UT Austin vs Michigan vs UCLA - Engineering

<p>hey guys
I've been accepted to all the three schools for engineering, basically for computer/electrical engineering at all three places and I'm having trouble trying to decide between them. some points -
1. I'm international so cost isnt a deciding factor. (They all cost the same)
2. I won't be able to visit any of them
3. cold weather (in the case of michigan) isnt a negative point for me.
4. I see myself as not necessarily staying in the engineering field and i would like to do business for grad study
5. apart from academics, I'm not a huge party person but I'm not an introvert either. I love sports, movies, etc.. so good basketball, football programs might be a factor along with location, surroundings, etc.</p>

<p>So, basically, if anyone out there can help me out, I would appreciate it.</p>

<p>@shawnandgus These are all great schools with great programs and lots of campus wide spirit and support of sports. You might want to look at other factors besides the ones you’ve listed. When it comes to location I know that both UT and UCLA are in cities. Do you want to live in the city? Although you say you don’t care if the weather is cold, 2 out of the 3 are known for better weather than Michigan. Do you care about what recreational activities are available? Does the general atmosphere of every location/school make a difference? Does the prospect of interesting internships sway you? Are you a person who cares a lot about how the campus looks? Etc. You need to think deeply about other factors than the ones you’ve listed and be meticulous with finding reasons why you might like one school more or less than the others. </p>

<p>Thanks for taking the time to respond. I appreciate it.</p>

<p>As far as location is concerned, I have lived in Dallas for three years so I have been to Austin a couple of times and liked the whole vibe. Been to LA once but only as a tourist and I havent been to Ann Arbor. So in that sense, Austin has the slight edge just because of the familiarity. Living in a city is preferred.</p>

<p>Yes the recreational activities are important to me but is there a noticeable difference in the opportunities on offer between any one of these three schools and the others? I have looked at the student clubs/organizations on each of their websites and they seem pretty similar</p>

<p>@shawnandgus. (I like the Psych reference!) We visited both Michigan and Texas and my son was accepted to both. We did not visit UCLA.</p>

<p>In many ways your decision will come down to where you see yourself working. If it’s outside the US, Michigan is much higher rated internationally in most polls. Even in the US, the Michigan brand name is strong and its alumni network is a plus. Its engineering and business schools are slightly higher rated than are Texas’, and quite a bit higher than UCLA. Ann Arbor is a good sized city, but not as big as Austin, and far smaller than L.A. The Michigan campus is one of the nicest in the country, with great arts and culture, but the engineering school is on north campus, a short bus ride from central campus. The facilities are as good as any engineering school in the world. But the weather can be brutal, as it has been this year.</p>

<p>@Beaudreau you’re the first person to get the Psych reference!</p>

<p>I actually prefer the Michigan weather because I’ve lived in hot/warm places my entire life though I suspect if I go to Michigan, I will soon get sick at the sight of any snow :P</p>

<p>I do see myself working in the US, so how significant is the advantage offered by UM’s alumni network as compared to UT’s alumni network? or is there even any difference?</p>

<p>Lots of good advice. I agree Michigan has the bigger name internationally. As far as lifestyle goes, though, I would go with UT. Nice weather, friendly people, big enough city that is pretty safe. with lots of activities within walking distance (and the bus is free to students). Lots of opportunities for you to play sports, not just watch them at UT.</p>

<p>Three good choices, though; lucky you!</p>

<p>@Lizardly haha yeah this is one problem I’m glad to have.</p>

<p>@shawnandgus. Both schools have very strong alumni networks, among the biggest and best. Michigan is still the better recognized brand outside of Texas. Michigan graduates far more OOS and international students than does Texas (>40% vs <10%) so there are many more to spread the word and to network with if you are outside Texas. </p>

<p>We will really miss Psych! Last new episode this Wednesday.</p>

<p>You really need to visit Ann Arbor. My son visited and was accepted in aerospace engineering by Michigan, Georgia Tech, Purdue, Texas, Texas A&M, Rose Hulman, and Arizona State (Barrett Honors), the home-town school. In order from first to last, he liked A&M, Purdue, Texas, Rose Hulman, Michigan, ASU, and Georgia Tech. A&M has the best merit scholarships and there are more aerospace engineering jobs in Texas, so it looks like it will be A&M.</p>

<p>We also visited Illinois, but none of us liked the campus or the town. I would rank Austin slightly over Ann Arbor for the campuses and towns, but I love the Austin music scene, which is less important to my son. College Station is a pretty generic big campus in a small town. Purdue was surprisingly nice - pretty campus, easy to get around.</p>

<p>That is a good point. </p>

<p>I sadly cannot visit any of them before I commit because I don’t have a visa right now so I have to get my student visa first. That’s why Austin has a slight edge because I’ve been there before</p>

<p>DD2 is OOS and we just got back from a visit to UT. She’s been accepted to Civil Eng. We’ve visited quite a few campuses between DD1 and DD2 and living in the Boston area. UTA is absolutely one of our favorite, much to our surprise. Campus was beautiful and spotless, the profs we met were so helpful and accessible, the students were very friendly and seemed very intent on their studies. Haven’t visited Mich or UCLA but have no problem endorsing UTA. </p>

<p>We’re big fans of Psyche too but have to admit we missed the reference.</p>

<p>@shawnandgus. I wouldn’t mess around then. Texas is great school and Austin is a one of the best college towns in the country. If you’ve been there and liked it, then go for it. And Texas costs $7,000 per year less than Michigan.</p>

<p>You might love Michigan, but you might not. I wouldn’t risk it.</p>

<p>Thanks for all the help guys and I just want to let you all know that I’ve committed to UT-Austin. You guys have been great :)</p>

<p>Good choice! Hook 'em!</p>