Hello,
I am an international student from India and I will attend UT-Dallas in the fall. I was admitted to several top schools like Michigan , NYU , UC Davis and BU. But due to limited finances I chose UTDallas which offered me full tuition waiver and a stipend of 2000$ . I also was admitted to the honors college or the Collegium V program.
But I am not satisfied and feel like I am missing out on something . I intend to transfer the next year . it is because some colleges which don’t factor in citizenship will now consider me at par to US citizens. I know aid is scarce for transfer. I just wanted to know if I should even try to transfer and if yes what would be so!e viable schools. If not can you people help !e feel good about UT Dallas ?
Major - CS
First, you should be very thankful that UTD is giving you the ability to come to the US for school. There are many US residents that would love to have the deal that you are getting. I do hope the school exceeds your expectations because you will probably be here for the 4 years. It is highly unlikely you will get financial help in a transfer situation. Most aid is given out in the freshman year.
That being said, you will be in good company. My DD is also going to UTD next year majoring in CS, also in honors. She also turned down many higher ranked schools for UTD. Money was a consideration, as it should be, but there were many other reasons she chose UTD over UT Austin, UNC, Case Western and others. Give the school a chance. The students that go there are smart, you will get a good education,and you are in a vibrant town.
It seems like you are thinking too far ahead or not sure about your decision to go to UTD. As GTAustin said, you will have a good company of smart kids with many internship opportunities. Go there with open mind and take all the opportunities that UTD can offer. If you still don’t like it after one semester, you can always think of transfer options. Keep us posted after one semester.
As GTAustin said, you should be very thankful to UTD. A public school offering a full tuition waiver to an international student is not something that happens all the time. Dallas is a great city to live in and as uthdad mentioned, there are a bunch of internship and job opportunities over there. Buckle up and get ready to land in the sweet Dallas.
@GTAustin Thank You for your detailed response. I understand your point . I read somewhere that in the coming years it would be a top tech school. Thank you for your response
@uthdad Yes , that is true. I will go with an open !mind and if I don’t like it I will try for a transfer. I will keep you posted.
@hopingforbetter Yes, that is true it is very fortunate to get such scholarship. I will try to enjoy the college and the city. Thank you
I’m going to give you the same advise that I have given to my DD. UTD is in a suburb of Dallas which has its good points. All things necessary for daily living are close - grocery stores, Target, Walmart, restaurants. Her favorite restaurant is Torchy’s Tacos found close to the entrance of UTD, right next to a noodle shop and Freebirds - all great! There is an Alamo Drafthouse within 5 to 10 minutes which is great for dinner and a movie. They are building a drag across the street from the dorms that will have other restaurants/stores which will give the students a place to go and do things within a very short distance.
Next, get involved on campus. They have a lot of events including music, lectures, social (crawfish boil the other day) and professional. There are over 300 clubs to join. Find a couple that you are interested in. My DD will probably be in swim and outdoor exploration. Get involved in research opportunities.
Get and use the DART pass. Go downtown where there is museums and a pretty interesting park. Go to White Rock Lake. Go to the Texas State Fair in late Sept or early Oct. They have interesting places to visit on the DART webpage with the info on how to get there.
UTD is lacking the big sports but support the sports that are there. They would appreciate it. Also, become a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Mavericks and/or Rangers.
I do hope you enjoy UTD and take advantage of all opportunities that the school and Richardson/Dallas can give you. There is nothing like the Texas culture.