<p>I am a transfer student who has been accepted to UT Austin for chemical engineering (no scholarships, just 2500 in grants the rest loans), and UT Dallas for mechanical engineering (no scholarships, just 2500 in grants, the rest loans). I live in Dallas, and by attending UTD I will only have to worry for tuition and books. If I choose Austin, I will have to spend 10000 for housing in addition to tuition and books, and living expenses. I am a good student (4.0 GPA). I don't have my parents to help me since they live outside the US, and on the contrary I help them financially (I won't be able to help them as much since I will be attending school full time). In other words, I am on my own. Education is really important to me since it will help me take care of my parents. But I am concerned since I am not familiar with how engineers from UTD do after they graduate. My uncle says that employers will choose UT Austin over UTD. Will I be able to find a good job with an engineering degree from UTD? I also plan to work get a master's in biomedical engineering. My ultimate goal is to work as a biomedical engineering. Thanks for all the help anybody can provide. </p>
<p>Alright, so factor in the cost of living in Dallas (are you renting? even if not, there’s still a bunch of home-related costs), commuting to and from UTD (which could very much hamper you academically since it’s a huge time-suck), and the gap narrows a bit.</p>
<p>Your uncle is probably right; UT is one of the best engineering schools in the nation, while UTD is a satellite campus that’s decent (with more attention to students + less of a financial burden- but it’s a commuter campus). If you’re a good student, you won’t be sacrificing job opportunities, but keep in mind that UT has a ton of resources that’ll help you get the best job- a solid network, an established reputation, industry connections, great job fairs and pipelines.</p>
<p>Also, your Master’s will more or less override your bachelor’s, so if the cost difference is still significant, you won’t be losing much by going to UTD if you end up in a good Master’s program. In the end, it comes down to whether you think you can afford the extra investment that goes into UT Austin- it’s better by a good margin, but at this point it’s up to you since it looks like spending that much will be an additional risk.</p>
<p>@dividerofzero
My uncle has kindly allowed me to stay in his house without paying rent. I do the chores and take care of the dogs to help him out.
I consider myself a good student. I dedicate a good amount of time to my studies. I ask questions in class, I attend tutoring, and visit my professors during office hours. If nobody is available to help me during tutoring, I will go and ask other professors who teach the same subject. When preparing for exams, I get up at midnight and study. I give it my all.
I plan on pursuing a master’s in biomedical engineering since I want to work in medicine. I am very interested in sports medicine.
I am not looking to actively participate in the social scene. Right now, I am looking into companies in the Dallas area where I can do internships ( I am thinking about contacting the HR departments and send my resume). I know that I need to get experience in the field, so I can acquire skills that employers seek.</p>
<p>Thank your for your advice.</p>
<p>I forgot to mention this in my original post. UT Austin: I will have $66 000 in student loans.
UT Dallas: $20 000 in students loans.</p>
<p>Okay if it’s another $46k in loans, I don’t think it justifies choosing UT Austin over UT Dallas when you’re doing a Master’s anyway.</p>
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<p>True for employers who are recruiting nationally. But employers in Dallas and other areas in Texas will be recruiting at UTD.</p>
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<p>If your ultimate goal is to continue on to grad school for a masters degree AND money is an issue, then UTD makes more sense. Anyway, it’s the LAST school you attend that counts, and most grad students come from a different undergrad school. So provided your undergrad school is a solid school, and you have good GRE scores, undergrad GPA, professor recs, then you will be in good shape for being a competitive candidate for other schools for grad school, including UT Austin.</p>