommend that she does the PPA program and get out in 3 years with a master’s degree in accounting and possibly a job with one of the big 4s.
My kid is sharp but, as I have said elsewhere, not really honed in on a field of study or interest. I have him considering Actuarial Science or Accounting or Finance. And if he leans that way, AND gets good merit from UT D, it may be a good fit.
This is how I interpreted it. That is a remarkable opportunity for those lucky enough to be honored.
Back with a few more questions, figured I would try to keep them in this thread rather than starting a new one.
Can anyone comment on what the club and intramural sports scene is like at UTD? This might be an avenue for socializing that will work well for my son. Organized and somewhat competitive would be ok.
I understand housing space is inadequate. Does that mean one can not spend 4 years living on campus if they wish?
What is a summer tour likely to look like? It might be our best chance to view campus, and I am concerned an already commuter heavy school may be downright lifeless in the summer.
Any commentary specifically related to the Bachelor of Science Actuarial Science (AS) degree?
I believe that McDermott/National Merit students get priority in on campus housing. Freshmen are in dorms and after that they usually move to on campus apartments.
I can’t comment on availability, but both the dorms and the apartments were super-duper nice, and the apartment complex had bbq grills and a great pool complex, including a pool house / rec lounge.
Re: finance - Have you visited yet? If you do, you’ll meet with Michael Seeligson, head of the Honors and NMF programs. He’s a JD who’s working on a doctorate in Finance. Chat him up.
@DiotimaDM
No, as per my statements above, we have not visited and would not until the summer. Would certainly love to discuss directly with Mr. Seeligson …
