So I won’t go into details, but basically I’m going back and forth between UT and Rice.
I had set my mind on UT and a few days later received my Rice financial aid packet. To my surprise, the cost of going to Rice University is now cheaper than that of UT’s (because of Trustee scholarship + FAFSA).
Why did YOU choose UT?
were you deciding between UT and other schools & what made you ultimately decide on UT?
-why do you think you are happy at UT?
-what major?
-opportunities you’ve had at UT?
-did you come in with any friends/how often do you visit your family?
-did you know you liked the ‘big’ environment at UT…or were you choosing between big vs small, like UT vs Rice? pros and cons of UT*
-clubs/activities you are in at UT
-your daily ‘schedule’?
-stress levels?
Answer whichever you like or just give me an overall reason for why you chose UT.***
THANK you so much.
I just want to know other people’s experiences at UT. Be 100% honest…whatever you are feeling, just type it.
I chose UT because I only applied here and to Baylor, and about half a minute after stepping foot on BU I realized it was most assuredly not the place for me. UT has a TON of resources we can all utilize, from counseling to career services to tutoring and all kinds of stuff I haven’t had the need for. But Rice probably has all that, too. I haven’t really made a ton of friends, but all the freshmen activities and dorm events would make it easy, if I weren’t a lazy garbage can. I visit my family probably once a month, but that’s only because I’m still in braces and my orthodontist is in my hometown. I decided I wanted a big environment because I grew up in a town with nobody—41 people in my graduating class—and I’d had enough of it. Haven’t regretted that decision as of yet.
@SlimShadyLady Basically, I will have to pay $10,000 a year at Rice, and $14,000 a year at UT (because I am declining loans as of now). However, my first year at UT is probably free because I have tuition paid (since I’m Val at my high school) + the $10K grants from fafsa. So, in reality…the difference is less than $5000 maybe.
Also, thanks for the response! Really appreciate it.
I’m just trying to get as many opinions/experiences as possible before I actually have to make my decision in less than three weeks.
Once a Rice graduate told me that you should know that you can buy UT tshirt at Walmart while you have to go to Rice to get one. I guess he meant that Rice gives you exclusivity on top of other things. Go with Rice, not everyone who gets into UT gets into Rice with big scholarships but everyone who gets into Rice, is an autoadmit at UT. Only reason to pick UT would be money and you don’t have that issue.
^That might be true for French literature, but it’s not true for engineering. UT’s engineering schools is one of the best in the country. Plus, there are many more UT alumni than Rice alumni in Texas who are responsible to hire engineers. UT profs routinely place their students in jobs. Engineers all over Texas call up UT profs to get recommendations on which students they should hire.
Everyone who gets into Rice may be an auto admit into UT in general, but that doesn’t apply to engineering, which has additional requirements.
Thank you to all above. I’m really trying to consider everything about both schools, the pros and the cons, because I only have less than three weeks to decide ://
Honestly I think it all depends on what you like, if you love sports then UT is much better in that area, I’m a HS junior UT is my top choice but I will probably apply to Rice too. I like Rice’s residential college system, that’s something that UT doesn’t have, not a lot of schools do for that matter. For the alumni network I would definitely choose UT, I live in Cleveland Ohio and my family knows a decent amount of alumni in the area, there are alumni in every place you could think of.
^When we were in London a few years ago, my dad wanted to find a place to watch a Longhorn football game (this was before it was easy to find games online). We looked up chapters of Texas Exes, and sure enough, there was one in London. We met the group at a little BBQ restaurant across the street from the Tower of London and had a wonderful time. Most of the Exes were young adults working short-term in London in the finance industry. My son is going to study in Beirut, Lebanon this fall, and it will be easy to find Exes to connect up with him.