The University of Texas - Austin

Ultimately, UT was not the place for me. The school is big and impersonal, and while there's opportunities for social life given the wonderful college town of Austin, most of the social scene takes place off-campus. In fact, most people live off-campus. While people are friendly, it takes a lot of initiative on your part to make friends given the sheer size of the school. You'll meet a whole lot of people but never see them agan. If you're the shyer type, go to a LAC or smaller university but not UT or any mega-sized state school. The student body isn't very diverse either (most come from suburban texas). Given the admissions criteria, a lot of bad seeds are let in, and many of the freshmen are just there to get wasted (fortunately, they are eventually weeded out). UT does have top ranked programs, but realize that that reflects more on UT graduate studies more than undergraduate. Coursework is very solid, and you learn a lot, and most courses are very manageable. Ultimately, I ended up deciding to transfer to Rice University after my freshman year.

1st Year Female -- Class 2005

Surrounding City: A, Individual Value: D+

Great University in a medium sized city which revolves around the college students during the schoolyear and one of the best values for an excellent education.

3rd Year Male -- Class 2004

Useful Schoolwork: A+, Campus Maintenance: B+