I know it’s been asked before, but since it has come down to these two… the question is… Is attending SMU worth the extra money??? We can afford it due to a scholarship, but would still end up paying more than UTD, and we are not in times to spend money for no reason. Help please!!!
Is UTD also offering scholarships. What type of social life to you want. SMU and UTD have two totally different vibes to them. Need a little more information to offer any type of advice.
UTD is not offering anything due to the household salary. There are 2 students (twins); 1 received more $$ in SMU than the other. If both had received the same scholarships, it would be SMU no questions. But at this point SMU is still significantly more expensive than UTD. So, it comes down to money. Would it be justifiable to pay more for a nicer campus or is there more than that to it? Is the education the same? Better? Professors? We still need to reply and accept one. We are not wealthy to the point money does not matter. Quite honestly I wasn’t familiar with UTD; so I thought better of SMU?
SMU will give your kids a more of a college experience (fraternities, sorority, tailgating etc.) if this is important to them. UTD is a great school but it is not for everyone. The campus is growing but it still has a commuter feel to it. You never mentioned what is your kids potential majors. Have you guys visited both campuses. UTD has a large amount of international students while SMU has a large number of out of state students. SMU is a more traditional campus while many have described UTD has feeling more like a corporate campus. UTD is newer and they certainly have the nicer dorms of the two schools. I would strongly suggest you guys visit both schools before making a final decision.
@Grainraiser: the major is CS (it’s in the title).
UTD is actually stronger in CS, but yes, a different feel. Did they get in to an honors program at UTD?
For CS I would choose UTD.
Feel is very different. UTD campus is modern, newer. SMU feels more traditional.
UTD has larger international contingent. UTD offers fantastic merit scholarships (income does not matter). I would choose UTD by far for the value. SMU is very expensive, and other than a certain type of experience (SMU is great but also not for everyone, another way of saying it, you’ll see more SMU caps at a golf course than you will UTD. LOL)
UTD has a top 10 chess team but no football.
So if college life is more important SMU, if CS degree/price is more important: UTD!
Please note: I think SMU is great, so this is not intended to “knock” the school in any way.
SMU’s professors and academics are tear-jerkingly amazing. Truly. If all else sucks, the academics and professors are phenomenal. It really boils down on where you would be paying less because while the idea of having a traditional college experience, student debt can greatly hinder your mental health later on.
I just found this forum. We are Texas residents and my kid is really wanting to go to college in Dallas (not our hometown). We’re looking at UTD, UNT andSMU- TCU is an option (Ft. Worth). Kid is interested in the techie stuff- maybe CS, maybe engineering. I know UTD is great in those areas, but not sure about the college life aspect. Back in my day, SMU was THE place to go, but doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Thoughts? Thanks in advance.
@HighTide2020 …UTD is a rising star (especially for STEM). Understand that UTD is NOT in Dallas but rather Richardson. That may or may not be important to your child, but it is important to note that UTD sits in the land of strip malls and chain restaurants some 20 miles from downtown Dallas. The campus looks like a brand new business park and is the complete opposite of the stereotypical, idyllic campus look. The school has made great strides in recent years to bolster campus life, but it has a long way to go in that area and still has a significant “commuter school” vibe.
As I am sure you remember, SMU is a beautiful campus in the heart of Dallas (University Park) with a solid engineering program and good name recognition. It is over twice the cost of UTD and can still be pricey even with merit/financial aid. It is also VERY GREEK ORIENTED. SMU does not shy away from its preppy, affluent reputation and could be a difficult place to fit in socially for certain students.
I’m going to put this out there because @kirkhaven @Grainraiser and others frequently say that UTD has a large international population. While that is more true of the graduate program, that is not the case with undergraduates.
Of the 16,921 full time, degree seeking undergraduates this year, only 776 or 4.59% were international students. Less than 5% of the undergraduate population is international students. So you can’t say there is a large amount of international students. It is just not true.
Now there is 5530 or 32.69% Asian students (not in the international numbers). The vast majority are US citizens and some are permanent residents.
So people who look the campus and see a large population of international students are really seeing Americans who happen to be Asian.
@HighTide2020 My personal bias would steer you towards TCU 
But if I have to decide a CS degree between UTD and SMU, I would go UTD for sure. Way more cost effective and everyone in DFW knows it for having great STEM programs. When I hear SMU, I think business and liberal arts. I would echo @RealityCheck13 about the campus life.
Now, when we are talking about THE place to go, I’d say TCU is pretty great 
The CS program is fairly common and I am actually in an intro CS class right now for reasons other than a CS major, and am pleased with the quality of the teaching staff so far. Another important thing on y’alls radar might be financial aid and scholarships, so I’d definitely check out each school’s websites to see what your student might qualify for.
Feel free to ask away about TCU if you have any questions!
Thanks! I know TCU is wonderful and I’ve never been a huge SMU fan.