Hello all! I’d love to hear your thoughts on any of the questions below!
I’ve had some trouble deciding between two schools (Texas A&M and Arizona) and am looking for some insight regarding the following areas:
I'm looking to study biomedical engineering as an undergraduate. Both schools are similarly ranked by many sources, but can anyone offer a candid comparison between the engineering departments at these schools? Is one much better?
I would be a member of the National Merit Scholars program at either of these schools. Are any current/former students or parents familiar with how well these universities would support me? (Is one much better?)
As a child, I never imagined myself going to a D1 public school in the south. I have nothing against either of these schools, of course. They are outstanding institutions in my mind. My only concern: Can a left-leaning valedictorian from Ohio fit in at either of these big southern state schools?
I’d like to note that I don’t feel like I’m “better than” the typical state school student because of my dedication to my high school education and I am also fairly moderate politically, but would love it if anyone could give me their perspective! I feel like I am stereotyped AGAINST these schools and welcome any replies that would help me to better comprehend the culture of Texas and Arizona respectively!
I might have the chance to walk onto the varsity tennis team at these schools (more likely Arizona). Should that be a factor in my college decision? If so, does being a student-athlete make your undergraduate life significantly better or worse AS AN ENGINEERING STUDENT?
Thank you in advance to any and all respondents! This is a huge decision for me and every response helps tremendously!
Have you visited both schools? I have family members who attended A & M. It is VERY conservative, and the military corps is very visible on campus and at events. On the other hand, I would not consider U of A conservative. Go in person, see how you feel.
Thanks LongRangePlan! I agree with your thoughts on the political environments. I neglected the fact that the demographic of the U of Arizona is not the same as the state itself.
Also, I plan to visit both in March if I am confirmed as a National Merit Finalist. I agree that visits are a great way to get a feel for the campus and university. Maybe some responses to this thread will give me an idea of whether or not I should travel to one of these campuses because it’s just not a good fit.
Texas A&M is one of the most conservative campuses in the nation. My spouse and I both attended (and LOVE) A&M, and our daughter is currently a freshman there. There are, of course, some liberal students in A&M’s student body of more than 50,000, but you should be aware that it is historically a very conservative, traditional school. I also believe that the culture at A&M is much more southern than that of Arizona, but that A&M actually has more of a Texas-southern rather than a “deep south” culture. It is also helpful to consider the GPA required to maintain your National Merit Scholarship at various schools, especially if you are considering taking on the additional responsibility of being a student athlete. At A&M, the GPA required to maintain your scholarship is 3.5, which is significantly higher than average GPA for freshman students in its college of engineering. I would strongly encourage you to visit all the campuses you are considering and do lot of research before making your decision. Best of luck and Gig 'em!
@86aggie makes an excellent point about the 3.5 GPA at A&M. While not all A&M scholarships require a 3.5, the National Merit and the Presidents Endowed, both of which you should get from A&M if you are a NMF, do require a 3.5 GPA even if you are in engineering. Also, the A&M National Merit scholarship does not cover the entire cost of attendance, so unless you get other scholarships, it will be more expensive for you to attend A&M as a NMF. (Having said that, there are many other scholarships available at A&M, and perhaps you already have enough offered to be full ride there).
Thanks 86aggie! As Barfly noted, nice point with the GPA requirement. Knowing that will help me to be more informed about what to ask if (wish I could say “when” but I’ll have to wait a week or two!) I do indeed visit the campus. I’ll be sure to look into the cultures you referenced to be more informed.
Could you explain what you meant by A&M being a very “traditional” school? I know of the standing at sporting events, but that’s about it!
Also, this may be a question you cannot answer, but: When you and your wife attended, did you ever hear of a National Merit student NOT maintaining a scholarship? I mostly just don’t want you to respond “yes”. I’m sure it’s happened before, regardless.
Thanks Barfly! I do believe you’re spot on with all of what you said.
Based on what I understand, Texas A&M’s scholarship is 140k of 160k over 4 years while Arizona’s scholarship is 120k of 160k over 4 years. Roughly.
As you and 86aggie noted, though, I would have to maintain my GPA in both cases. I’ll be sure to look into how difficult that would be at each university!
@biomedicaltennis, Observing tradition is an integral part of the Aggie experience, the “Spirit of Aggieland”. Many traditions are tied to the Corps of Cadets and to athletics, especially football. Other traditions are simply deeply ingrained parts the Aggie culture, passed on through generations. For example, A&M has yell leaders (not cheerleaders), the students stand throughout all football games to symbolize the spirit of the 12th Man, we have midnight yell practice before each home football game, we say “Howdy” when passing each other on campus, most Aggies wear their Aggie rings throughout our lifetime, etc. By the way, the Corps is indeed a visible presence and keeper of traditions on campus; however there are many, many other student organizations and ways to be involved on campus.
I do not personally know of any NM students at A&M who have not maintained their scholarships. Seriously consider, though, that Texas A&M Engineering in general is a very demanding. A relatively small percentage of freshman engineering majors achieve a GPA higher than 3.5. I would encourage you to contact the Dwight Look College of Engineering at A&M and/or the TAMU Scholarship office directly for scholarship renewal statistics.
I personally know several NMs and National Hispanic Scholars who did not maintain scholarships for all 4 years, and I know several who did. There are more NM students in engineering at A&M than in any other major. And a 3.5 is challenging. Some won’t be able to make the GPA especially if they are very involved in other campus activities. But that’s just reality anywhere I think.
I’m not sure where your numbers are coming from for the NM package, but I know OOS tuition is waived. Still, I think the actual package leaves you about 10k to pay per year unless you get other scholarships. But lots of NM students do get other scholarships. Have you been offered any yet or any interviews for any?
@86aggie Thanks again! I have received some information from the Corps of Cadets, but don’t really understand how I would fit in with the group. It seems like while there are military aspects to the program, it’s mostly meant to promote Aggie culture and unity. I would love to be a part of a community like the Corps if that’s what it’s about, but I don’t have any interest in serving abroad or being treated like a soldier, per say. Would you recommend that I apply (given your understanding of my academic situation) or concern myself more with maintaining my GPA?
I love the fact that students acknowledge each other on campus, as I hope to be a part of a warm community like that wherever I end up. I certainly believe that southern hospitality is a real thing.
Also, I will be sure to look at stats or contact the engineering and fin-aid departments. If I learn anything of interest, I can post it here if you’d like!
@Barfly You’re probably right. I feel pretty confident that I will end up getting the additional 20-40k to cover my undergraduate expenses through my community and other scholarship providers outside of the university. I’m very fortunate to live in a town that gives near 1 million in total scholarships to local graduates, both for merit and need-based reasons.
Regarding interviews, I applied for other A&M scholarships but am waiting to hear back. I still have 3 months to choose my college, so there’s likely still time. Plus, I’m still in the running (or so I think) for many national scholarship competitions that I won’t bother you with, unless you want to know of them all
@Corinthian Thanks for that! I did originally neglect that fact the the University of Arizona has a political environment that is pretty well independent of the state of Arizona as a whole. I just looked and found that the opposite is the case for Brazos County, where College Station is located. Turns out the margin is 20 percent wider in Brazos County than the state of Texas as a whole (65-35 versus 55-45).
I’m not sure how much this all really matters with respect to life as an undergraduate though, and would welcome any personal experiences regarding politics in college. I assume that most college students are more concerned with grades and their social lives, but I could be wrong!
@PurpleTitan Thanks for the input! I have yet to look into university statistics, but trust your word that a 3.5 is nothing easy!
I am particularly concerned with that number because I won’t take a lot of the “easier” classes that could help my GPA as I’ll likely accept AP credit wherever I can. This certainly complicates my search process, but I thank all of you for helping me to be more informed!
@biomedicaltennis I don’t have any family members who were in the Corps, so I don’t have any specific advice about the details of Corps membership. I can tell you that Corps membership is a very serious commitment and not something to be taken lightly. The Corps is an ROTC program that produces more officers than any other organization outside the U.S. military academies, and, as such, it has a strong military focus. If you’re interested, I would contact the Corps of Cadets directly for information about membership, Corps scholarships, etc.
Whether or not you join the Corps, I think you will find that Texas A&M is a warm and friendly campus.
@Barfly Are you or anyone close to you a National Merit Finalist? You seem to know quite a bit about Texas A&M and the offers they have for National Merit students!
Yes, my sons are NM Scholars. Send me a private message if you have any questions. BTW, I am not an Aggie, so I have a completely objective opinion (just kidding - it’s hard to not love A&M. But I started out unbiased).
