<p>I am a hardcore conservative. I like most of what I hear about UT except that I hear it's pretty liberal, is this true? I know people come to UT from all around Texas, not just Austin.</p>
<p>Compared to the northeast, UT is conservative! My son is thrilled to be in Texas. One of the very first things his new roommate said to him was, “I saw the Bible on your bookshelf - are you going to church tomorrow? Can I get a ride with you?” My son almost literally fainted - that conversation would almost NEVER happen in Maine. He feels very comfortable on campus as a hardcore conservative. (I know “religious” is different from “conservative,” but you get the idea!)</p>
<p>^^I agree with ML…I know UT has a reputation of being liberal but compared to what? A&M? yes, maybe…but remember, it is still in Texas which is largely conservative and MOST of the students come from all over the state…the beauty of UT is that it is really “everything and anything you want it to be”…</p>
<p>As the others have said, more liberal than basically all of Texas. But, there are still plenty of conservative viewpoints.</p>
<p>In comparison to home, I feel Austin/UT is pretty liberal. Most people I’ve met are not religious and even my professors (Engineering major) mock students’ religion (IE. The other day in my core class , my professor was poking fun at “redemption” between Buddhists, Christians, etc.).</p>
<p>Thanks guys, and yes I am a Christian as well. If I get accepted to UT I will probably go then, but if not I’ll probably go to Texas Tech which I hear is also conservative.</p>
<p>if you want conservative, try Texas A&M</p>
<p>I’m a liberal who comes from the DFW area and Austin is so much more liberal than that part of Texas. But I think it’s just because it’s more open. Not necessarily liberal, but just more accepting of everyone and all viewpoints. I tend to the think the professors lean more left. Especially government. But you can definitely join YCT (Young Conservatives of Texas) and get involved there and there are plenty of groups you can get involved with to find people you agree with. There are people of all types here.</p>
<p>But iambored10 is right, if you’re a hardcore conservative and like to be surrounded by people who agree with you, you may want to check out Texas A&M. Texas may not be right for you if that’s the case.</p>
<p>I’m from Portland, Oregon – one of the most liberal cities in the country – and I think UT is just as liberal.</p>
<p>Austin is very liberal; the top 100 people of my graduating class pretty much split down the middle. About 50 went to T.U. all of whom were very liberal, and about 50 went to A&M too with about 35 being conservative and 15 being liberal.</p>
<p>I have plenty of conservative friends who are happy to be at UT. It just depends on how conservative you are. If you can’t stand being around people who are pretty liberal, then this probably isn’t the place for you. But, I assure you, there are plenty of clubs to join where you’ll meet people who share your interests and ideals.</p>
<p>Unlike some other “liberal” environments, conservatives at UT aren’t considered stupid, heartless, or “out there”. There truly is a place for everyone at UT, and even if the people around you don’t share your beliefs/worldview/political leanings, you will be accepted. People tend to focus on what they have in common: same section of Statistics, enjoy Monsters and Werewolves, cheering for the football team, etc.
Both of my kids are politically conservative, active in their church, pro-life, non-drinkers (you get the picture) and feel at home at UT. Unlike their peers at more conservative schools, they have friends who are very different from themselves. They find that differences can be very interesting. Diversity is about so much more than skin color!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^^^ It is very interesting how the smarter kids tend to be more liberal. You said that out of the top 100 kids in your graduating class, a total of 65 were liberal and 35 were conservative. However, this seems to fit the normal trend around the country. So why is that conservatives tend to dumber? I personally think that the social conservatives are the “dumb part” of the republican party. I am a fiscal conservative who does not associate with the religious-social aspect of the G.O.P. If the republican party is to survive and grow, it needs to do away with its social conservative values, and FULLY embrace fiscal conservatism.</p>
<p>*** I know most of my post is kind of off-point, but I felt like pointing out how out of the “smarter” kids more tend to be liberal, while out of the “smart kids” few tend to be conservative.</p>
<p>it’s UT* by the way. Silly illiterate Aggies.</p>
<p>I think the key word of your statement Colleges00701 & TexasAggie92 is “smart kids” or “smarter kids” is the word KIDS…
Youth tends to be more liberal, age brings more conservative thoughts.
I do believe A&M tends to be more conservative than ut for sure, but it isnt the ultra conservative school most at ut believe it to be.</p>
<p>^^ smarter 18-28 year olds.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>^^^ That may be true, but look at all the college professors (most have PhDs) who tend to be pretty liberal. Generally there tends to be a correlation between higher educational degrees and political views. I guess correlation does not imply causation, but I still think there must be something connecting the two.</p>
<p>Colleges, the 65/35 ratio says nothing about who is smarter. What if those 100 students came from a school that is 85% liberal? Then clearly the conservatives are smarter than the liberals. </p>
<p>And college professors tend to be liberal because universities attract liberals. There’s no mystery there.</p>
<p>UT is a huge university and with so many students from so many different backgrounds (and most from Texas), there is bound to be a large number of conservative students on campus. I do feel that alumni, particularly older alumni, seem to be more conservative as expected.</p>
<p>Relative to other college campuses across the country, I’d classify UT as liberal based on my interactions with faculty and students and general observations on campus, and also with the ethnic diversity of the student body. Small things I’ve noticed many times on campus like gay/lesbian or interracial couples and pot smoking help reinforce this perception, and it probably also helps that the surrounding neighborhoods lean strongly left. Certainly relative to other schools in the region (e.g., A&M, Baylor, OU), UT feels very liberal.</p>
<p>But it’s hard to get a true sense of the political leaning of the student body as a whole, because there seems to be a low level of political engagement among students–at least for a university of this size. There may well be more more moderates or conservatives on campus than liberals–but without surveying everyone you’d never know it, because there’s a definite liberal vibe on campus.</p>