@3scoutsmom That’s awesome! I am not national merit, unfortunately, but with my full tuition + $3k stipend per semester ($6k a year), I believe I’ll pay $5k a year (for room & board), which is very reasonable. Definitely something I’m considering.
@jazzymomof7 thank you for all your advice! I’ll definitely update when I make a decision. I can tell I’m leaning towards UTD, but I’m visiting UT sometime in the next few weeks which might help me make a decision (already visited UTD).
@GTAustin I was just looking at that website, and I’m seeing a significant difference in salaries for top students with a finance major coming out of UT ($78k) in comparison to UTD($61k). Now, I don’t know if DMHP would change this as honors was not a choice on the website. Also, I suppose I’m putting in a lot less money into my education (i’d save at least $100k if I chose UTD) so that might cover up the difference in salary.
I don’t know if I’m in CV (Collegium V) at this moment, but does CV make a difference too?
CV gets you “priority registration” this is a huge perk, you get your choice of the best proffs for the best classes. You can also take much smaller honors classes where you really get to know your proffs, DS has really enjoyed these classes. You also get access to the honors lounge with free printing:-)
Yes, we’ve discussed that, too, and even though ds could potentially make up for the lower starting salary by paying less for his degree, what concerns me more is the potential long-term effect on his career trajectory of starting off at company A vs company B.
I think being in business honors will definitely give you an advantage, though. My advice is to do your research and don’t just look at a list of names of companies that “recruit” at the school. Gather as much data as you can to see if UTD can truly give you opportunities similar to the ones you’d have at UT.
Again, this is just how we’re thinking things through for our ds. I don’t think you can go wrong either way.
UTD is a wonderful school, and I consider my college years to be some of the best of my life. My dh has an extremely successful career with a BSEE and MBA from UTD. But I do think you’ve raised some concerns worth researching before you make a final decision.
If you’d need loans or if your parents would be under any undue hardship paying for UT, then I’d definitely go with UTD.
Oh, and once you visit UT, you can also consider which campus and environment you prefer. Ds surprisingly preferred UTD’s campus and diverse student body to the other schools he visited. It was laughable to me because back when I was there, the school was just a bunch of concrete buildings, some apartments, and fields. We didn’t even have dorms. Haha!
Finance was the major where I did see a big difference. I do think being in honors would definitely help narrow that but by how much, I don’t know. You should ask the adviser or professor in charge for the business honors program at UTD about student outcomes. What kind of jobs did they get and think about what kind of job do you want - banking, consulting, real estate, financial advising. You could also look at the companies that come to the career fairs and see if that is what you are interested in. Finance is the one business major that is a more difficult decision to make between UT and UTD.
@jazzymomof7 @GTAustin do you think that the salary gap is because of the difference in cost of living between Austin and Dallas? So like, the salaries in the eastern area (ie: NY) are often higher but cost of living is also a lot higher. So could it be most UT finance students get jobs in the Austin area so their salaries are higher compared to UTD students getting jobs in the Richardson/Dallas area? I’m not sure if this is true, however.
According to this info on UT’s website, when you sort salaries by geography, starting salaries for McCombs grads in Dallas and Houston are higher than starting salaries in Austin.
@jazzymomof7 but that is for all business majors combined, I believe.
I think I’ll try contacting UTD’s career service center on Monday and see if they can give me more information. Thanks for the link, though!
I would agree that this is not the same undergraduate program it was 20 years ago. At that point they would have only had 5 or so years of students going all 4 years - and the first freshman classes were tiny and retention was a huge issue.
https://www.utdallas.edu/outcomes/career-prospects/ there is a whole section of the UTD website about student outcomes. Colleges are judged much more on their outcomes than back in my day (80s).
@BlueBayouAZ Thank you for the information!
@snejej, let us know what your decision is when you make it.
@GTAustin I haven’t officially accepted my offer, but I’m pretty confident (99% sure) that I’ll be attending UTD starting this fall! I’m still visiting UT sometime in the next few weeks, but I’ve thought it through, and I think UTD is my best choice. If I somehow change my mind (I really doubt I will) after the visit, then I’ll let you all know, but I’m pretty confident that I will really enjoy the next 4 years at UT Dallas. Thanks for all the help!
@snejej make sure you get to tour the dorms when you visit. The layout is great!
@snejej, I’m glad! I’m a big fan of UTD and my DD is doing great there academically, financially and socially. Again, you have great choices and I wish you the best. Let us know when you accept.
@GTAustin @3scoutsmom I have officially accepted my offer to UTD, just a few days back! I am in CV as well now, and I’m incredibly excited for the next 4 years. Thank you for all your advice- I greatly appreciate it!
Congratulations! I know it was a tough decision but I think you will do great! Again, take advantage of all opportunities and get involved. Enjoy the next 4 years!
Yes, it definitely was! I hope I’m making the right decision 
@GTAustin