UT vs A&M

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
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<p>I am starting to think ilovetexas11111 is lying because I know many premeds who were not even close to top 5 class rank with a 2310 SAT score in high school and they are excelling in the freshman pre-med courses. They don’t get the weed-out impression at all, and if that poster is a dean’s scholar than they are likely getting ten times the amount of attention as most premeds.</p>

<p>Maybe honors classes are just a little above ilovetexas1111’s level and they would be better off in the regular courses where everyone I know does not get the “weed-out” vibe</p>

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<p>I get the weed out impression; there are a lot of people that choose pre-med without an idea of what it entails or a true desire to become doctors. The one’s who really want to do be doctors (regardless of where they ranked in high school or what SAT they had) are the ones that persevere. I know average students who are now in med school (and of course the type that was at the top of the class), only common factor was that they all put in the effort because they truly wanted to go to med school. As soon as organic chemistry hits or students don’t do as well in intro bio classes, they start to waver on their desire. That’s when kids start changing majors or changing plans</p>

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<p>I wanted to bump this thread since I’m stuck in the same situation, except I’m an international student.</p>

<p>For those of you who are familiar with the current situation at UT, it’s almost impossible for an international student to get a tuition waiver while it’s a lot easier at A&M (My sources : I’ve got relatives in both schools).
My intended major is Computer Engineering(Computer science track) at Texas A&M and ECE at UT-Austin. Judging by the current scenario, UT would cost me around 20K extra every year. I also plan on going to grad school.
I love the school and everything about it. But I wanted to know if spending all the extra money is worth it? Hope I get some responses.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>no it’s not worth 20k more a year for UT over TAMU.</p>

<p>TAMU has a good engineering program and a great network of alumni to hook you up with jobs</p>

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<p>I didn’t even bother to apply for A&M. It looks boring and kinda isolated. Austin is great, and I chose UT over Rice.</p>

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<p>I go to a school where about 20% of the graduating class goes to either UT or A&M, and I generally find that the brighter students end up at UT. College Station is in the middle of nowhere (I just got back from a track meet there), and really doesn’t have much to offer besides the university, which is very conservative and often close-minded. A&M also has quite the crazy party scene, which people tend to overlook because of the overwhelming amount of conservative Christians who attend. </p>

<p>Austin, on the other hand, ranks up there with Boston as one of the best college towns in the country, and has a niche for everyone. UT’s engineering program is generally stronger than A&M’s, and UT surpasses it in most academic disciplines. Overall, UT is without a doubt the stronger of the two, and its rivalry with A&M is more if an afterthought than anything else, whereas A&M makes a big deal out of it.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input! As I mentioned, I plan to go to grad school as well. So, as long as I get to one of the top 5 grad schools, I do not mind going to A&M.</p>

<p>Is A&M really going to hold me back in that context?</p>

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<p>UT and A&M are pretty much the same academically. If one were to look at the accepted stats for kids at both schools (incoming gpa, sat scores, etc), one would find that those stats are really similar. Both schools are also ranked very similarly. I don’t see a huge difference in the “intelligence” of the two student bodies.</p>

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<p>@ Colleges00701</p>

<p>–48% of kids were in the top 10% of their high school class at A&M vs. 77% for UT</p>

<p>–60% acceptance rate at A&M vs. 45% for UT</p>

<p>–26 average SAT score at A&M vs. 27 while UT (I would give SAT stats but TAMU doesn’t list writing and UT does)</p>

<p>–A&M is ranked #63 in overall rankings while UT is ranked #45 (USNEWS 2011)</p>

<p>–A&M is ranked #22 best public school while UT is ranked #13 (USNEWS 2011)</p>

<p>–A&M undergrad engineering is ranked #17 while UT is ranked #11 (USNEWS 2011)</p>

<p>–A&M graduate engineering is ranked #12 while UT is ranked #9 (USNEWS 2011)</p>

<p>–A&M undergrad business is ranked #48(businessweek) and (couldn’t find them) (USNEWS) while UT is ranked #17 and #7</p>

<p>–A&M graduate business is ranked #32 while UT is ranked #17 (USNEWS 2011)</p>

<p>–A&M undergrad accounting is ranked (couldn’t find them) while UT is ranked #1. (USNEWS 2011)</p>

<p>–A&M finance is ranked (couldn’t find them) while UT is ranked #6 (USNEWS 2011)</p>

<p>–A&M management is ranked #10 while UT is ranked #4 (USNEWS 2011)</p>

<p>–A&M pharmacy ranks #70 while UT ranks #4 (US NEWS 2011 (last time they were ranked))</p>

<p>…Honestly I could go on and on, there were tons more rankings/stats that I found while researching but I decided to just post the major stuff to make a point. (feel free to reply with a rebuttal showing all the things A&M is better at cuz I could not find anything)</p>

<p>While they are usually relatively close in the rankings/student body/scores etc., UT is better in basically 95% of metrics you could choose to compare schools with.</p>

<p>I really don’t see how anyone can objectively suggest that UT and A&M are equal academically.</p>

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<p>I don’t see how you can use US News rankings as a measure of academic quality. If we review how US News ranks its schools:</p>

<p>[How</a> U.S. News Calculates the College Rankings - US News and World Report](<a href=“http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/08/17/how-us-news-calculates-the-college-rankings?PageNr=1]How”>http://www.usnews.com/education/articles/2010/08/17/how-us-news-calculates-the-college-rankings?PageNr=1)</p>

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<li>Undergraduate Academic Reputation = 22.5%</li>
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<p>Based on peer review. How does that actually affect the quality of what you learn in classes? zero.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Graduation and freshman retention = 20%
A good measure of the quality of the program? perhaps, but tangential at best. CC kids are not generally the types to drop out after freshman year and not graduate. </p></li>
<li><p>Faculty resources = 20%
Based on class sizes, faculty salaries, other factors. Both A&M and UT will have similar class sizes. Both are public state schools. The faculty is paid roughly similar. There is no significant difference between UT and A&M.</p></li>
<li><p>Student selectivity = 15%
You may argue that UT is more selective than A&M, but you don’t have to spend much time at UT to know they let in some bad apples. </p></li>
<li><p>Financial resources = 10%
Spending on students. Probably a good measure of quality.</p></li>
<li><p>Graduation rate performance = 7.5%
Again, probably a good measure, but largely self-directed. No one’s going to make you graduate. It’s up to you.</p></li>
<li><p>Alumni giving rate = 5%
How much the alumni give back to the school.</p></li>
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<p>The only obvious thing about the US News rankings is that they are in no way based on objective metrics that measure a school’s academics. If anything, they are based on hearsay, tangential measurements, and money.</p>

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<p>I think a more objective way to score these schools against each other academically would be in job placement and graduate school/professional school acceptance rates. </p>

<p>Those who are hiring or making admissions decisions know which schools are turning out the best prepared students in each discipline through their experience.</p>

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<p>What do Aggies and Longhorns have in common? </p>

<p>They both applied to UT. </p>

<p><em>drum-sticks</em></p>

<p><em>coughs</em> OKAY, you should look at what you like/want to do. If you’re into Engineering, go to A&M. Anything else? Texas.</p>

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<p>So true in my house. :)</p>

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<p>I wouldn’t pick A&M over Texas for civil engineering!</p>

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<p>Okay, I’m going to be honest and thorough. </p>

<p>A lot of people from my school go to A&M if they can’t get into UT. That being said…I know many people who have wanted to go to A&M their whole lives. </p>

<p>One of my best friends is going to A&M. She is incredibly smart and talented, and could have practically gone anywhere she wanted…UT, Vanderbilt (she was a legacy), blah blah blah…</p>

<p>Anyway…</p>

<p>Both are giant schools that attract a wide variety of people. It’s stupid to stereotype each school as “arrogant” or “close-minded!” However, in a nutshell…</p>

<p>A&M is very traditional and conservative. It’s about 80% white. The campus is fine, but has a lot of concrete everywhere. While it is less selective and lower ranked than UT, it is higher up on the Wall Street Journal’s “Schools that Employers Recruit From.” You know why? If you go to a job interview wearing your class ring, and the interviewer is an Aggie, they have to hire you. </p>

<p>Once you’re an Aggie, you’re an Aggie for life. Your kids will go there. </p>

<p>UT is waaaay modern and liberal. It’s about 50% white. The campus is brisk and urban, so it’s easy to get lost. More nationally recognized than A&M, it will get you into better graduate schools. Additionally, it has broader (and better) programs. However, I think there’s less of a support system than there is at A&M…at UT, no one will hold your hand and help you through classes. You’d find more hippies here than at A&M, although (I’m sure) drinking and drug use is the same on both campuses. Rush (if you’re into sororities) is harder and more competitive.</p>

<p>College Station is the epitome of a college town. It’s chock-full of coffee shops, 24/7 fast food places, etc. The whole town revolves around A&M. Austin is a great town, but it’s not AS MUCH OF A CT as College Station is. THAT BEING SAID (shah abused transition?), Austin is a much better place to visit and live in. It is a pretty great college town. </p>

<p>I would say that the programs are pretty comparable at both schools. If you decide to live in Texas, going to either school = equivalent of Ivy League. A&M has better engineering programs (I would say as a whole the quality is better), while UT has a MUCH better communication department (A&M doesn’t even have a journalism major…). Those are the only vastly different programs though, I would say. </p>

<p>Sports are better at UT. 'Nuff said.</p>

<p>Think about what kind of person you are. Are you more conservative? Liberal? Do you want a family community, or a more independent lifestyle? I know many a’ people that have switched out of A&M (to worse schools) because it’s too conservative, too white, too whatever. Although I haven’t heard of anyone switching out of UT, I’m sure that there are many who think it’s too big, too lonesome and too hippieish. Think long and hard about which one you want to spend the next four years at.</p>

<p>I hope this helps! Good luck deciding!</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input! As I mentioned, I plan to go to grad school as well. So, as long as I get to one of the top 5 grad schools, I do not mind going to A&M.</p>

<p>Is A&M really going to hold me back in that context?</p>

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<p>No. Your GPA and research will affect it more.</p>

<p>Someone with a 4.0 in Aerodynamical Engineering (no idea if it exists, it just sounded hard) that has done a ton of research will get into a better grad school that someone who went to UT and cruised by.</p>

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<p>“As long as I get to one of the top 5 grad school, I do not mind going to A&M.” Before you go to A&M, you need to change that mindset Cendrillion. I know so many people with that mind set completely mess up. Example, I have a friend at UT who wanted to get into a top med-school. Smart guy, top 3% at high school. In his first semester at UT he came with a high school mentality and currently has just above a 2.0. </p>

<p>If you really want to get into a top 5 grad school, treat every day like it’s your last and STUDY.</p>

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<p>Why would you say that? UT is ranked higher than A&M in every engineering discipline that they both offer.</p>

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<p>No.</p>

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<p>I posted more than US news rankings. I posted statistics of the student body also where UT beats A&M in every category as well.</p>

<p>I have heard the arguments against USNEWS time and time again on this site (like we all have), but what metric would you prefer we use when comparing the two schools?</p>

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<p>The idea that A&M has better engineering than UT is incorrect.</p>