Surly kids who can't get into UT

[tx 3 putt 76,859]

The way hiring is done / handled, I wouldn’t trust hr screening to identify eu colleges 

[crash_davis 23,096]

2 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Those tuition fees...

Those OOS tuitions are mostly on par with OOS tuitions of most any other state school with comparable academic rankings. There's a reason some of the SEC universities' OOS tuition for Texas is so cheap.

[South Austin 52,431]

9 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

If she's from there she'll be fine.  It's no worse than what you get in Seattle proper.  A little more exposed so the fronts blowing in can be a little more extreme, but we're not talking North Dakota.  Being from TX and used to 300+ days of sun, Jan and Feb were really tough.  Def had to invest in sun lamps/etc.

My daughter's lived in Austin her whole life.  She's been to Seattle twice, and both times it was clear skies most of the time we were there (mid-March and early August).  She's been to Oregon once, last June, including a stop in Eugene, and it was mostly dreary the entire time.  I keep telling her that she's going to have months of sustained cloudy skies and rain.  She says she knows, yet UDub and Oregon are her top choices right now.  

[JesusSweatDuck 17,781]

4 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Those tuition fees...

Only $2K more than UT out of state, but yeah that out of state tax is heavy

 

[Brisketexan 105,041]

12 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Not to mention most programs in Europe are three years long, not four.  

Yeah, the Dutch schools he looked at were 3 years, but Glasgow is 4.

[South Austin 52,431]

6 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Those tuition fees...

Yep.  And as I've mentioned before, the UC schools give very little meaningful aid to nonresidents, so if my daughter really wants to attend one of them, she may have to bridge the gap from what her parents will pay with student loans.

[JesusSweatDuck 17,781]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

My daughter's lived in Austin her whole life.  She's been to Seattle twice, and both times it was clear skies most of the time we were there (mid-March and early August).  She's been to Oregon once, last June, including a stop in Eugene, and it was mostly dreary the entire time.  I keep telling her that she's going to have months of sustained cloudy skies and rain.  She says she knows, yet UDub and Oregon are her top choices right now.  

UDub is a great school, I don't know much about Oregon.  I loved that area in the summer.

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

FWIW, public schools ranked above Texas is last week’s USNWR ranks in order

Berkeley

UCLA

Michigan

NC

Virginia

UC Davis

UCSD

Florida

 

 

[JesusSweatDuck 17,781]

Just now, South Austin said:

Yep.  And as I've mentioned before, the UC schools give very little meaningful aid to nonresidents, so if my daughter really wants to attend one of them, she may have to bridge the gap from what her parents will pay with student loans.

Is CA somewhat like Texas schools where you can play the resident game and then start getting in-state tuition?

[Brisketexan 105,041]

3 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

The way hiring is done / handled, I wouldn’t trust hr screening to identify eu colleges 

A very good and fair point.  For ANY uni, know what it can feed you into.  A plant in Texas isn't likely to hire an engineering grad from the University of Strathclyde.  That degree isn't going to get you many jobs in the southern US, period.

But if you're looking at working with multinationals or even just some larger enterprises or NGOs, particularly on the US east coast (or in Europe), they're great degrees.  Also very good for getting into certain grad schools, if grad school is on your mind.

But yes, if your goal is to just be in bidness in Texas (which is a great path -- shit, it's MY path), then no, a foreign uni is probably not what you're looking for.

[texasdago 7,562]

4 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

Only $2K more than UT out of state, but yeah that out of state tax is heavy

 

That's absurd too.  I mean, for real, let's not play the game of "back in my day" but UT was a looooooot cheaper when I went through.  Its all kind of a racket.  

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

2 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

Is CA somewhat like Texas schools where you can play the resident game and then start getting in-state tuition?

Most states are like that.  One year out of state and three years in if your parents aren’t dumb enough to do stuff like take the tax exemption 

[tx 3 putt 76,859]

Just now, texasdago said:

That's absurd too.  I mean, for real, let's not play the game of "back in my day" but UT was a looooooot cheaper when I went through.  Its all kind of a racket.  

higher ed costs should be it’s own thread 

[crash_davis 23,096]

2 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

Is CA somewhat like Texas schools where you can play the resident game and then start getting in-state tuition?

UC schools, especially UCLA pissed off their lege by admitting so many Int'l studies because of the extra $$$. Basically the UC schools were mandated to start prioritizing in-state students over out of state and Int'l applicants. From that, I know UC Davis basically didn't admit anyone not from Cali. Other schools severely limited their non-CA acceptance. At least that was a few years ago. Not sure if that's changed.

[tx 3 putt 76,859]

Goto entry level jobs at companies you think your kid should work for. If your college isn’t on their pull down menu, you’re likely going to be kicked for consideration 

[FunDip 33]

1 hour ago, Grimas said:

U of Tulsa has an impressive business program that has peaked some interest with one of them but with only 3000 students, it may be a tough sell to actually live there. (Lots of business school kids getting hired at JP Morgan and Blackrock)

 

No offense, but the bold?

There's not "lots of" McCombs kids getting into IB, PE and hedgefunds. Hard for me to believe Tulsa is a hot bed pipeline for Goldman and Blackrock.

[JesusSweatDuck 17,781]

14 minutes ago, texasdago said:

That's absurd too.  I mean, for real, let's not play the game of "back in my day" but UT was a looooooot cheaper when I went through.  Its all kind of a racket.  

I started at UT right when they deregulated the tuition.  My costs doubled over the course of 4 years if I remember correctly and they were still a LOT less than this.  This goes back to my trade school argument.  There are not a lot of professions that would support taking on $200K in student cost/debt over 4 years.  It's something as a parent you should at least consider.  

[Renarka 5]

28 minutes ago, South Austin said:

My daughter's lived in Austin her whole life.  She's been to Seattle twice, and both times it was clear skies most of the time we were there (mid-March and early August).  She's been to Oregon once, last June, including a stop in Eugene, and it was mostly dreary the entire time.  I keep telling her that she's going to have months of sustained cloudy skies and rain.  She says she knows, yet UDub and Oregon are her top choices right now.  

And June is one of the least dreary times of the year here in Eugene.

UO if you want a medium sized town with nature all around. 45 minutes to the ocean. 45 minutes in the other direction to the mountains.  If you are an outdoor person, it is the way to go but Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real thing. It can really hit people when we hit that stretch of 8 or so months of cloudy.  I can speak directly to UO as I work here if you have any particular questions.

Udub if they want the urban experience. Seattle is a fun city.  Personally, I'd rather send a kiddo to UW but UO is a great experience as well.  Housing costs are expensive in both. 

[crash_davis 23,096]

I've said this before. Parents and kids need to approach college tuition as an investment and choose a major which gives them a return, hopefully a nice return, for their money. IMO, it makes no fucking sense to spend $100k-$300k to graduate with an English or Art History degree where the starting salary and lifetime earnings potential is more limited than other degrees. 22 year old college grad may love the idea of being an art critic or a teacher. 40 year old college graduate trying to navigate retirement, home ownership, putting food on the table, maybe taking an annual vacation or 2, saving for wedding expenses and college tuition for the 2.1 kids is going to hate the realization of a teacher's salary.

Money doesn't buy happiness...but it sure can reduce the stresses in the 2nd half of your life. And people who say money can't buy happiness are the ones with money. Poor parents never believe that bullshit.

[FunDip 33]

8 minutes ago, Renarka said:

And June is one of the least dreary times of the year here in Eugene.

UO if you want a medium sized town with nature all around. 45 minutes to the ocean. 45 minutes in the other direction to the mountains.  If you are an outdoor person, it is the way to go but Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real thing. It can really hit people when we hit that stretch of 8 or so months of cloudy.  I can speak directly to UO as I work here if you have any particular questions.

Udub if they want the urban experience. Seattle is a fun city.  Personally, I'd rather send a kiddo to UW but UO is a great experience as well.  Housing costs are expensive in both. 

My best friend went to UO. He was born and raised in SF, but couldn't get into any good Cali schools, and UO was easy. He's 15 years older than applicants today, but when he was going to UO it was known as the Bay Area safety school where kids in SF go who want a party school with decent education and career prospects.

And Oregon Ducks football fans are surprisingly rabid and delusional.

Edited September 26, 2023 by FunDip

[crash_davis 23,096]

1 minute ago, FunDip said:

My best friend went to UO. He was born and raised in SF, but couldn't get into any good Cali schools, and UO was easy. He's 15 years older than applicants today, but when he was going to UO it was known as the Bay Area safety school where kids in SF go who want a party school with decent education and career prospects.

Still viewed as such. For her out of state schools, my niece in Cali has UDub first because it's got better academics and UO as a safety party school with somewhat reputable academics. 

[Beau Vine 54,203]

1 hour ago, royiv said:

Texas needs to invest more in education or risk massive brain drain.

Hmm, I wonder what our state leaders will do?

It's a real mystery...

[Renarka 5]

UO is definitely still easy. Acceptance rates are really high right now.  Flooded with as many undergraduates as possible during the last couple cycles.

 

They definitely take their sports serious around here. Autzen is a pretty fun stadium and Reser (Oregon State) is only 45 min away or so.  Both are fun places to catch a game.

 

 

[South Austin 52,431]

4 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

I've said this before. Parents and kids need to approach college tuition as an investment and choose a major which gives them a return, hopefully a nice return, for their money. IMO, it makes no fucking sense to spend $100k-$300k to graduate with an English or Art History degree where the starting salary and lifetime earnings potential is more limited than other degrees. 22 year old college grad may love the idea of being an art critic or a teacher. 40 year old college graduate trying to navigate retirement, home ownership, putting food on the table, maybe taking an annual vacation or 2, saving for wedding expenses and college tuition for the 2.1 kids is going to hate the realization of a teacher's salary.

Money doesn't buy happiness...but it sure can reduce the stresses in the 2nd half of your life. And people who say money can't buy happiness are the ones with money. Poor parents never believe that bullshit.

So very true, and I've started having this rate-of-return discussion with my daughter.  You want to attend UDub?  Great, but it's going to be hard for your mom and I to pay a hefty nonresident price tag if you want to be an English and Education major (side note: Her dad was an English major, but (1) it was at UT in the mid-90's when tuition was dirt cheap, and (2) I knew I wanted to go to law school, where an English major suited me very well, so you can say my college choice resulted in a very positive rate of return).  And if that's the case, and she take out student loans to help pay for one of those kinds of majors, that's going to further weigh down your rate-of-return when you graduate.

I think she understands, because she's exploring majors that might lead to careers in a corporate context (e.g., business, communications).  

[The Dog 44,017]

30 Highly-Respected Public Universities That Accept More Than 50% Of Students Who Apply

• University of Alabama – 80%
• Arizona State University – 90%
• University of Arizona – 87%
• University of Arkansas – 79%
• University of Colorado – 81%
• University of Connecticut – 55%
• Indiana University – 82%
• Iowa State University – 90%
• University of Iowa – 86%
• Louisiana State University – 76%
• University of Kansas – 88%
• University of Kentucky – 95%
• University of Massachusetts – 64%
• Michigan State University – 88%
• University of Minnesota – 75%
• University of Missouri – 79%
• University of Nebraska – 79%
• The Ohio State University – 53%
• University of Oklahoma – 73%
• Oregon State University – 83%
• University of Oregon – 86%
• Penn State University – 55%
• Purdue University – 53%
• Rutgers University – 66%
• University of South Carolina – 64%
• SUNY - University at Buffalo – 68%
• University of Tennessee – 68%
• Texas A&M University – 63%
• University of Utah – 89%
• Virginia Tech – 57%

[Beau Vine 54,203]

33 minutes ago, FunDip said:

No offense, but the bold?

There's not "lots of" McCombs kids getting into IB, PE and hedgefunds. Hard for me to believe Tulsa is a hot bed pipeline for Goldman and Blackrock.

I have at least five former students who have gotten jobs at Goldman straight out of Texas State, because we have a badass undergraduate student-managed investment fund course.  

[FunDip 33]

2 minutes ago, The Dog said:

30 Highly-Respected Public Universities That Accept More Than 50% Of Students Who Apply

• University of Alabama – 80%
• Arizona State University – 90%
• University of Arizona – 87%
• University of Arkansas – 79%
• University of Colorado – 81%
• University of Connecticut – 55%
• Indiana University – 82%
• Iowa State University – 90%
• University of Iowa – 86%
• Louisiana State University – 76%
• University of Kansas – 88%
• University of Kentucky – 95%
• University of Massachusetts – 64%
• Michigan State University – 88%
• University of Minnesota – 75%
• University of Missouri – 79%
• University of Nebraska – 79%
• The Ohio State University – 53%
• University of Oklahoma – 73%
• Oregon State University – 83%
• University of Oregon – 86%
• Penn State University – 55%
• Purdue University – 53%
• Rutgers University – 66%
• University of South Carolina – 64%
• SUNY - University at Buffalo – 68%
• University of Tennessee – 68%
• Texas A&M University – 63%
• University of Utah – 89%
• Virginia Tech – 57%

Virginia tech surprises me. I had always heard it was a premiere spot, like Georgia Tech but a tad bit worse.

[Beau Vine 54,203]

4 minutes ago, The Dog said:

30 Highly-Respected Public Universities That Accept More Than 50% Of Students Who Apply

• University of Alabama – 80%
• Arizona State University – 90%
• University of Arizona – 87%
• University of Arkansas – 79%
• University of Colorado – 81%
• University of Connecticut – 55%
• Indiana University – 82%
• Iowa State University – 90%
• University of Iowa – 86%
• Louisiana State University – 76%
• University of Kansas – 88%
• University of Kentucky – 95%
• University of Massachusetts – 64%
• Michigan State University – 88%
• University of Minnesota – 75%
• University of Missouri – 79%
• University of Nebraska – 79%
• The Ohio State University – 53%
• University of Oklahoma – 73%
• Oregon State University – 83%
• University of Oregon – 86%
• Penn State University – 55%
• Purdue University – 53%
• Rutgers University – 66%
• University of South Carolina – 64%
• SUNY - University at Buffalo – 68%
• University of Tennessee – 68%
• Texas A&M University – 63%
• University of Utah – 89%
• Virginia Tech – 57%

[CooterBrown 18,001]

3 minutes ago, The Dog said:

30 Highly-Respected Public Universities That Accept More Than 50% Of Students Who Apply

• University of Oklahoma – 73%
• Texas A&M University – 63%
•  

[crash_davis 23,096]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

So very true, and I've started having this rate-of-return discussion with my daughter.  You want to attend UDub?  Great, but it's going to be hard for your mom and I to pay a hefty nonresident price tag if you want to be an English and Education major (side note: Her dad was an English major, but (1) it was at UT in the mid-90's when tuition was dirt cheap, and (2) I knew I wanted to go to law school, where an English major suited me very well, so you can say my college choice resulted in a very positive rate of return).  And if that's the case, and she take out student loans to help pay for one of those kinds of majors, that's going to further weigh down your rate-of-return when you graduate.

I think she understands, because she's exploring majors that might lead to careers in a corporate context (e.g., business, communications).  

My conversation with my daughter when she was considering being a teacher.

Me: Teaching is a noble profession. But, let me ask you a few questions. Do you like having all these nice clothes?

Her: Yes

Me: Do you like going on vacations to nice places and staying in nice resorts?

Her: Yes

Me: Do you like eating sushi a few times a month?

Her: Yes

Me: Well, you're not doing any of that on a teacher's salary.

Her: (light bulb moment!)

[Beau Vine 54,203]

7 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

My conversation with my daughter when she was considering being a teacher.

Me: Teaching is a noble profession. But, let me ask you a few questions. Do you like having all these nice clothes?

Her: Yes

Me: Do you like going on vacations to nice places and staying in nice resorts?

Her: Yes

Me: Do you like eating sushi a few times a month?

Her: Yes

Me: Well, you're not doing any of that on a teacher's salary.

Her: (light bulb moment!)

https://www.sugardaddy.com/

[South Austin 52,431]

On 9/26/2023 at 3:47 PM, crash_davis said:

My conversation with my daughter when she was considering being a teacher.

Me: Teaching is a noble profession. But, let me ask you a few questions. Do you like having all these nice clothes?

Her: Yes

Me: Do you like going on vacations to nice places and staying in nice resorts?

Her: Yes

Me: Do you like eating sushi a few times a month?

Her: Yes

Me: Well, you're not doing any of that on a teacher's salary.

Her: (light bulb moment!)

To add an additional point that my fiancé makes to her daughter (having leaned a tough life reality herself):

”Do you think you can support yourself and your kids on a teacher’s salary after your husband leaves you in his midlife crisis?”

Edited September 28, 2023 by South Austin

[FunDip 33]

9 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

I have at least five former students who have gotten jobs at Goldman straight out of Texas State, because we have a badass undergraduate student-managed investment fund course.  

Is that 5 per class? 5 in total? Either way, that's awesome for you and your school, but 5 doesn't equate to "lots of" in the recruitment cycle for finance IMO.

[crash_davis 23,096]

Just now, Beau Vine said:

https://www.sugardaddy.com/

Thanks but she will be a UT McCombs grad, not a Tx St grad. 

[immamac 42,832]

I don't understand college/university at all. It all seems like a scam nowadays there is no way you get value for your degree if the level of education hasn't DRASTICALLY improved since I went to school. I learned jack shit and I know a lot of others with the same experience. 

[Beau Vine 54,203]

4 minutes ago, FunDip said:

Is that 5 per class? 5 in total? Either way, that's awesome for you and your school, but 5 doesn't equate to "lots of" in the recruitment cycle for finance IMO.

It might be 5 per class if we're talking all IBs, not just Goldman.  We have a whole mafia managing money at TRS, too.  

[crash_davis 23,096]

Just now, immamac said:

I don't understand college/university at all. It all seems like a scam nowadays there is no way you get value for your degree if the level of education hasn't DRASTICALLY improved since I went to school. I learned jack shit and I know a lot of others with the same experience. 

UT has a changed a shitton since when we were there. The way they teach is drastically different. My kids seem to know way the fuck more shit than I did when I graduated.

[immamac 42,832]

1 minute ago, crash_davis said:

UT has a changed a shitton since when we were there. The way they teach is drastically different. My kids seem to know way the fuck more shit than I did when I graduated.

I mean I deal with a lot of NCG's at a fortune 500 company. They are all idiots and coming from top tier schools still. There are very few bright people even from top tier programs. In my household I won't be putting a high value on a university experience unless it's a very specific STEM type degree in a professional field. 

I do want my kids to be able to get into the school that they want, but I don't even know how you pay for that even with a high net worth it's a bit ridiculous what it costs now. 

[JesusSweatDuck 17,781]

7 minutes ago, immamac said:

I don't understand college/university at all. It all seems like a scam nowadays there is no way you get value for your degree if the level of education hasn't DRASTICALLY improved since I went to school. I learned jack shit and I know a lot of others with the same experience. 

Ummm, who's gonna tell him

[royiv 9,241]

9 minutes ago, immamac said:

I don't understand college/university at all. It all seems like a scam nowadays there is no way you get value for your degree if the level of education hasn't DRASTICALLY improved since I went to school. I learned jack shit and I know a lot of others with the same experience. 

Now that's a strong endorsement for A&M right there.

[Brisketexan 105,041]

21 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

My conversation with my daughter when she was considering being a teacher.

Me: Teaching is a noble profession. But, let me ask you a few questions. Do you like having all these nice clothes?

Her: Yes

Me: Do you like going on vacations to nice places and staying in nice resorts?

Her: Yes

Me: Do you like eating sushi a few times a month?

Her: Yes

Me: Well, you're not doing any of that on a teacher's salary.

Her: (light bulb moment!)

We had a similar conversation with my daughter a couple of years ago over Christmas, as she looked around and said "you know....I'm realizing that right now, I'm living in probably the wealthiest household I'll live in for the rest of my life."  [She's a linguistics/languages person, looking at grad school and career paths that would eventually put her in management with a multinational/NGO]

To which I answered "you're probably right.  But there's a WHOLE lot between this household and "oh crap, how am I going to pay the bills" where you can be plenty happy with your life."  There are some careers that put you way too close to the "oh crap how am I going to pay the bills," but there are plenty where you do just fine.

[tx 3 putt 76,859]

28 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

I have at least five former students who have gotten jobs at Goldman straight out of Texas State, because we have a badass undergraduate student-managed investment fund course.  

If a company finds one good hire at a school, they keep going back 

[Grimas 669]

56 minutes ago, FunDip said:

No offense, but the bold?

There's not "lots of" McCombs kids getting into IB, PE and hedgefunds. Hard for me to believe Tulsa is a hot bed pipeline for Goldman and Blackrock.

Lots was the wrong word - the dean of the finance department told me "some" their recent graduates got positions at BlackRock and JP Morgan.  In 21-22 class, they had 221 graduates with 41 in finance where 97% either got jobs or are in grad school.

Employers of students graduating in finance that year include:

Baptist College Ministries BC Shumen BKD CPAs & Advisors BOK Financial Cinemark Theatres Deloitte EY LLPFellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) Fleming Construction Group George Kaiser Family Foundation Goldman Sachs JPMorgan Chase & Co. Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. Northstar Wealth Management Nuance Communications Verizon Volkswagen Group of America Walmart Corporate

 

Interesting thing Tulsa offers is a 100% guarantee you will find a job within 6 months of graduation.  (What that really means is they will pay for your first semester (or year? I don't recall) of grad school if you don't land a job.)

https://utulsa.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2021-2022-FDS-Report.pdf

[Texzilla58 4,731]

I started at UT right when they deregulated the tuition.  My costs doubled over the course of 4 years if I remember correctly and they were still a LOT less than this.  This goes back to my trade school argument.  There are not a lot of professions that would support taking on $200K in student cost/debt over 4 years.  It's something as a parent you should at least consider.  

This goes to the racket of college loans. In a true biz environment there’s no way one could borrow $300k for a uppity school medieval French lit degree. Uhh how will you pay that back?

I lucked out. My son graduated at 17 and really wanted to be a tradesman like a car stereo installer or mechanic. He went straight into the Air Force and I paid $1800 up front to buy his gi bill benefits. He did not take advantage of the uMaryland classes on base but when he left after 8 years he looked into it. When he saw they’d pay him $3k a month to go to school he jumped on it and the AF had taught him how to study and learn. He got his BA in biz and is 6 hours short of his masters. 3 kids, work, and lots of hobbies I don’t know if he’ll finish anytime soon.

If your kid is not focused on college the military, especially the Air Force and Navy provide a great place to learn responsibility and accountability. My son was a crew chief of a B52 at 19 with a crew reporting to him; outside the gate he wouldn’t have had that responsibility. Solid retirement fast too.

I went to a small liberal arts school (Rhodes)and wouldn’t trade it for a big college. A well endowed school like that allows undergrads to do things that are normally in grad school at state schools. Depending on what you want to do. No one mentions them here much.

It’s a shame college has escalated in costs so dramatically. In the late 70’s one could get an great engineering degree at a school like uta for like $6 -8 an hour so one could work and easily pay for school. That was a big enabler.

[tx 3 putt 76,859]

23 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

https://www.sugardaddy.com/

[yoladu 4,090]

4 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

I am 10+ years away from this scene, my kids are 8 and 5.  But my older one appears extremely bright so far; 99th percentile in every test she has taken.  But even with that I will be utterly shocked if she gets into Texas in 10 years.  She doesn’t project to have the dedication to get the class rank or supplemental resume to get into top tier schools.  She is looking like she will be more like me: school will be easy and she’ll have great test scores and good but not great grades and mediocre extra curriculars.  My younger one is too little to know, she’s still catching up from being a July baby.  Regardless, for now i plan to tell my kids that if I'm going to pay for their schooling, the hierarchy is pretty clear:

your kids are 8 and 5. I wouldn't sweat it too much. From personal experience, a lot changes with a kiddo in ten years.  I have two kids readying to graduate HS and their paths did not go even remotely close to where i would have guessed they would have gone when they were age 5 or 8 academically. Both are great kids, but lots of twists and turns along the way.

puberty is a game changer.

[1978horn 892]

Have a senior right now and he is in the middle of applying to schools.  I went to UT and there is no way I would get in now.  He is no where near top 10% only for lack of trying and the school he goes to is extremely competitive.  He is in the top 10% of SAT scores and he has no interest in AP courses unless they are a subject he likes.  He is a brilliant kid...skips a generation, my dad went to Dartmouth.  

That being said I work for a university that pays his tuition where I am, so we are fortunate.  The university also has a tuition exchange program where he can go to other schools with tuition paid.  He will probably end up where I work, but he has the option for a ton of other schools.  It is not UT, but he will get out of school debt free.  That is all I can ask now a days.

[Paper_jam 831]

It's hard to believe how much it's changed in a generation. I was admitted to UT in '89 and it seemed like you could be a total mushroom and still get in with nothing more than a pretty good SAT (1250+). I don't think there was an essay, or any real need for extracurriculars. UT even threw money at me even though my family had no financial need., Tuition was like $400-500 a semester those first couple of years. I was practically making a profit.

 

[Grimas 669]

22 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

It's hard to believe how much it's changed in a generation. I was admitted to UT in '89 and it seemed like you could be a total mushroom and still get in with nothing more than a pretty good SAT (1250+). I don't think there was an essay, or any real need for extracurriculars. UT even threw money at me even though my family had no financial need., Tuition was like $400-500 a semester those first couple of years. I was practically making a profit.

 

Top 1/4 and 1100 SAT got you accepted in '85.

[skilesare 71]

3 hours ago, royiv said:

This sounds like a terrible idea. Sending freshman and/or sophomores to a satellite campus? That seems like a really good way to screw-up the college experience for a bunch of kids. Why can't your "best education" be provided at multiple campuses? Why can the "best education" only be provided in Austin. Honestly, using your logic, the "best education" can only be provided in Houston since Rice is the top ranked University in Texas.

I don't disagree.

 

Quote

The population of Texas, the largest in land area among the Lower 48 states, increased by 470,708 in 2022, continuing a steady uptick. From 2000 to 2022, the state gained 9,085,073 residents, more than any other state and almost 3 million more than Florida, the next largest-gaining state.

from: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/03/texas-population-passes-the-30-million-mark-in-2022.html#:~:text=The population of Texas%2C the,the next largest-gaining state.

The argument for doing SOMETHING is that since 2000 we've increased the state population 43%.  The Freshman class size has gone up 0%(or thereabout).  If the state wants to keep having the same number of flagship educated students they have to find a way to graduate 43% more students.  It would suck to go somewhere else for two years, but it is one way to get more people through with a UT degree(which is what people ultimately want).  Other options might be going to a trimester system and only letting kids be on campus for two of three with the third being remote.  This also has crazy logistic issues.  We Could also just bulldoze the Erwin Center and build Tower 2.0 that is a 110 floors full of classrooms, but that takes capital and there is more prestige in using the space to train like 6.5 doctors a year.

We need educated Texans who are proud as hell of the institutions they attended and want to send their kids there.  It is good for the state and the economy.

Maybe the UTSAs and UTEPs need new, cool, more prestigious names and things just have to spread out.

But:

Texas A&M has 16,000 more undergrads than UT right now.  Over a generation that starts to make a huge difference in Alumni and donor base.