Hello! I’ve been thinking about these two schools a lot lately. I want to work for NASA eventually and am not sure which school would be the best. Any advice from the academics to social life to job opportunities/internships to financial aid would be super helpful! Thanks in advance!
Also, in terms of working for NASA specifically, I want to be an astronaut or a researcher there.
Hi, UchuuHana. If you have solid grades and test scores, U of A’s financial aid can be very impressive. I received a full ride as an out-of-state student in the 1990’s, and my twin sons (also out-of-state) would have received a near-full ride scholarship under their current rubric. (The rubric is available. We received a half-dozen postcards last year explaining how it works.). And, as a state flagship school, aid for talented Arizona students is quite good.
U of A’s Honors College is one of the top honor’s colleges in the country. I still remember taking my basic Econ class in a seminar of about 10 students taught by a Noble prize winner. And I’m sure the Honors program has expanded its reach and offerings tremendously since I’ve been there.
As for the social, I loved Tucson. It’s a sizeable college town with good hiking, running and trail biking opportunities. The fraternity and sorority scene is very vibrant, although it wasn’t my thing. Great restaurants, SW cuisine, excellent arts district, and numerous rodeos and street festivals. And I had student season basketball tickets all four years, so I was very happy. Oh, and my friend’s son who now attends there tells me that the food is quite excellent and his newish dorm is amazing.
You’ll need to research for yourself how strong the school’s ties are to NASA. I’m sure if you look up on-line the departments in which you are interested they will discuss in detail what research they are undertaking and with which federal departments and agencies they are working. Arizona is a public research institution. But I wouldn’t get too hung up on ties to NASA — who knows in 4, 6 or more years where your particular research interests might lie, and which kinds (and number of) opportunities will be available by the time you are seeking employment. I’d focus on the best fit for your educational and social interests for the next four years. If you are excited about your academic course options and professors, and flourishing socially, you will excel and then you can focus your interests with the grad school or job you select next.
If I am not mistaken ASU was recently chosen to assist in leading a mission to explore a planetoid in the solar system. The Barret Honors College at ASU is consistently ranked as one of the best in the country. Arizona is certainly putting money into its Honors College, but I would certainly explore the departments and research going on at both universities.