Hi! I am a rising senior from Maryland. I have around a 4.1 weighted 3.5 weighted gpa. Only have taken sat once, taking again this weekend, and got a 1710. Ive been doing a lot of studying so I am hoping my scores will go up, in addition I am going to try the act in fall.I am interested in colleges in texas. Barely anyone from my area goes to Texas in general, so getting info about this school has been difficult for me. If anyone can tell me any information about Texas schools specifically about its student life and its location(like what is area is like) please help! I want a school where there are some other OOS students. I want the southern feel, but I don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb for not being a Texas native. I want greek life, lots of school spirt, no smaller than like 10,000, big in sports(not specifically football), and I want the school to have a nice campus (not just a city). I had TCU and UT austin, but if any suggestions leave below. Thanks again.
What about Rice University?
TCU and Baylor fit that description. Run the NPCs for both schools and see how much they might cost. Fort Worth will be easier for you to fly in and out of with minimal transportation to TCU. TCU is in a very nice area. It might be a bit harder to reach Waco from an airport. Both schools have good sports teams and school spirit.
Rice is not at all what you are describing. UT Austin is just too hard to get into.
@ post #1: Rice University has no greek organizations, and it may be smaller than what the OP wanted.
Having mentioned that, however, I think that the OP should definitely look at Rice. Its academics are outstanding, it has good intercollegiate athletics (especially baseball), and it has a residential college system modelled on the Ivy League.
There is a tiny chance the OP can get into Rice. Her stats are way too low.
SMU is smaller than 10,000 Undergraduate (but a little over that counting graduate students). It otherwise seems to fit your criteria - D-1 sports, nice campus, in nice part of Dallas. It seems to be a realistic choice, especially if you can raise your SAT score.
http://www.smu.edu/Provost/IR/Statistics/CommonDataSets/2014
@txstella: “There is a tiny chance the OP can get into Rice. Her stats are way too low.”
You’re probably right, I had that thought after I posted the suggestion. Absent some miraculous improvement in grades/test scores, or unless there’s some amazing hook, the chance of the OP getting admitted to Rice is pretty remote.
The OP would have a much better shot of getting into TCU, SMU, and Baylor.
What is Baylor like besides the location and acceptance?
I heard SMU is super stuck-up for the most part. Is that true? Do you know anything about the student life?
You should ask about Baylor and SMU in the college specific section. Baylor does have religious roots and is a baptist college.
It is hard for OOS students to get accepted to UT-Austin.
baylor, from what my friends have told me, has a religious undertone (students are required to take a couple theology courses), and is a pretty safe campus, but does have greek life and lots of school spirit (because of sports). it’s prestigious in the texas area, gives out good merit aid, has a beautiful campus, but is in a mid-size town (waco) and might not be the best option for someone who’s looking for an urban campus. not a “party” campus, so to speak.
SMU is urban, and is in dallas’ highland park area, which, unfortunately, has a reputation for being a snobby neighborhood. there’s less of a religious undertone, though it is a methodist university; business school is supposed to be very well renowned, but the merit aid isn’t as good. i’ve heard people call it “13th grade,” which is to say, people party like they’re still in high school. don’t know if that’s true (i’ve heard mixed opinions of SMU’s populous) , but the campus is beautiful and there’s lots of things to do in the surrouning area.
both seem like matches for you academically , but are expensive private schools, so consider your financial situation before applying .
Baylor is religious, meaning you have mandatory chapel and there is monitoring of your private life. It isn’t terrible, but it exists. If you aren’t Protestant, let alone if you aren’t Baptist, this could be an issue,
Putting that aside, the kids I know who go there love it. The town is small, but there is plenty to do on campus. There is lots of Greek life. The sports teams are doing very very well and that unites the campus. The non Greek kids I know who go there are mostly premed. The premed advising is quite strong. Some kids choose Baylor for that.
SMU does have more of a rich kid reputation, but I have known nerdy kids who have gone there and done well. I don’t think you said you were nerdy, though, btw.
Can you get any out of state $ aid if you apply to one of the less well known schools in Texas? Like Tech or State? Okay, Tech is in the middle of nowhere, so maybe you should rule that one out! Or one of the smaller privates? St Edwards? Southwestern? Yes, these are smaller than you requested, but they are in/near Austin, and they may be more generous with aid than the big publics.
What is your financial situation? Most of these colleges are expensive and with your current SAT score, I don’t see any merit scholarships coming your way.