<p>So I'm pretty sure this has been posted many, many, times on this forum. This is my first post ever on CC, and I've been conflicted for a long time on what decision to make, so I was hoping I would get a second opinion from someone who knows a little something about both these schools. I'm a high school senior attending a pretty high caliber school (Plano Senior, for those of you who know it) and I've narrowed my choices to UT Austin and UT Dallas. I've recieved an academic distinction scholarship (the complete tuition and mandatory fees coverage along with a 1000 dollar stipend/semester) from UTD. UT Austin has not offered me anything yet, although I've applied to the university scholarships there.</p>
<p>I plan to major in Computer Science, and I hear that Computer Science is excellent at UT Austin, but also very good at UTD also. But what I'm more worried about is "living the college life". I'm pretty sure that Austin has a lot more to offer than Richardson (I've reffed soccer over at the UTD soccer fields, and trust me, there's not much exciting stuff to do surrounding the campus and further outward). But I don't plan to be a "party kid" and end up like the stereotypical party college kid. My parents value hard work and determination but at the same time want me to have a good social life and have fun, like a perfect yin yang balance of study and relaxation. </p>
<p>So some questions I have.</p>
<p>1) What activities are there usually to do on the UTD campus on the weekends and during off campus hours?</p>
<p>2) Is it true that UT Austin is a huge party school? One of the reasons my mom doesn't like UT Austin is because she believes it to be too much of a "party" school and she fears that I won't be able to get much accomplished there.</p>
<p>3) How close are the professors to their students at both universities? I prefer a closer regular professor to student interaction because I'm the type of person that always look to ask questions.</p>
<p>I'd appreciate anyone who makes a response quickly. I'm planning to make a decision by March so I can focus on other things. Thanks!</p>
<p>You might want to note that all of my answers are based off of having family who have attended/are attending both universities, not any personal experiences of my own.</p>
<p>1) I don’t honestly know, but I don’t think you’ll be without things to do. I know many people who have gone to UTD and loved it and had great social lives.</p>
<p>2) UT is a party school, but that doesn’t stop it from having exceptionally talented students. It can be seen as a part of the culture of the school, but most people know when to buckle down and get to work, from my understanding.</p>
<p>3) UT will generally have less professor-student interaction, especially in your basic courses. You’ll mostly be talking to TAs. I’m not sure what it’s like at UTD, but as it is a smaller school I think it would be better in this aspect.</p>
<p>UT is as much of a party school as you want it to be. There are plenty of things to do for those who don’t want to party all the time. As for UT-D, there are going to be activities, maybe just not as many. But remember, that also gives you the opportunity to initiate activities which can be a great experience. </p>
<p>As for relationships with professors, again, it will depend on you. Professors always have office hours. A lot will also depend on your major but upper division classes are smaller. Check the actual class schedules to see how large the classes are. </p>
<p>Since you’re in the Dallas area, go to the campus (not just the soccer fields) on the weekends and during the week. Sit in on a class. Look at the student paper and check out the activity boards. Check out the career center and see who is recruiting. Contact professors in the CS department and ask them about the major and potential. If you’re comfortable, I think with your scholarship, UT-D is the way to go.</p>
<p>Sadilly- I’ve sat through lectures before. It’s pretty nice, and the professors are very helpful. Thanks for the help.</p>
<p>Texaspg- my family can afford the costs, but as I’ve said my mom has some worries about the size and complexity of UT. I really like UT, but my parents think otherwise.</p>
<p>Not really answering your specific questions but as someone else seriously considering UT Austin I thought I would give it a shot. I’m actually from California, and while I’m not pursuing computer science or considering UTD, my mom was also really concerned UT Austin would be a party school. When we actually visited the campus she was reassured: there were people sprawled all over the place studying. Not sure if it’s too late to go this route this year but I’m looking at one of the honors program which was a great combination of being in Austin at a big school with a fun atmosphere but still being with dedicated students in small classes (I also tend to ask a lot of questions so that appealed to me). All the students we ran into seemed relatively serious and all the alumni I’ve talked to from parent of a friend type situations have recommended it highly.</p>