<p>everyone going to med school will have a hard time paying off debts, unless they’re RICH…</p>
<p>doctors all around will make less in the coming years, not just JAMP kids…</p>
<p>how wont you be in as much debt? you must have your parents paying most of your way through med school… other than that you should have just as much if not more debt.</p>
<p>anyone with an EFC above 8000 doesnt need JAMP.</p>
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<p>UT blows at basketball because Rick Barnes is an unbelievably horrible coach. Nobody in the country habitually gets so little results from so much talent. Give that kind of talent to just about anyone else and they would be competing for national championships every year. Kevin Durant carried the team when he was there and since then, they haven’t had that lottery pick they need to carry them. They have only had a bunch of other ridiculously good players who have been wasted by Barnes.</p>
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<p>B/CS has at least 3 hospitals (large and small) plus clinics. What is wrong with trying to volunteer at a clinic instead of a full-fledged hospital? It sounds like you are just too closed minded to work with what you have available. Volunteer at the Scott & White clinic or something your freshman year and use that experience as stepping stone to get into the hospital the next year. Don’t be so closed-minded. It isn’t like there is one cookie-cutter formula to getting into med school, just a bunch of tips that allegedly help.</p>
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<p>Just to add my own two cents, I personally would greatly prefer the city of Austin to Bryan/College Station, but as for the schools themselves, I have no issues with A&M. Personally, I don’t hate B/CS either, I just like Austin more. On top of that, I couldn’t do what I wanted to do if I was at UT as far as research goes.</p>
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<p>Well I didn’t have a car and I don’t think that’s even on the bus route. So how am I suppose to get there regularly? People persuade you not having a car and that you’ll bum off rides of friends/other people. Pshhh. It’s a hassle already getting a ride. -_- I am NOT close minded. I just needed something close. I’ll probably be volunteering at a clinic in Austin next year anyways, more clinical experience that way. I volunteered at Aggie Habitat for Humanity mostly my freshman year, only getting ~60 hours. And although I agree there’s no one formula, there are way to get those interviews (high GPA & MCAT generally).</p>
<p>I don’t really have issues with A&M and the school itself besides the research part. It’s just the city . And what are you talking about?! UT offers a bunch of variety of research. What kind are/were you looking for?</p>
<p>In engineering, UT doesn’t offer a lot of experimental work because it requires space that UT doesn’t have a lot of. Their research is more heavily based in numerical work.</p>
<p>I was waiting for someone to comment on Rick Barnes before I began my own rant about him, but now I will refrain because basically it has been summed up beautifully already.</p>
<p>I just find it odd that every single prof you talked to at A&M refused to give you any opportunities as far as research. Maybe they are more picky about that kind of stuff than I imagined. </p>
<p>I can see how having no car can also make things very diffiuclt, but that doesn’t mean you can say that the opportunities are not there or as good.</p>
<p>Isn’t that the same thing with A&M, boneh3ad? I’m sure there UT would offer experimental research as Austin is a bigger city… But overall, all the profs I talked to turned me down outright b/c I was freshman. >.< Pffttt</p>
<p>aggieengineer - Well they weren’t really interested in taking freshmen students or even sophomore students. I mean I contacted all the profs on here [Biology</a> 491: Independent Research](<a href=“http://www.bio.tamu.edu/courses/biol491/biol491.htm]Biology”>http://www.bio.tamu.edu/courses/biol491/biol491.htm) and most/all of them said no or they had no space anyways. And more on here <a href=“http://www.bio.tamu.edu/Res_prog.htm[/url]”>About TAMU Biology - Texas A&M Biology. Eh. </p>
<p>Uhhh, I contacted some clinics and they were pretty much filled for the Fall '09 semester. Probably the same thing for Spring '10 so I didn’t even bother. I’m still ****ed. Only 2 years of hospital instead of 3 now. -_- Whatever.</p>
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<p>How many times have you been to Austin? Just because the city is bigger, doesn’t mean there is more available space for UT. Austin is not just about UT, check it out some time. UT is having documented problems with trying to find research facilities, and are beginning to move some to outside of the city. College Station, on the other hand, solely exists for A&M. As you’ve seen, A&M has had a lot of expansion lately. This doesn’t necessarily make research more vast in College Station, it just helps with one issue UT is having.</p>
<p>Also, just because Austin may have more hospitals/clinics/research opportunities, doesn’t necessarily mean that your chances of a position are better. You’ll notice as you go through your undergrad that many profs are not looking for inexperienced underclassmen. This is not just an aspect of A&M or pre-med either, it’s pretty universal. There are some undergrad programs, such as certain Honors Colleges at A&M, that require research involvement and can get you involved early in your undergraduate career with profs.</p>
<p>Try not to let your opinions cloud your judgement too much.</p>
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<p>Absolutely not. UT is wedged into the middle of downtown Austin. The buildings can really only expand upward at this point, not out. Experimental research requires large amounts of space (think wind tunnels, reactors, load testing machines, etc). UT has very limited space for such experimental work. On the other hand, numerical work requires only a computer and a brain. They have plenty of room for that. I like experimental work, and UT is not the greatest place for that because of its lack of space, while A&M has loads of space available and has absolutely tons of experimental research.</p>
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<p>If you think that isn’t a quality almost all schools will exhibit, then you have a big surprise headed your way. Very few professors jump at the chance to work with a freshman or even sophomores a lot of the time. Why waste time and money on a student who hasn’t finished calculus and physics yet (or whatever other fundamental courses govern the applicable area of research)? You will find that pretty much any school you go to will have extremely limited research options for freshman and somewhat limited options for sophomores. In fact, A&M seems to have more research opportunities for undergraduates from what I can see than my undergraduate institution, UIUC, had.</p>
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<p>Not very many. But yes, I agree with what you said. No more space for UT to expand and tons for A&M. I guess that would make them have more experimental space…</p>
<p>It’s just not fair. I keep reading on how many freshmen already have research experience, even publications if they’re really lucky. But, I certainly do have better chances to get a position in volunteering in a hospital/clinic b/c there’s TONS of them. Not like at A&M where there are freakin’ WAITLISTS! Oh well, I’m just a little down b/c I feel like I’m behind a lot of other pre-meds. I just keep hearing the saying “if you’re not ahead, you’re behind” in my head everyday. 
Sorry if my opinions are clouding my judgement. </p>
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<p>Yeah, I can see how that would be problem for UT. I guess I’ll find out when I actually get there next year (hopefully).</p>
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<p>Yeah, I know. But I wanted at least a couple of profs to actually just let me volunteer. I didn’t really care about getting paid for the work. I just wanted to get myself out there and see what it would be like. I’ll see how my chances work next year at UT. Hopefully, already completing some classes in calculus, bio, & chem will get me in a research lab somewhere. At UT, there’s this FRI thing. I wish A&M had it. *Sigh . And yes, UIUC is a very good engineering institution, but I don’t know much about their research opportunities.</p>
<p>Blahhhhh</p>
<p>Even letting freshmen volunteer is something most professors don’t like because they honestly just get in the way. Trust me, even some of the older undergrads that help out in our lab just get in the way the first couple months, and the effect is exaggerated the younger you get.</p>
<p>College Station is a really tough place to live without a car. Austin has much better public transportation and a much more urban layout. I graduated from A&M and loved it, but I spent a few semesters with no car, and quickly learned how difficult it was to get around in a rural town.</p>
<p>Everything else xcellerator has said I disagree with. College Station has Northgate, a movie theatre with $4.00 tickets, a bowling alley, and a host of decent apartments. And of course, 40,000 college students. If you cant find a way to have fun in that atmosphere at age 20, there’s something wrong.</p>
<p>boneh3ad - Yeah, I get what you’re saying. But I just get jealous/angry when other Freshmen have already had some research & clinical experience. </p>
<p>Vyse - Tough times without a car for sure. I may have actually enjoyed A&M more if I had one. I went to the movie theatre a couple of times with some friends. It was alright, like any other movie theatre I guess. Northgate isn’t much. And oh wow, CS has a bowling alley?! SO much fun! Oh my! I guess the Rec and some of the basketball games kept me entertained enough…
You even disagree with what I’ve said about research, hospitals, internships/volunteering opportunities, and being a pre-med in this place?</p>
<p>I’m sure that having a car would have made your freshman year better Xcellerator… Most anywhere in Texas is hard without a car. Austin may be an exception, though I doubt I’d want to be there without transportation.
And I totally agree with Vyse, if you can’t find something to do in a college town, with 48,000 other college students - you have entertainment issues…
Move on</p>
<p>Austin is a better city than College Station. There is more to do there. Obviously you can still have fun at A&M, there just isn’t as many options.</p>
<p>Those who love A&M and the town of College Station would love for you to go here because you want to…but if not …move on and make room for those who want to be here!!!</p>
<p>obviously austin is a better city, its urban unlike A&M.</p>
<p>i agree with @street , if you dont want to be in a rural college town, dont go to a school in a rural college town…</p>
<p>If money is holding you back from buying a car though, life is austin wont be kitties and rainbows either. Rent is way more expensive, groceries cost more, the bars are more expensive, UT tuition is more, etc. I paid $445 a month for rent in college station for an apartment within walking distance of campus, $4 for a movie, and $5 to split a pitcher of beer at the dixie chicken. And A&M’s tuition is a fair deal less than UT’s also. Austin may have a lot to do, but most of it costs money.</p>
<p>I will say this. A&M’s campus is ugly.</p>
<p>That said, it has a lot of things going for it that UT doesn’t… better scholarships (I’m talking about merit, I’m not familiar with their need-based), different culture (more about your preference… I greatly prefer the A&M culture), better alumni associations, cheaper everything, and quite honestly, their engineering programs (the only ones I really know about) are pretty much equal. Also, both universities have undergrad research programs. A&M’s offers the chance to do a master’s style thesis the senior year of undergrad, and I’m not familiar with UT’s.</p>
<p>All that said, Xcellerator, it seems like you’re determined to be unhappy with A&M no matter what anyone says, so I do encourage you to transfer to UT, where you clearly will be much happier. To anyone else trying to decide between the two, I’d encourage you to visit both campuses, do some research. Also keep in mind that while CS is a small rural college town, its about 2-3 hours away from the 3 biggest cities in Texas. You may not be able to go urban during every night, but roadtrips are readily available haha…</p>
<p>Well said, Matt516.</p>
<p>Vyse - Money is not really an issue for me. I have a pretty brand new car w/ insurance and everything. Tuition/food will be paid for by the parents too lol. But an apartment in Austin might be an issue, because it costs twice as much than A&M. But yes, cost was a little cheaper than I thought at A&M (16k total for the year for room/board/tuition/books/everything). Music scene is also very weak at A&M if new students are into it.</p>
<p>Matt516 - Well, I can stay/tolerate A&M now that I know what the hell I should do. Aka bring a car and stuff. But it does seem that I’ll be happier at UT. I’ll be doing BME pre-med over there this upcoming fall so idk how’ll that will work out. Bringing my car for sure.</p>
<p>Yeah, well I already committed to UT. Most likely will not be back in CS anytime soon unless it’s for med school. xD It was a pretty unique experience. Can’t say that I’ll miss A&M, though. :/</p>