<p>I have narrowed down my choices to Penn and UT Austin. I am interested in Journalism and Urban Studies.</p>
<p>UT Austin: Accepted to College of Communication. They recently built a brand new building. I love Austin and the music scene there (I'd like to be a music journalist). However, I am afraid that class sizes are big.</p>
<p>Penn: Flexible distribution requirements. I have guaranteed acceptance to the Ben Franklin Scholars program. However, only a journalism minor is offered.</p>
<p>I was born in Texas and have lived here my entire life. I don't mind staying - I think Austin is a vibrant and dynamic city to live in! But I'd like to get out of my comfort zone and explore something new.</p>
<p>Any thoughts and advice?</p>
<p>Tough decision. Look more carefully at the courses you can take at each university. Also, UT Austin’s newspaper is highly regarded and see how that compares with the DP. (Disclaimer: I attended a professional school at Penn.)
Contact journalism and urban studies students at both schools; don’t be shy. Do not discount the fact that Austin is a “vibrant and dynamic city.” Consider the exploration of something new during summer internships, grad school or in your first job as a journalist and just not during undergrad.</p>
<p>Penn. As much as I love my school, an ivy league will give you much greater opportunities.</p>
<p>If cost is not an issue, probably Penn. However, I don’t subscribe to the notion an Ivy League school is that much better than a good public university for getting intoa top notch grad school. Although it is true, when grad school admission officers look at what school you graduated from they will weigh a Penn degree a little more because they believe the quality of the students one is competing against is higher than those at UT, but IMHO not by much. However, it should be noted, it also depends on the reputation of the school within the College and how selective they are of their students. </p>
<p>In the finally analysis, a degree from UT is respected by all top grad schools, the same can not be said for example for a degree from the University of Houston. </p>
<p>Unless Penn is less expensive, I would go to UT without a question. You’ll get an excellent education. If you work hard, you’ll have a lot of options when you graduate.</p>