<p>-------------I posted this somwhere else for greater feedback---------------</p>
<p>To be terse, I am basically considering two huge state schools at the moment, one of which is UT austin. At UT, I will have less financial aid (being out of state this is an important factor) and I am just an inch below the requirements for the honors program. At OSU, I am getting decent aid (about 30%) and just meet the requirements for the honors program. So, where do you guys reckon I sould go to? For one thing, I know that being a honors at osu means priority scheduling, which is great since some intro classes tend to weed out incoming freshmen. Is the benefit of being a honors student in this case enough to counterbalance the fact that UT is overall more prestigious?</p>
<p>Also, would you say both schools will offer comparable opportunities and academics?</p>
<p>Money is somewhat a factor and honors housing is also a plus since I will dorm in the school. My intended major is psychology/neurobiology/accounting (bear with me) and I plan on applying to dentistry schools afterwards. At either school, I will likely try to transfer to a more competitve university, such as NYU or rice, at the end of sophomore year, so the plan is to go in and get the highest GPA and number of ECs possible.</p>
<p>Definitely OSU. Since you'll be transfering it won't be the final name on the diploma, the honors school counts, and it's less expensive with the aid.</p>
<p>IMHO you're already making a big mistake in applying to college with the intent of transferring.</p>
<p>What outcome do you expect by getting a degree from a more "prestigious" university? Do you think it is going to get you into dental school, or give you a better shot? OSU and UT send plenty of kids to med and dental school; what will make or break you isn't the name on the diploma, its what you did and learned in college.</p>
<p>I don't deny there are differences between colleges. But here I think I'm seeing a kid focused solely on the name and missing just about everything else that matters in choosing the right college. NYU and Rice couldn't be more different in terms of location, type of student they attract, what your college experience would be like. And yet you throw both of them out as examples of where you'd like to transfer. You are, of course, free to do anything you like with your life and your education. But it is my strong suggestion to re-evaluate just what you expect to get out of college, perhaps even taking the time to read thru a book or two about college admissions that discusses "fit" and then re-consider your plan. I'd recommend any book by Loren Pope, or "Admission Matters".</p>
<p>And with your present plan you'll miss out on a lot of college. It's hard to put a lot of time into making friends and building a social circle when you know that in 2 years you'll be leaving, and in 1 you'll be applying elsewhere. And then when you DO xfer you step onto a campus surrounded by kids who've known each other for 2 years already, who have bonds of shared experiences and time. If you're outgoing you can make friends and meet people, but it's never going to be as easy or convenient as when you're a frosh. The list of drawbacks goes on and on. You'll lose 2 years of time in finding profs for advisers and recs. You'll be missing out on that "institutional" knowledge, the little things and tips you can only learn by being somewhere; the million and one things everyone knows after 2 years at a college.</p>
<p>My advice is this: pick a college you can spend 4 years at. Spend the time to identify what makes a fit for you, then find that college. Sure, people can pick wrong or decide for a variety of other reasons they should xfer. But to <em>start</em> college with the intention of leaving before you've even spent a day there as an enrolled student sounds misguided to me.</p>