<p>Im applying to both ut at austin engineering school and texas a&m college station, both are engineering colleges, but im curious on how strong, influential i guess, they both are nationally. I would be accepted to both because of my rank and i live in TX, but im unsure about which is the better advantage. I'm looking towards an aerospace major, so any views on either or both colleges?</p>
<p>Both are pretty darned strong. They're also huge programs, so if you don't mind huge programs, then they'd both be excellent. They're <em>very</em> different in terms of atmosphere, so be sure to visit them both.</p>
<p>...and you're NEVER going to see a better example of the fact that I'm not biased!! =P</p>
<p>aibarr
Rice alumna</p>
<p>Feel free not to answer this question if it puts you on the spot: would you recommend UIUC for UNDERGRADUATE engineering? Or, if you prefer, what type of students or objectives would match UIUC better than, say, Rice, for undergraduate engineering?</p>
<p>Rrrk! eep... umm...</p>
<p>Well... UIUC has a very good program. It's very <em>different</em> from the undergrad program at Rice. I've gotta say... Shopping around for undergrad programs, I was not interested in a rah-rah frat/sorority kegger Animal House type traditional university. I wanted small classes, people who were nuts about their academics and passionate about learning (and that's learning <em>everything</em>, not just what's in their classes...) and the "traditional" college experience was just not something I was looking for.</p>
<p>That being said, I can't imagine attending UIUC as an undergraduate student. I imagine that if you visited and you really liked the atmosphere you found here, you'd love it here. UIUC really does offer a classic college experience. The opportunities here are immense. There's a niche for everyone (except a bitter, disaffected grad student like myself... but that's neither here nor there. ;) ) The downside? The classes border on huge more often than not. Even as a grad student, I find that all the professors I've encountered have distanced themselves from the students. Occasionally, one or two will throw a barbecue or something where the students stand around outside while a professor drinks a beer and lectures them about their days as a grad student, but that's pretty much it. If you're looking for a program where your professors will be your mentors and your friends, UIUC's not the place for you. That's much more Rice's style.</p>
<p>Both schools have top-notch undergraduate engineering programs. You can't go wrong with either one, academically speaking. Beyond that, it's a matter primarily of personality-matching. Just be sure to visit both before you decide.</p>
<p>Hope that helps!</p>
<p>Thanks, aibarr.</p>
<p>I guess for the dimension along which you are drawing the contrast, UIUC would be similar to Michigan and Berkeley, while Rice would be similar to Princeton, Harvey Mudd, Olin, and Caltech. (Of course there will be differences along other dimensions of comparison.)</p>
<p>Thank you aibarr, that is an objective observation if i ever read one. I've visited ut at austin three times due to debate meets, and it was really awesome, huge, friendly people, real college feeling; but i have never been to a&m college station, im going this friday.</p>