<p>I'm going through this exact problem too. It's pretty much UT or A&M. I love Austin, but like yall said, you are just another number for the most part -- it seems. I've always thought I would go to A&M until I learned more about both the schools. </p>
<p>The thing is that I'm really liberal and cant stand when people are ignorant about gay people or racism. I mean I have a lot of conservative friends (I do live in Texas), and I can respect people who have a clue about what being conservative is rather just knowing that everyone else is so it must be right. And I know plenty of people from my suburban Texas town going to A&M who are just blatantly racist or ignorant. Please tell me that people aren't like this at A&M. And I too have witnessed the amazing niceness of anyone on campus. It's a big difference from UT. </p>
<p>Another thing that bothers me is the traditions -- they seem creepily cult-ish. I know it's all bonding and whatnot, but I've been around a lot of it and it seems like really ridiculous stuff. What are the traditions really like?</p>
<p>Im a freshman at a&m and i chose it over texas. I just liked the atmosphere better. i. e. nicer people. Im moderately liberal, but i prefer to have no political classification and from what ive seen no one here cares what you are as long as you don't try to force your views onto them. and i hated the traditions when i was coming in to but to me now their just there and i just kind of unknowingly participate and like i was saying earlier its the same with the traditions no one pushes them on you. you can choose to participate or not. I highly reccomend fish camp though its lots of fun....and ill be a councelor. </p>
<p>Every college has its own personality and draws students, in part, because of that personality. A&M has a more conservative student body on average than other universities. In any large group, there will be people that are more overt about their beliefs than others. Overall, though, A&M is a friendlier campus than UT. Traditions are at the heart of what makes A&M special. If those factors make you too uncomfortable, by all means you should choose not to go there. It's a free country and no one is forcing you to go to a college you don't agree with.</p>
<p>I agree, every school have its own tradition. That's why you choose a college that best fit your lifestyle. ex-atmosphere, people, parties, quiet, or diversity. Or if you don't care then pick anything. And like everywhere else, you do have blend and adapt to society. That would be the same if you were working at a company somewhere
Overall, i think a&m is nice. i was able to get great help on direction around the school and what to do. As for racism and other hatred like class distinction and such, there are those kind of people everywhere, even UT.</p>
<p>Can someone describe the atmosphere of both colleges and cities? I am torn between UT and A&M but I am leaning towards UT because it's only a 1 hr drive from home while A&M is 2 hrs away. Also, I feel like Austin would provide me with better internship opportunities for electrical engineering than College Station as most of the major tech companies are located in Austin. Any advice? I have yet to visit UT but I visited A&M and overall I liked the campus but the problem with me is that I'm pretty sure I'll feel the same way with UT. I'm more of a liberal but I'm kind of moderate in between liberal and conservative. I am an Indian (from India) if that helps. I was born here though in Texas.</p>
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Can someone describe the atmosphere of both colleges and cities? I am torn between UT and A&M but I am leaning towards UT because it's only a 1 hr drive from home while A&M is 2 hrs away. Also, I feel like Austin would provide me with better internship opportunities for electrical engineering than College Station as most of the major tech companies are located in Austin. Any advice? I have yet to visit UT but I visited A&M and overall I liked the campus but the problem with me is that I'm pretty sure I'll feel the same way with UT. I'm more of a liberal but I'm kind of moderate in between liberal and conservative. I am an Indian (from India) if that helps. I was born here though in Texas.
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<p>Both are very different, and honestly you need to visit both of them to formulate your own opinions. As a soph at A&M, and growing up in Austin and living there for 16 years, I think I can give you a pretty honest opinion of the two atmospheres...</p>
<p>Austin has more things to do than College Station, that's going to be pretty obvious. College Station has plenty of fun things to do though, but Austin has more variety. Generally the people in Austin and at UT are snobby and liberal, and think they are better than you. In College Station however, they are completely the opposite. Most are kind and want to be your friend, and maybe it comes from the small-town environment. There are many conservatives in College Station, but there are many liberals as well. Being an Indian and in Engineering, you will not be alone. I know and have many friends of Indian descent, and have met people who went to HS in India through various engineering clubs here. To me, I like the fact that the city of College Station revolves around A&M, whereas UT is just a part of Austin. Both schools have great athletic programs, alhough the traditions and spirit of A&M will easily outbeat UTs. </p>
<p>For internships, going to A&M will not at all hinder your possibilities. A&M has one of the biggest Career Fairs around the nation, and has many companies that come to A&M looking for interns/full-time hires (including many Austin-based companies that attend). If anything, going to A&M will enhance your opportunities. There is no rule that says your college must be located in the same city as the companies you want to intern for. Don't forget, Houston is a big hub for companies and is ~1hr away. I'm an AeroE, and personally I've already been interviewed by companies such as Lockheed-Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Continental Airlines and I'm not even a junior.</p>
<p>What does "snobby and liberal" mean? Are the liberals in College Station not snobby? I'm not offended or angry, I just want to know. Because I don't know any snobby liberals, but I know plenty of snobby conservatives.</p>
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What does "snobby and liberal" mean? Are the liberals in College Station not snobby? I'm not offended or angry, I just want to know. Because I don't know any snobby liberals, but I know plenty of snobby conservatives.
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<p>They were two seperate thoughts combined into one statement. Read it more like this: people are snobby..... and liberal.</p>
<p>I agree most liberals I know are not snobby, but they find a way to be in that city. In College Station, regardless of political affiliation, most people are not snobby or stuck up. And honestly, if you only know conservatives to be snobby, you need to wake up. I consider myself moderate, and to say only one side is snobby makes you seem either very ignorant or very biased.</p>
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I'm an AeroE, and personally I've already been interviewed by companies such as Lockheed-Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Continental Airlines and I'm not even a junior.
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<p>My hero... lol. It would be amazing to work for Lockheed. You must be pretty smart to have those companies interviewing you that soon.</p>
<p>As a conservative I feel like the liberals are always bashing on conservatives for being close-minded. But then I counter that argument and say that the liberals are so open minded that thier brains fall out, you can't please everyone because everyone is different. Oh well I guess Ill go back to listening to the Great Rush. ;) (joke)</p>
<p>You're definitely right about assuming either side is all snobby -- or anything for that matter. I was just saying I know plenty of snobby conservatives -- they find a way to be snobby in my town just like you say liberals in Austin. But I understand and can see how most people at A&M are more down-to-earth.</p>
<p>I went to UT back in the dinosaur days, and my husband is an Aggie. Our oldest son graduated from A&M in May and our youngest son is headed to UT in the fall. We are pretty familiar with both schools! I will say without any bias at all that both schools are excellent! They do, however, have very distinct individual personalities.</p>
<p>UT is not "liberal and snobby", just different for someone used to the atmosphere in College Station. When we took our youngest to UT for a visit last year, I was absolutely floored by how kind and helpful the students were. I know A & M is known for its friendly students (which they are), but the students at UT are very friendly as well. The biggest difference is that UT has a much more diverse student body. Yes, there are some very strange people in Austin, but for the most part, the students are relatively conservative. Austin itself and the faculty are probably more liberal than the students. UT is very hard to get into, so one has to be a serious student to get in and be able to remain there. </p>
<p>A & M is much more traditional. As a UT grad, I would agree that their traditions can seem a little "cult-like". However, an Aggie will tell you the following: "From the outside you can't understand it, from the inside you can't explain it." Those that attend A&M get it, and the rest of us really don't. </p>
<p>Both schools are really wonderful places for the students that feel comfortable there. A&M was the right choice for our oldest son and UT is the right choice for our youngest son. They both knew right away upon visiting the campuses that those were the schools for them. Both schools are excellent academically and have highly sought after graduates!</p>
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Yes, there are some very strange people in Austin, but for the most part, the students are relatively conservative. UT is very hard to get into, so one has to be a serious student to get in and be able to remain there.
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<p>I agreed with all of your post but these two remarks. </p>
<p>Students at UT may be considered "relatively conservative" compared to students at say... Berkeley, but not the rest of the U.S (which there's nothing wrong with). While it may have been ignorant of me to classify all students at UT as snobby and/or liberal, a big population meets those standards. Just as a big population of A&M is conservative.</p>
<p>And your second comment implies that UT is much harder of a school to get into than A&M, which historically may be true but it's really not anymore. A&M had 26,000+ applicants for this next fall, ~half of which will be accepted. UT's acceptance rate will be a little lower than that (~40%). While both schools have great students, there are loopholes that can allow many below average students to get in such as UT's cap program or A&M's TAPP program.</p>
<p>Don't forget about Blinn Team. It's really attractive because it is basically a part of A&M. With CAP schools, you have to go to a different city and then move. Anyway, I'm already in A&M via academic admit, but I havent heard from UT... Apparently I'm qualified for UT, but I honestly wouldnt be too surprised if I get rejected. UT admissions does seem to be getting really rough for non-top-tenners.</p>
<p>I heard this joke from a former Houston, TX resident:</p>
<p>What do the engineering graduates at UT call the engineering graduates at TAMU?</p>
<ul>
<li> Boss.</li>
</ul>
<p>I suspect there is some sort of comment about Leadership or the Aggie network. We are not from Texas, so take the joke at face value. It's just something I heard.</p>
<p>Haha! I've heard variations of that as well - that's why I'm trying to get my son to take a look at A&M too. He's pretty dead set on UT engineering, but that Aggie Network is hard to overlook!</p>
<p>I know this has been said many times but people at A&M ARE nicer. I went on a day trip there and during a scavenger hunt on campus I got separated from my group (I saw some one that graduated my school and said Hi and when I turned around I couldn't find my group) and the first person I walked up to and asked where I should go for information walked with me to the nearest building to see if they knew where my group was, and when they didn't know, she walked me around campus for 30 minutes until I got to where I should be.</p>
<p>There's even a difference in their admission recruiter people that come to my school. TAMU's was soooo nice and helpful. I ended up seeing her several times and she was so friendly. The one from UT..whom I only "met" once... was cold and grumpy. People from UT just seem snobby and rude.</p>
<p>Plus there are too many hobos at UTs doorsteps.
I hear orientals get mugged a lot.</p>
<p>And the emphasis at UT is on their graduate students. And undergraduate classes are more likely to be taught by grad students or teachers with heavy accents.</p>
<p>Oh and A&M has better connections in the job market.</p>
<p>Honestly I wanted to go to UT (my brother's a sophomore in engineering there) and if I had been accepted...it would have been very hard for me to decline since I'm so easily influenced by those rankings. But I really don't think I will be accepted now.. (even though I should have!!) so I'm kind of glad the choice was made for me and I'll go to A&M.</p>
<p>Really though, you need to just visit both campuses and see which one feels better. Don't decide just by what is said on here. </p>
<p>Oh and A&M gives more fin-aid :)
They have a new 60K and under thing... I forgot the details but check it out if your family makes less than 60k</p>