UTD choice dilemma

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas Schools (Other Than Austin
1

<p>I am torn between UTDallas, Northwestern, and Vanderbilt.</p>

<p>UTD gave me the biggest money (tuition+fee+7k), NU (40K free), and Vandy (47K free). Not sich a big difference in money, I gather. </p>

<p>BUT:
- UTD: The best for my major(physics theory). Dorm, dining, sci-facility, physics research opportunity in summer are unbeatable. I love nearly everything about UTD except it is not well known.</p>

<ul>
<li><p>NU: Not as good for my major. The most wholesome college experience. The greatest location out of all three excellent cities. Worldwide recognition. The LEAST monetary support.</p></li>
<li><p>Vandy: Physics-wise, Vandy seems in between. Undergrad focus is very very strong. Close-knit and individual focused. Money is as good as UTD. Traditional southern influence seems pretty strong tho. Not as internationally recognized.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>I am going crazy as decision date nears. I have neither visited nor can visit them. The reason I value global recognition is that I MIGHT go back to my home-country later, after bachelor, master or ph.d. I don't want my employeers to ask me 'Vandy?' or 'UTD?' as they would be ignorant.. Any advice??</p>

2

<p>i dont think your home country would really care where you got your degree. if you’re thinking of grad school, undergrad wouldnt really matter as much as where you went for grad. since money isnt a concern, id go to the best possible school in your situation (which I think is Vanderbilt). I’m skeptical that UTD’s physics program is the best of the 3, but I dont know much about our physics department. You seem to like UTD though, so go where you think you will succeed the most.</p>

3

<p>The traditional advice says : don’t choose a school based on a major since you will likely change majors (although in your case, you seem to have your mind set). Also, you shouldn’t choose a school based on reputation (though I understand that you feel that your chances of getting a job, particularly in an area like Asia, where brand name schools are highly regarded, may count for something), but rather based on fit (you will have to try to talk or chat with as many students and faculty as possible between now and D-day). Will you be happy going to a school that has a good physics department but offers none of the ECs you enjoy, where the population is mostly local, where you can’t have access to the food you like? Also, it seems that money-wise, the schools are close, but you may still want to think about going to the school that allows you to graduate with the least debt (include travel costs in your budget). Look for independent sources of information rather than the school websites. Of course a school will say they have a leading edge physics department, but objectively speaking, do they really? Finally, if grad school in the US is your destination, you may want to look at grad school admissions data to see how graduates of the schools you are considering fare when applying to GS.</p>

<p>Best of luck !</p>

4

<p>Wow!!! Very impressive. I know it’s going to be a tough choice. I may have to part with Bigred a little on this one. In terms of the strength of the physics program, your assessment is correct: UTD has a very strong physics program. As an example, the UTD website today has a story of a sophomore physics major who won a Udall Scholarship, and started a new minor in environmental studies. Not only is the physics program strong, but it has complimentary cross-disciplinary programs that will lend amazing research opportunities . </p>

<p>When I was in your position, I too gave serious consideration to UTD’s national / international recognition compared to my other options. I’d like to address your concerns by putting UTD’s position and trajectory in context from a University-level, but also given its location (in one of the most rapidly growing major metropolitan areas) and as one of the gems of the UT System. </p>

<p>The University of Texas System, in my opinion, is world-class. Whether you’re a doctor, a lawyer, an engineer or a sports buff the University of Texas name is synonymous with quality. As a system, it’s probably as well-positioned for the future as any of the other major public systems. Here are some examples:

  • The UT System has the world’s 4th largest university endowment, trailing only Harvard, Yale and Princeton
  • In 2010, the UT System was ranked 3rd worldwide in patent strength trailing only MIT and the UC System.
  • UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas has more Nobel Laureates than any other medical school
  • The UT System has 4 Medical Schools ranked in the top 60. The University of Michigan has 1, University of North Carolina 1, University of Florida 1, University of Illinois 1, University of Virginia 1, Penn State 0.</p>

<p>While the UC system is slashing their budgets, and the University of Michigan is having trouble keeping their graduates in the state, the Texas legislature recently designated a large pool of funding to help emerging universities in Texas, including UT campuses in San Antonio, Arlington, Dallas and El Paso. This has allowed them a greater pool of resources which have allowed them to recruit from CalTach, Stanford, Berkeley etc… </p>

<p>Dallas, as I mentioned in a prior post, is likely to be one of the most innovative and dynamic cities of our generation. This, due to the quality of life, cost of living, available work force, a large creative class, its central location, diversity of industry etc…</p>

<p>Within the past decade, UTD itself has also made significant gains in research expenditures, number of patents, number and quality of students, financial support and number of faculty. It has strong support of local industry in a wide array of sectors. Being the young university that it is, it does not yet receive the credit it deserves in all of the rankings, but it is consistently improving. For being a University that is focused in STEM disciplines, it is also quite well rounded. Recently, 6 of its 7 schools were recognized in national rankings, a testament to this breadth. Also, if you look at UMich, UNC, UCLA or even Northwestern, the vast majority of their research dollars come from their medical schools. If you look at UTD and UT Southwestern together, they look a lot more like the aforementioned flagships. As these two institutions continue to do more research together, this will bolster the number of research projects, funding, patents, scholarship and international recognition for the two. </p>

<p>After having spent time at the university myself, I’m convinced that in the next few years, a ticket to UTD will become increasingly exclusive and prestigious.</p>

<p>All of that being said, in addressing that concern, I feel confident recommending UTD. It’s a great university, in a great location that’s part of an excellent system. The big question is fit. Make sure you feel comfortable with the differences between Chicago and Dallas. For example, if you end up in Dallas, you might be well served to have a car…probably reasonable given the savings. </p>

<p>I wish you all the luck in your future endeavors</p>

5

<p>Here’s the link to the news article Nano is talking about.
[Sophomore</a> Wins University’s First Udall Scholarship - UT Dallas News](<a href=“http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2011/4/22-10401_Sophomore-Wins-Universitys-First-Udall-Scholarship_article.html]Sophomore”>http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2011/4/22-10401_Sophomore-Wins-Universitys-First-Udall-Scholarship_article.html)</p>

<p>another physics grad from utd now at uchicago and got a prestigious award
[Fellowship</a> Funds Research for Future Physicist - UT Dallas News](<a href=“http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2010/4/27-2921_Award-Funds-Students-Particle-Physics-Research_article.html]Fellowship”>Award Funds Student’s Particle Physics Research - News Center | The University of Texas at Dallas)</p>

6

<p>Thank you so very much, all the posters above!! Your advice help a lot.</p>

<p>I learned of a UTD physics professor who was originally from Korea and I talked with him on the phone. The prof was also concerned about how UTD’s lack of fame might work against me, in case I return to Korea for a job. However, he stressed that it would be so only if I finish my edcuation with an undergrad degree AND also happen to go back. He is a Seoul National University graduate, an equivalent of Harvard’s in Korea. He did his Ph.D. at MIT and Postdoc at Harvard. He taught at Stanford until he came to UTD in 2006. He talked very highly of UTD’s professors, ‘students’, and physics program, and I felt like studying under him. </p>

<p>I am talking again with him tomorrow and some other people of the other schools. At this point, I tend to think that each school has merits of its its own and I cannot go wrong in any of the three. Will keep you posted. Thanks again :)</p>

7

<p>prjiki,</p>

<p>Please share what you learn after talking with him. While UTD is my son’s safety, (he’s a junior) my impression is that it’s one of the most underrated universities in the country based on the quality of student that goes there. The average SAT scores of the students is actually higher in math at UTD than it is at UT Austin.</p>

<p>My son is also interested in physics and math as well as chess. We also have friends in Dallas and a great church to plug into. My son’s been to Dallas once and while it was really hot (we’re from So Cal), he could definitely live there. From their website, it certainly seems UTD has a lot to offer in STEM and it’s smaller than UT Austin, which I think is a better thing to be able to work closer with your profs. They also let u/g students to grad work when they’re ready, which would be the case for my son who’s doing senior level physics at our local state univ this year.</p>

<p>My son’s also looking at Vandy along with some other schools. Let us know what you decide!</p>