<p>I recently was admitted to all of these schools and am having trouble choosing. My intended major is International Relations.I was wondering about the strength of the program at each school. When it comes to my financial situation UT gave me no financial aid, but I'm an instate student so that isn't an issue, MHC awarded me a 15k leadership scholarship, and I've yet to see my package from Smith. The cold weather slightly deters me from going to an east coast school, but the small class sizes, awesome alumni network, and amazing opportunities are a plus. UT is close to home, has an amazing alumni network, a lot of school spirit, and is an awesome city, but the classes are huge. What's your take on this?</p>
<p>I think it comes down to what you can afford and at which school you feel more comfortable. At UT, you’ll have some large classes, but others are small, especially as you get into upper level ones.</p>
<p>I tell people that UT is like a big city with lots of small neighborhoods. You’re not going to see all 50,000 students at once, except on football game days, which are awesome. There is always something to do, somewhere on campus! There are also lots of great opportunities. My son got to work in the biomedical engineering lab as a freshman! But you will NOT be spoon fed.</p>
<p>My favorite class at UT was American History, with George Forgie. it was a lecture class with over 300 students! But he was an incredible teacher - such a gifted story teller. He was always available to talk. He tried to convince me to switch majors from engineering to history, but I declined. I’m glad I didn’t skip the class because of its size.</p>
<p>Good luck! If you work hard, you’ll do well whichever school you choose.</p>
<p>bump (I really need help)</p>
<p>If you’ve lived in Texas your entire life, you may want to consider one of the Massachusetts schools to gain a different perspective. Also, about 90% of UT’s students are from Texas; you’ll find many more students from around the country and world at the other two schools. As an IR major I assume you’d want to study abroad, so you should compare the study abroad options. Nearly half of juniors at Smith study abroad for part or all of their junior year. Smith has its own study abroad centers in 4 European cities, including Geneva, which seems like a perfect place for an IR major, as well as access to many other programs. </p>
<p>I live in Austin, and I personally would not recommend UT. UT is definitely a sink-or-swim kind of school, and they don’t seem to do anything to help you. I’ve felt way more personal attention at every other large public state school I applied to, but at UT I felt like a number and like they had 0 interest in me. I personally would have gone with a colder climate, and if you’re from Texas, it’d be nice to get out. </p>
<p>As far as study abroad, UT’s programs are limited and expensive. I have a friend who chose to do a summer volunteer program rather than study abroad, just because the programs were so expensive.</p>
<p>Smith and MHC vs UT is like night and day. </p>
<p>Most students have a preference as to the kind of school environment they want. Do you? Have you had a chance to visit the schools?</p>
<p>UPDATE: \m/ hook em’ class of 2018.
For those of you who don’t know I’m going to UT Austin</p>