<p>Its about that time to make my decision for the fall. Out of the 6 possible schools I have to choose from, UT offered me a a great scholarship, healthcare and a stipend, so its definitely in the running.</p>
<p>Is it a good campus for creative types? I'm a born-and-raised Californian going for my PhD in English. I need a campus that is:</p>
<ol>
<li>aesthetically pleasing (pretty trees, trails, flowers, architecture!)</li>
<li>creatively stimulating (I have no doubt UT has this covered with its live music venues, bars, and museums...)</li>
<li>mixed population: unlike my undergrad at Duke which was segregated and pretty homogeneous, I'd like to be surrounded by a blend of ethnicities and a sizable black population in grad school</li>
<li>easy transportation: I'm not sure if I'll take my car out there, so I may be bussing it for my first year or so, is this doable?</li>
</ol>
<p>I'd appreciate any thoughts you have! Thanks :)</p>
<p>Aesthetics: I’d like to say UT has a beautiful campus, but for the past few years UT has felt a lot like a construction site with a football team. The new buildings are beautiful, though. You’ll find trails and green areas around Austin, but not on campus. The grounds crew plants a lot of annuals around campus, but you won’t see the kinds of flora you’re used to in California. Native Texas plants are more tough than they are beautiful. UT has lots of statues!</p>
<p>Creativity: UT’s got it, and so does Austin. The creative community here is amazing and supportive. I don’t have a lot of good news about the rest of your requirements, but the people you meet here will more than make up for that. If you’re into writing, the Writer’s League of Texas is here, SCBWI-Austin is one of the most active chapters in the country, and the Texas Book Festival every October draws in authors from all over the country. Book
People (a fantastic independent bookstore) is a literary social hub with a continual rotation of A-list authors in every genre.</p>
<p>Diversity in grad school: Some, but not so much that it’s anything to brag about. There are a lot more whites, Asians, and hispanics than African-Americans here, especially in grad school.</p>
<p>Transportation: D. For more than ten years Austin has been building more and more roads leading into the city, and (surprise!) it resulted in Austin being listed as having the 4th worst traffic congestion in the country. The Capital Metro bus line is funded almost entirely by property taxes because bus fares alone wouldn’t even pay for the gas. UT does run free shuttles from different areas of town, and those buses fill up. If you live along a shuttle route (I recommend Far West – named after a street, not a geographic location) you can get by all right without a car.</p>
<p>If you decide to come to Austin, it’ll be for the vibrant and supportive creative community, and that’s actually the best reason of all. I came here for grad school and never left.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the detailed and informative response! UT actually sounds like the urbanity I’m used to coming for LA and the community sounds richly stimulating, definitely the most important factor in my decision. Thanks again.</p>