<p>I posted this earlier on the general college search forum but thought this might be a better place to start the thread lol:</p>
<p>Hey,
I'm an undergraduate student from Sydney, Australia and I recently applied and was selected to go on international exchange to the University of Texas for finance/business.</p>
<p>I just wanted to get a general feel for the reputation that UT has in America, and also how their business school ranks? I do hear they are big on college football and sports, plus they're pretty big party animals. Also, will it matter if I'm under 21 and not legally allowed to drink yet? (the legal age is 18 in Australia.. I'm not sure whether Americans generally abide to the 21 age rule?)</p>
<p>Is there anything I should be forewarned about before I head off to Austin?? I've only been to America once, but only to the touristy places like New York, LA, etc..</p>
<p>UT Business school is one of the top undergraduate business schools in the US. It is continuously ranked number 1 in undergrad/graduate accounting program, and frequently as number 4 in finance (undergrad)</p>
<p>Yes, UT has a lot of parties going on which makes it more fun. It is ILLEGAL to drink if you are under 21, but if you want to, its not “impossible” to drink. You will see a lot of underage drinking around.</p>
<p>As far as academics go, UT business school has a lot to offer and a few courses taken at the B-School would look really good on your resume…its a well known school with a great reputation, or at least in the U.S…not an ivy league like Harvard and Princeton, but definitely one of the great public colleges with a huge network. </p>
<p>The party scene is also pretty wild almost every week. There are some who will only party and others who will only study but the majority keeps a good balance (study during weekdays, & party on Friday & Saturday…very few on Sun). 6th street is also a place where most college students go to bars & clubs at night but most clubs are 21 & over. Legal age for drinking is 21…however, most of everyone drinks. Rarely will you see a cop bust down an underage for drinking unless he is causing trouble. </p>
<p>Since the university is located near downtown, there are illegal activities going on such as prostitution, drugs, but you don’t see a lot of crime. I don’t know how friendly Australians are, but be careful when you accept drinks from others, & be wary of your social circle. There is a lot of to do in Austin…just find a good companion & explore.</p>
<p>Austin is one of the best college towns in the nation. You will not be bored at all. 6th street is always full of actions. people hopping from bar to bar on Saturday nights. SXSW music by the Lake Austin is always a blast. Outside of Austin, there are some drive-through barns full of alcohol. I have never seen that outside of TX. In terms of B-School, it is not Wharton or Harvard. However, UT is fairly high up there with other major state schools.</p>