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TAMU will soon become the official UT reject school...
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<p>Really? TAMU's incoming freshman class has an acceptance rate comparable to UT's (thanks to the top 10% law), doesn't sound like a "UT reject school to me". In fact, growing up in Austin, I've known more UT rejects to go to Texas State because they "won't go to A&M" for whatever reasons.</p>
<p>P.S. I rejected your highly acclaimed school's acceptance to go to TAMU.</p>
<p>I really feel that A&M does a good job of bringing you into their family, making you part of the tradition, etc. At UT, you are more on your own.</p>
<p>i do not go to UT or TAMU...although i'll admit that TAMU scared me b/c of the conservatism and all the traditions that intimidated me (being hispanic)</p>
<p>UT seems to be more hispanic-friendly (given its the best for latin american studies) BUT unless you're majoring in that you're just another number...you're still a number at TAMU but there are more resources to go around (per capita) </p>
<p>i did apply to UT though (not knowing that it truly is an urban jungle and thinking i could deal with the "you're just a number" problem) but i also applied to SFA (i qualified for their honors program where as at UT i didnt) as opposed to TAMU because while both schools have similar traditions, SFA was much smaller and i felt i could be more at home there (despite being hispanic)</p>
<p>Yeah, one should definitely love traditions if you go to TAMU. A lot of my family went there and they are fanatics. Like, watching all of their football games, and sticking to their traditions while watching them. And they all wear that Aggie ring religiously. My great-grandfather's ring is so worn down that you can barely read the inscription!</p>
<p>There are fanatics everywhere. That has to do with the person (family) not the school. And about the ring, I have to admit they are one of the finest looking senior rings in the country.</p>
<p>Not sure why people are so hard on A&M. My son is graduating from a competive high school in Sugarland, GPA weighted 5.3 and ranks 61/559, which put him just outside of top 10%. He has all AP classes, and tons of extra curricular's as well as an honor grad. He has 1990 on his SAT. He has always wanted to go to UT, but got CAP instead. BTW we are Chinese, which makes me wonder as kids with lower GPA'S and SAT's from his non top 10% class from other racial backgrounds got in to UT...anyway...he did get accepted to A&M way back in December just a week after applying. He also got accepted to HBU, UofH,
University of Oklahoma, SFA, Texas Tech, and Baylor (all with Scholarships). Of all these, including A&M, he hasn't shown any interest in committing to any school! All of these schools gave him his first choice major, with the exception of UT Cap program, and he is still seriously considering the program! I am sure if A&M's football team started winning there would be a change of opinion among alot of people! At least they have a winning baseball team!</p>
<p>UT is such a BS institution for anything but the selective programs (i.e. business or honors)</p>
<p>it does not matter where you go to undergrad (as long as you have a good gpa) in terms of planning to do graduate/professional studies...</p>
<p>I'm a freshman and A&M right now, and I will tell you that the campus has some of the ugliest buildings I've ever seen. Also, there is a lot of silly politics going on with the president of A&M. Also, while in their "tight-knit" community and "friendly atmosphere" mode, people tend to try to shove niceness down your throat (which is OK if you like that sort of thing). It just seems very unnatural when you're 50 feet away from a door and someone insists on holding it open for you. And having someone change their walking path just so they can say "howdy" to you. And having corps people yell at you because you stepped on a plaque that they intelligently decided to put right where everyone walks to go to Sbisa. And being called a "two-percenter" just because you are way too busy with being involved in your academics, which is what we should be here for in the first place, instead of yelling for no reason at midnight and building big explosive wood monuments that kill people. And being such an uninteresting school that we have the distinction of being rivals with colleges that aren't even rivals with us back.</p>
<p>Needless to say I'm transferring to UT in the fall.</p>
<p>Perfect! As the saying goes "Hwy 6 runs both ways"</p>
<p>fusionshrimp, that is the kind of stuff I'm worried about for my youngest son. We are going to visit A&M tomorrow, having a meeting with an engineering counselor and taking the tour. If too many people yell howdy at him, he might X it off the list completely!! </p>
<p>I have a nephew who is at A&M now, and another who is heading there in the fall, and they are not at all the "stereotypical Aggie" that you describe above, hopefully my Bohemian-alt music type junior will see that type as well.</p>
<p>your son will see all kinds at A&M....
I noticed a lot of guys going out of their way to say Howdy to my beautiful daughter, but it was obvious, it is a normal university campus -
Just avoid walking on the grass at the MSC and the memorial's... it is easy to be respectful. You will find "thoes types" of students everywhere, the ones who will go out of their way to be disrespectful and try to cause the corp's guys to do their thing.
Thoes are the ones who simply need to hit hwy 6 out of college station.</p>
<p>Haha! I can see guys using the Howdy excuse to get to a beautiful girl!!</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips on the grass and the memorials!</p>
<p>I really hope the visit goes well, I truly do believe in the value of an engineering degree from A&M. I just want my son to be able to envision himself there and be happy with that as an option. I could tell this morning that he was getting excited about the visit, so that is a great first step!</p>
<p>My gosh, folks, if you don't like the traditions and culture of Texas A&M, don't go there! I honestly don't understand why people would knowingly go to a college they didn't like and then complain about how they don't like it when they get there. It's up to you to do your homework and check it out before you accept your offer of admission. There are hundreds of options out there. If you really wanted to get into UT, then go to a junior college and transfer. There are thousands of students who get rejected from A&M who love the school and would take your place in a second if you weren't taking up the spot.</p>
<p>I'm glad I found this thread. For the first time ever last night, ds didn't balk at the idea of visiting A&M. We've been near/on the campus several times for sporting events and such but have never taken the tour.</p>
<p>gxgal, I can tell you why people apply to A&M (or attend it) even if they're not in love with it. Some of us need an in-state public school to be able to afford a college education (or a near full-ride at a private institution). We are looking for great academics. For us, UT and A&M fit the bill. If you're a Texan and not in the top 10% (my ds isn't), then you sure can't count on UT. So that leaves A&M, even with all our reservations. </p>
<p>What are the reservations? Oh, is the Corps over the top? (don't know, just wondering) Is it too conservative? (ds is quite liberal) Fear that minorities aren't treated well (he's a double minority). So, we are in the stage of investigating whether these fears have a basis in reality. Nothing wrong with questions.</p>
<p>gxgal, I don't know if you're directing that at me, but - we're doing our homework, that's why we're visiting;) And, my son is in the top 10%, so if he wants to go to UT, he will, without going to junior college. </p>
<p>I want him to look at A&M though because I know the Aggie Network for engineers is strong and it may be a better choice.</p>
<p>If we go tomorrow, and he is turned off , then so-be-it! He won't take a spot next year :)</p>
<p>edit to add - Exactly YouDon'tSay, couldn't have said it better myself!!</p>
<p>ag54, that comment was not directed to you. You seem to be one of the more reasonable voices on the boards about the A&M versus UT discussions. It was toward the more nasty comments left by other posters about A&M.</p>
<p>And I totally understand that A&M and UT are the two flagship schools of Texas, so therefore the most desirable. I guess I'm just concerned when people want to come in and try and alter the heart of A&M. Are there people who go "over the top" with their loyalty to the school? No question. But the majority of students do not.</p>
<p>I also find it interesting that there are no such verbal "fights" about the other public schools in the state (Texas Tech, University of Houston, etc.). I guess that just shows that A&M and UT are the best!</p>
<p>Yes! Without question UT and A&M are the best!! (duckingheadincasetechfolksareoutthere;))</p>
<p>you also have to keep in mind while the Corps of Cadets is a very vital and unique part of A&M - it numbers about 1800 students of a nearly 50,000 student campus. They are very visable because of their uniforms, and very hard core aggies. And that is not a bad thing. They are the keepers of traditions - I like to say.
I got tickled when we took a friend and her daughter onto campus in early March. We came out of an oncampus parking garage and immediately saw a Sr. Corps guy in his boots. My friend says "Oh, he must be on the equestrian team" to which I started to giggle.... (Though while we were Christmas shopping together a young girl who was helping us had told us she had received a scholarship to A&M to be on the Equestrian team.)
Oh and the new Engineering building is FABULOUS!</p>
<p>gxgal, the traditions and culture of a school should not be the determining factor in where one goes. I go to A&M because of the education they provide there, not because of any kind of school loyalty. And I did visit and do my homework; you just can't judge from a visit and alumni testimonial if you will be able to handle the suffocatingly intense school spirit for four years. I guess I can't, and that's why I'm leaving.</p>
<p>And those "thousands of students who get rejected" got rejected because their qualifications weren't as good as the admissions staff thought they should be. It's kind of silly that you would imply that if I weren't "taking their spot" that they would be accepted instead of someone academically qualified just because they are in love with the school. That's not what school is about.</p>
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Oh and the new Engineering building is FABULOUS!
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<p>I've heard that, and also that they are very generous with scholarship $$. That would be a definite plus point in the PRO column!</p>
<p>I'll report back our impressions next week. We are really looking forward to the tour. This is actually my son's first "official" college visit. He's been to Austin and UT all his life, so that doesn't count! :)</p>