Which School Do You Think is Better?

[Kevin Sevcik]

UT and A&M are both great schools, but will have completely different atmospheres. You can't really go wrong with engineering at either of them, though A&M is probably a little stronger (Yes, I was an ME at A&M). You'll probably want to get a feel for them before deciding, because the atmosphere is somewhat important. If you're uncomfortable there for whatever reason then you'll be very unhappy and uncomfortable when you're stressing during finals. UT will have a more liberal atmosphere, A&M a much more conservative one. Also, UT is literally in the middle of a city, while A&M sprawls out close to the edge of a largish town. Also, you'll have a bunch of nuts running around saying "Howdy!" to you at A&M. Possibly you'll end up as one of those nuts, so be warned.

UT-D is a much much smaller school. It makes up for this by doing exceedingly awesome stuff. I don't know about the EE program, but the CS program is doing all sorts of cutting edge AI and Cognitive Science stuff. And the Materials Science department is doing lots of research with nano-tech and nanotubes and such. Presumably the EE department is doing similar weird stuff. It would probably be a good choice if you're really serious about the MS, as you could latch onto a professor more easily in during your BS and get involved with research then.

So in closing... hah! I refuse to answer your question, because all the schools are different.

[Pavan Dave]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

UT and A&M are both great schools, but will have completely different atmospheres. You can't really go wrong with engineering at either of them, though A&M is probably a little stronger (Yes, I was an ME at A&M). You'll probably want to get a feel for them before deciding, because the atmosphere is somewhat important. If you're uncomfortable there for whatever reason then you'll be very unhappy and uncomfortable when you're stressing during finals. UT will have a more liberal atmosphere, A&M a much more conservative one. Also, UT is literally in the middle of a city, while A&M sprawls out close to the edge of a largish town. Also, you'll have a bunch of nuts running around saying "Howdy!" to you at A&M. Possibly you'll end up as one of those nuts, so be warned.

UT-D is a much much smaller school. It makes up for this by doing exceedingly awesome stuff. I don't know about the EE program, but the CS program is doing all sorts of cutting edge AI and Cognitive Science stuff. And the Materials Science department is doing lots of research with nano-tech and nanotubes and such. Presumably the EE department is doing similar weird stuff. It would probably be a good choice if you're really serious about the MS, as you could latch onto a professor more easily in during your BS and get involved with research then.

So in closing... hah! I refuse to answer your question, because all the schools are different.

Thanks, Yeah i have talked to some recruiters of UTD and they stressed their nano technological programs. My cousin also goes there and is getting EE there. I love the input I am getting and if more people could give me advice, I would appreciate it!

Pavan

[JaneYoung]

Pavan,
Today I walked to the post office here @ U.T. Austin. I was gone 40 minutes. This was my 40 minute window -
As I left my building, I heard the bell tolling in the Tower - today is UT Remembers - a day that remembers all of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who have died this year. I lost count after the toll of 50. The ceremony was in a small garden that has a turtle pond and the turtles were out basking in the sun on their logs and rocks. Closer to the Tower, I was greeted by smiling parents and teenagers who were being thoroughly entertained by a UT student who was giving a campus tour. He is probably from New Student Services. Students have a variety of organizations and services they can get involved in. After leaving the post office, while still on the West Mall, I passed a student organization that has formed solely to protest the wearing of pants. Several have dropped theirs around their ankles (plaid boxers prevailed) or were waving their jeans on poles like flags. It's spring in Austin and the sun is shining. All of these events were occurring in close proximity to eachother yet none interfered. Universities are like that. As I was thinking about this on the way back, I almost got creamed by a unicyclist. I would venture to guess he was making his way to the ME department.

I love UT. I love A&M. Texas Tech is amazing and tough.

Every school is steeped in tradition. Learn about those, learn the stories of the schools, find out about their ghosts. Every school has those. Learn the stories. Study the programs. Do your research, your homework - then figure out which of these schools will give you the stories that you will want to write about.

- and read the CD threads about college decisions, they are awesome.
Jane

[Ebolagirl]

Obviously A&M is the best choice because that's where I'm going, so it's automatically awesome. Haha, just kidding. But really, I'd like to reiterate what everyone else said, it really all depends on the atmosphere you're looking for. I live in Austin, and I won’t lie to you, UT is full of some weeeeiiiirrrrddd people. There are a lot of out there liberal artsy type people that end up at UT Austin. Also, UT Austin is probably the most difficult one to get into. If you’re not in the top 10% or have not done anything super duper outstanding and stellar you probably won’t get in. It’s just that they get a ton of applicants and because of the top 10% law that’s pretty much the only people they can accept. You’re also more likely to get a better financial aid package from the other three schools. I know of a few people who got full rides to UTD. Also, if you like girls don’t go to Texas Tech, because their female population constitutes about 33% of their student body. A&M is nice because College Station is really small and cozy; Austin is huge and busy. If you like the small town atmosphere A&M is really good for that. That’s one of the big reasons that I chose A&M (also I’ve lived in Austin my whole life and wanted a change, and A&M has a vet program). A&M has a lot of research opportunities, but I think that’s true for all of the schools. A&M has research in nuclear stuff if you’re at all interested in that.

So, I guess this question would be a little easier to answer if we knew a little more about what you like and don’t like. Because each school is so incredibly different a little more personal info would help.

[118 Tech]

Well Pavan I am a graduating senior here at Texas Tech and looking for someone to replace me. We just stared a FIRST team(1817) here and will need someone to help, what better to replace a 118 alumni is another 118 alumni. The team was stared in the EE Department by Robonaut alumni and we have alot of good resources here for a FIRST team, our team uses CNC mills from the ME department. Mills and lathes from the IE department, professors from the CS Department, and shop room from the Engineering Technology Department. But the bulk of the building is done in the EE department with the help of EE professors and students.

About Texas Tech. First I would like to dispel any thing about a 33% female percentage. I can tell you for a fact that number is incorrect. 2005 Fall Fact Sheet That is one of the things Texas Tech is known for. Pretty women. Though as in all colleges male to female ratio is skewed to more males in engineering there is a simple solution to that. Get a life outside of engineering. Make friends from the Business college or Mass Comm. It is healthy to talk to other people outside your major about things other than uniform plane waves traveling through free space (AHH Finals!!!).

In all seriousness Texas Tech and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE) has alot of good programs. The one of them being the 150 hour program. This allows you to graduate with multiple degrees in 5 years such as Electrical/Computer Science Dual or Electrical Engineering Bachelors and Masters in 5 years, 150 Hours. I am graduating Saturday with a Dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics, and I did it in 5 years.

Another program Texas Tech has is Project Lab. With most engineering schools, many classes in your major are 4 hours (3 hours lecture 1 hour lab) theses labs are where they try to teach you how to use the technology. At the ECE Dept. Classes are 3 hours lecture and all the labs are grouped together in what we call Project Labs. Project labs are a 3 hour course where you are assigned a project at the beginning of the semester. You work on these projects from the beginning of the semester till the end giving presentations on your progress and meeting with an advisor every week. These labs teach you communication skill, presentation skills, project management skills, and how to find information on your own. An EE degree has 5 project labs with the last 2 being like your Senior design project. The projects I worked on were building a car that used GPS and micro-controller to navigate around the EE parking lot. Building a 300v 10 Amp battery charger. Building and designing from the ground up a wireless communication system for a robot (to replace the BEST robotics current system). And using GPS and a Pocket PC PDA to display a heads up display with backup instruments for a pilot. (Senior Design, and i got to go up in Cessna and test it out).

Project Lab also stresses service to the engineering community and passing the FE Exam (the professional licensing exam for engineers). For service to the community in each project lab you have to do 10 hours of engineering service, whether it be joining and attending meetings of professional society or some kind of engineering community service. Mentoring a Best team in the Fall and FIRST team in the spring can knock those out quickly. Now for passing the FE Exam, by the time you finish with project labs, you would have completed and passed a practice version of the FE 3 times or passed the real FE. This contributes to the ECE's high pass rate on the FE.

There are only a few universities in the nation that have a similar program, and that sets Texas Tech's ECE department apart from any of those in Texas.


I will go into more depth about the City of Lubbock Later. Since I'm graduating I probably will be able to make it to the Roboanuat Dinner and could anwser any question about Texas Tech.