<p>I'll be graduating from high school this year and I've just been accepted to the UT Austin TIP Fellows Program. The program seems just right for me but I haven't really gotten adequate information. I never applied for any honors programs and did not even know about this until I was invited to apply. Has anyone matriculated through the program? How are the opportunities to study abroad? Does it really provide any type of advantage? Are there any down sides to joining the program? Any substantial information would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>I’m part of the TIP Scholars program, but that’s because I’m Liberal Arts, I think.
I think TIP Fellows is the same, but for NS majors? </p>
<p>So at first, I was suspicious of this program. I wanted to know why I got picked because I didn’t even know the qualifications for it and I’m not sure I ever figured it out, but oh well.</p>
<p>Basically it’ll help you out your freshman year. The only thing I didn’t like is that they make you take a specific UGS class and I didn’t get to pick a fun one like everybody else who wasn’t in the program. But they offer you good resources that you should take advantage, like their own set of advisors, free printing, and most of all ---- reserved seats in classes you might want to register that may very well be hard to get!</p>
<p>It also looks good to have that little addition to your major.
Like me, I’m English/Texas Interdisciplinary Plan, Biology (pre-pharmacy)
OoOooOo haha.</p>
<p>It’s basically just for your freshman year. You can still hang around after and use their printing if needed and advising, but they focus on the freshmen. Oh, oh, oh! And when you do the UGS class, you get a TIP mentor you get to meet with. That was probably the best part. The UGS class gives you a group project, and the little group you are in will meet with the mentor once a week and then you’ll get to meet one-on-one with the mentor. That was really good. It only helped me and I’m still friends with my mentor. </p>
<p>It’s whatever. Some groups weren’t into it and secretly never met (which goes against the program’s intentions), but others just went along with it and some got really tight knit. Mine was in between. It’s kind of like a FIG, I guess. Make or break.</p>
<p>What else… you get a free shirt. hah
Hmm. I haven’t had any contact with the program now that I’m a sophomore.
Their advisors are good, but I prefer to meet with the ones from my own department.
I wanted to register for a pre-cal class, and got in because it was restricted to the TIP program, so that was sweeeet. Grateful for that!</p>
<p>Any more Q’s, just ask.</p>
<p>Your post was really helpful. Any clarification on the difference between TIP Scholars and TIP Fellows? I applied because of all the things you mentioned as well as opportunities to design my own minor, continue doing research, and I’ve always wanted to study abroad and they have scholarships for that. Am I describing the same program you’re a part of?</p>
<p>Hmm. Similar, but no your’s is better I think! Once you’re about to be an upperclassman later on, look into the Humanities program if you’re doing Liberal Arts -([Humanities</a> Program, The University of Texas at Austin](<a href=“The Humanities Program | Liberal Arts | UT - Austin”>The Humanities Program | Liberal Arts | UT - Austin)). It’s an upperclassman program that lets you design your own major. Pretty sweet.</p>
<p>As far a study abroad, which is good to look into your sophomore year,
yeah the TIP Fellows program would be good, but the Study Abroad website at UT is prime for looking at scholarships too! </p>
<p>Everything I said in the other post adhere’s to the TIP Fellows program, it just lasts longer and actually seems better come to think of it. </p>
<p>Read:</p>
<p>What is TIP Fellows?
TIP Fellows, also known as the Texas IP, is a four-year, six-course certificate program that provides students in the College of Natural Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts the opportunity to create an interdisciplinary minor in a field of personal interest.</p>
<p>Over their first two years, students complete a two-course foundation in critical thinking and writing, learn about the disciplines, identify interests outside their major, focus and name a complex field of personal interest, identify courses that examine that interest from different perspectives, and write a proposal to study their field. The proposal is then submitted to members of the IP’s faculty panel for approval. In their third and fourth years, students complete the courses listed on their field proposal. As seniors, TIP Fellows complete a Capstone seminar in which they locate a faculty mentor, develop a research question in their area, present their research to a university audience, and prepare an article for publication.</p>
<p>(A word about our name: the Texas Interdisciplinary Plan runs two academic programs, TIP Scholars and TIP Fellows. TIP Scholars, a first-year program, is often referred to simply as “TIP.” To distinguish what eventually became TIP Fellows from the first-year program, we named the four-year program the “Texas IP.” When the first-year program added “Scholars” to its name, we added “Fellows” to ours and replaced ‘Texas IP” with “TIP”—most of the time. Because many get the two programs confused, we typically use “Texas IP,” or “IP,” to refer to the program, and “TIP Fellows” to refer to the students in the program.)</p>
<p>[TIP</a> Fellows FAQ](<a href=“Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP) Scholars | TIP Scholars”>Texas Interdisciplinary Plan (TIP) Scholars | TIP Scholars)</p>
<p>That helped so much. Thanks!</p>
<p>no problemo!</p>