UT Austin

[Earl Simmons]

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[SitraAchra]

I went to UT Austin before med school at UT Houston. Going to UT was amazing and if you do well there you will not have trouble getting into a texas state med school or beyond.

However, it's a huge undergrad and there is no coddling. Your premed advisors are jokes, so just come to SDN if you ever have questions and need advice. You have to be a self starter and make sure you meet all the deadlines for MCAT, med school applications, and take care of the pre-reqs and extracurriculars on your own.

However, I was really happy I went to UT and it was an amazing undergrad with huge opportunities for research, volunteering, basically anything. But you have to go out and take it.

 

[da8s0859q]

I went to UT Austin before med school at UT Houston. Going to UT was amazing and if you do well there you will not have trouble getting into a texas state med school or beyond.

What is it about UT that makes you say this? Just curious.

 

[Wilf]

What is it about UT that makes you say this? Just curious.

Do you not agree?

UT is widely regarded as the best school in Texas besides Rice. It's the only school in Texas that makes the "public ivy" lists with any regularity.

 

[SitraAchra]

What is it about UT that makes you say this? Just curious.

It's a Top Tier school, and getting a 3.8 or so with decent MCAT and extra curriculars will get you into any state med school. Not sure what is ambiguous about this. Doesn't mean you will get into any med school but you will get in somewhere with ease.

 

[da8s0859q]

It's a Top Tier school, and getting a 3.8 or so with decent MCAT and extra curriculars will get you into any state med school. Not sure what is ambiguous about this. Doesn't mean you will get into any med school but you will get in somewhere with ease.

Nothing's ambiguous. I was not a UT kid, so I was just wondering what its alumni think / if there was something about the school besides being "top tier" that's so uniquely valuable for med school admissions.

 

[torshi]

When y'all are referring to UT are y'all referring to all the UT's such as Austin, Dallas, Arlington etc... ?

I do know for sure UT Austin is at the top of the UT system

 

[da8s0859q]

When y'all are referring to UT are y'all referring to all the UT's such as Austin, Dallas, Arlington etc... ?

I do know for sure UT Austin is at the top of the UT system

We're talking about Austin.

 

[hrandani]

As a University of Texas grad I just wanted to say how much I despise everyone in the satellite schools who tells people they "went to UT."

Seriously. I hate you guys for making me have to say UT-Austin. There is only one UT, and if Utah and Tennessee manage to deal with that, then you do too.

Also as a footnote for outsiders, much like George W Bush (born and raised in New England) Dallas isn't even part of Texas. It's just an entire city of rhinestone cowboy posers with some of the world's worst, most offensive accents and grammar. Damn.

 

[Aequalitas]

I am going to UT-Austin next fall, I am so excited! Just trying to figure out how to pay for everything lol

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[jhamaican]

finished at UT Austin this December in 3.5 years with a degree in neurobio. Feel free to PM me if you want to ask any specific questions. I feel I have done reasonably well with acceptances to all Texas schools and 1 top 10 school.

 

[okal]

Anyone here considering UT Austin for undergrad before med school?

We can discuss on here about the school, what it offers, pros, cons, etc.

I'm currently a UT Austin student, in one of the campus subbasements right now, and I love it. There is really too much to say in the pros department about Austin and the university. It's honestly the first place I've felt among people similar to myself. The only real con is some of the classes are very large, but you can take classes at a community college to bypass most of that. If you've got any specific questions I can answer them, or I could give you a tour if you are near Austin.

I'm out of state and chose UT Austin over two more prestigious private schools mainly due to the atmosphere (and the cost).

Nothing's ambiguous. I was not a UT kid, so I was just wondering what its alumni think / if there was something about the school besides being "top tier" that's so uniquely valuable for med school admissions.

We are Playboy's number 1 party school ten years running.

There really isn't. I count among my friends now one of the top topologists in the world, have access to insanely powerful headless computers, a large state of the art machine shop, have found a large active club for every one of my interests, and lots of other cool little things. Honestly, you'll find awesome things like that at any large well-endowed university.

We do not have an attached medical school which is a con, but we do have a massive amount of research in medical fields (like any other major university). It's kind of hard for students to get their own research funding, but it isn't impossible as I managed to get a grant for mine. I'm not sure if it is easier anywhere else, though.

 

[torshi]

^Same here Aequalitas. I mean, it's still pretty expensive. On the site it just says for 12+ hrs. it's 4,661, so I'm not sure if that means it's the same cost for 13hrs. as 18hrs. I find it hard to imagine that it is, but even if it is, then that's still ~9300 for tuition and the room and board is about 10.2k at the 'better' dorms (I found Jester to be hideous and 'prison-cell-like'). Toss in misc., transport, personal expenses, etc. and that's ~21-22k every year, for four years.

84-88k for undergrad seems like a ton of money!

its a public ivy, and yea it's really expensive.
kinda like the UC schools

 

[BillySimmons]

One con would be the fact that the football team is pretty crappy nowadays

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[da8s0859q]

how many hours do you study, on average, a night (and could you post something to give sort of background info. on you..whether that be major, your GPA, etc. to put the hours in perspective?)?

Just keep in mind that this sort of thing varies significantly, no matter your undergrad. Some places are more competitive than others, but you will always have those people who tend to study less than their peers and still do pretty well academically, and those who study all the time for one of a few reasons. Different majors, different personalities, different people, different abilities to digest information.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

84-88k for undergrad seems like a ton of money!

A&M is just as good, if not better, and costs a whole lot less. 5 years in engineering and total tuition, books, housing, everything came to ~65k. They're also great on scholarships and financial aid. All in all I spent less than 5k while I was up there.

 

[Wilf]

A&M is just as good, if not better

I wondered how long it would take an A&M student to drop by.

OP, UT is definitely considered superior to A&M anywhere outside of Texas, and by most within Texas.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandr...ges/rankings/national-universities/best-value
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/best-value-colleges.htm

I should have added a caveat to my statement that A&M is just as good or better in most areas. They are better in a few areas, while we are better in a few, but for the most part we are the same. We're just a much better value in a town with a much lower cost of living, and much better traffic. Plus if you're interested in serving in one of the services, A&M has the largest Cadet Corps outside the service academies. That's why I went to A&M.

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[misterdoctor]

Wait, how is TAMU that much cheaper?
https://financialaid.tamu.edu/Cost/COA_Undergrad.aspx

According to that link, it's around the same ~20k a year...leading to an 80k 4 yr. cost.

I believe A&M gives out more money through financial aid compared to UT. Lots of my friends who go to A&M don't have to pay as much as me (I go to ut btw), because of financial aid and cheaper housing.

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[misterdoctor]

What are the drawbacks to being premed at Texas A and M? (don't be biased please) I know that TAMU is in a rural-type area, so perhaps shadowing physicians would be harder. What about volunteering, research at the school (UT has the Freshman Research Initiative, etc.)?

Also, I really liked UT when I visited. Does that necessarily mean that TAMU wouldn't be a good 'fit'? I wouldn't mind attending either school because my goal is to attend a Texas state medical school, but I don't want to go to TAMU because it's cheaper and find out that the resources, opportunities, shadowing, volunteering, etc. are bad.

Honestly, either school would be a great school to go if you want to go to a texas medical school. Heck, I believe A&M has a medical school on campus if not close to it. I think you actually might be able to find a professor who works at the medical/vet school to work on a research project under. (basing this off of my friend who goes to A&M) Here at UT research can be found easily even without the FRI. The thing about UT is that everyone and their mom is a pre med, so keep that in mind when you look for volunteer and shadowing opportunities. Volunteering at the hospital here can get pretty competitive at some hospitals. ie Dell's Children.


In the end both schools have great resources for being pre med. All that matters is that you do well in whatever degree you decide along with your prereqs and MCAT. I encourage you to go visit A&M to see what it's like or talk to some friends who go there. It might be for you or it might not, it just depends on you. Texas A&M is a great school to go to, but it simply just wasn't for me. (I came from a Longhorn family )

 

[TheTruckGuy]

I addressed most of the OP's questions through PM, but I'll review here for anyone else interested.

A&M is indeed cheaper, primarily from the cost of living aspect, but slightly cheaper in tuition and fees as well. I think we figured it would cost him ~17k or less, depending mostly on his choice of housing.

Also, A&M is a tier 1 research institution. There are a lot of research dollars being spent at A&M on a lot of different things. A&M also has the only vet school in Texas, where a lot of animal research is also done that sometimes transfers into human research. And A&M is one of very few universities that is a land, sea, and space grant university.

And while A&M is in a smaller town, it is by no means a "rural" town with cow pastures scattered about or anything like that. It is more like a suburban town. Check it out on Google Earth or street view. There is also the College Station Med Center and St. Joseph, two hospitals, as well as a Scott & White clinic, and a bunch of other clinics and private practices. Volunteering opportunities are never in short supply as the local schools have come to depend on students to help tutor children, there is a united way, and local churches do lots of good things and always need help.

Other than the land, sea, and space grant part, I'm sure Texas is on average just as capable of providing anything A&M can in preparing you for med school. Except for our pre-med advisor, if the above poster is correct, then A&M's is better for sure. And like I said before, they may have some strengths over A&M, while we have some over them. A&M is definitely underrated.

 

[texahn]

Yeah, College Station has less traffic than Austin. Just like Lubbock has less traffic than Washington, D.C.

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[TheTruckGuy]

So, Ivy decisions came out and now it is pretty much a certainty that I'm headed to UT. Looking to bump up the discussion. How 'legit' are the grade distributions on myedu.com (and is there a better site specifically for UT?)? Also, would going off that site's grade distributions 'mess' someone up for the MCAT?

myedu.com is legit. It was actually created by an Aggie that was in the Corps. You just have to be careful when looking at the grade distributions. Sometimes when you look at a professor, it'll show distribution average for all the classes they teach. Most professors give all As in graduate level and some upper level classes, so this throws off the graph for their lower level classes. Make sure you look at the distribution for the specific class.

Don't know how my edu should have any effect on MCAT. If you learn the material in class, have reasoning skills, and study, you'll do just fine on the MCAT.

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[Earl Simmons]

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[Earl Simmons]

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[TheTruckGuy]

Geez, so whiny. No wonder you want to go to Austin. And since none of longhorns on the board appear to want to help you, I'll try.

1) Upperclassmen scholarships given through the financial aid department at A&M tend to be more based off your FAFSA, scholarships given through the different departments like engineering or life sciences tend to be more merit based. Typically they require a minimum of 3.25 or something like that, and can sometimes involve financial aid data but not usually. They also tend to be on the smaller side and you'll need a good mixture of extracurricular activities to typically be competitive. The A&M Corps gives a lot of money in scholarships, if you need it then they will definitely get you something even if you're an idiot. But they also have merit based ones.

2) As long as you maintain status as a Texas resident, you won't have a problem applying to a Texas school. Even if you don't maintain status as a Texas resident, you should be fine as long as you're competitive and write in your personal statement about your strong connection to Texas. Lastly, the biggest disadvantage to going OOS is having to live in a state other than Texas for 4 years. And you'll probably end up paying a boat load more.

 

[SitraAchra]

Earl Simmons:

Have you visited either campus? That is what really cemented my decision. Both A&M and UT are great schools and if you do well, you will have no problem getting into med school.

But they are distinctly different in a lot of ways and you have to make that decision. It wouldn't be difficult to make a weekend trip to Austin and College Station, sign up for official tours, and just do them.

 

[da8s0859q]

Earl Simmons:

Have you visited either campus? That is what really cemented my decision. Both A&M and UT are great schools and if you do well, you will have no problem getting into med school.

But they are distinctly different in a lot of ways and you have to make that decision. It wouldn't be difficult to make a weekend trip to Austin and College Station, sign up for official tours, and just do them.

Seriously. OP, go take a look and decide for yourself. That'll be your best shot at picking the place that best suits you for the next few years.

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[da8s0859q]

It's between UT and an OSS school. The costs will actually favor the OOS school by about ~10k, so I'm not throwing away money to go to the OOS school.

However, I just want to ascertain that there would be no drawback to going to an OOS school when applying back to Texas medical schools. BigTruckGuy didn't point out any disadvantages (other than not living in Texas), but would there be anything that might pose a problem? Anything at all? I really want to make sure that I'm not losing out on anything if I were to choose the OOS over UT.

Also, does it matter if one does Honors or not at UT when applying to Texas medical schools? How much is Honors valued (Dean's Scholars/Health Science Honors/Plan II)?

EDIT: I did visit UT actually and I loved it. I will be visiting the OOS school this weekend, so that will help me make a decision.

1. I'm not sure about OOS *schools*, but one thing to know about state residency if you didn't already know: Texas law dictates that public schools admit 90% in-state residents. This includes medical schools. So if you go out of state, be sure you check the TMDSAS site to verify how they determine state residency. I think your TX residency up to now should get you in on that, but I don't remember specifically, so check and make sure.

2. About honors: it sort of matters, but not the "honors" part or Dean's list necessarily. Remember, it's an MCAT+GPA game in significant part, so if you have a really good GPA, then there you go. As for honors tracks with extra requirements, I'm not sure what the straight answer is, but I don't imagine it's a huge advantage.

 

[NickNaylor]

If you want to have sex with goats, go to A&M. If you don't, go to UT.

umad?

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[PiBond]

I'm a recent UT-Austin grad so I'll give my two cents.

I loved my experience at UT and truly believe it's one of the top universities in the US. I turned down Vandy, WashU, UVA, Emory, and Duke because I felt UT was a better "bang for my buck", offered unrivaled school pride, had amazing diversity, and was settled in one of the best cities in the US. The city of Austin is AWESOME and you won't find a better night life (once you turn 21 of course) or a more complete host of activities to pursue outside your studies. It's simply amazing what the city of Austin has to offer in terms of entertainment. All of my friends from Texas State, A&M, UTSA, and Trinity would drive in monthly to party on 6th street with me during our senior year...all commenting that their school's bar scene "couldn't compare."

If you're majoring in Business or Engineering, UT-Austin has some top programs to offer. I was a Finance major and the McCombs School of Business was a welcomed respite from my pre-med studies and is considered one of the top undergraduate business schools in the nation. If you're doing accounting, we have the #1 program. Engineering is extremely impressive as well--especially if you're pursing Petroleum Engineering (#1 in the nation, I believe) or Mechanical. I had a few pre-med friends in both schools and they seemed to do very well in the medical school admissions process (myself included). The Plan II Honors/Dean's Scholar's programs also attract some extremely bright students and have been known to send quite a few on to medical school. If you're lucky enough to be accepted, it's a great reason to come to UT-Austin as well.

Most pre-meds I knew were in the School of Natural Sciences. Classes can be large, but it won't deter the motivated students who succeed in any environment. I made good use of office hours and made sure to meet professors and TAs early on. The result? Recommendation letters were easy to get and I felt my questions were always answered. Research is also a plentiful and easy to get involved in. We have the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) that allows even freshman to get paired up with with professors and get involved. Doing well in a class will also open doors to research--I had a neurobiology teacher ask if I wanted to be his assistant over the summer after I did well in his class. Moral of the story: if you want to do research, you won't have a problem.

I'll also comment that UT-Austin has a strong Greek system. I pledged a fraternity in college and felt it was one of the best investments I'd ever made. The networking opportunities were unparalleled and I made some life-long friends that will be giving toasts at my wedding one day. Going Greek isn't for everyone, but I think it can definitely be a good thing if you find a place where you fit in. Note: most pre-meds at UT-Austin aren't Greek. I was one of the few, but I definitely felt it made me more socially polished and gave me a leg-up during med school interviews.

As far as A&M vs UT-Austin comparison, here are my thoughts: A&M has some really awesome people. They're down-to-earth and really seem to care about one another, and I suspect the college town feel has something to do with this. Every time I visited A&M, everyone treated me well and I was always impressed by the quality of person I met. UT-Austin can fit the same bill, but I feel the extreme diversity creates a lot of cliques so you might have to do some searching. Regardless, both schools breed some really die-hard fans who LOVE their university.

There's no disadvantages to being a Texas Resident but going to an OOS undergrad in terms of Texas Med School Admissions. The only thing I can think of is increased traveling costs.

Hope this helps,

PiBond

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[TheTruckGuy]

If you want to have sex with goats, go to A&M. If you don't, go to UT.

Our local Wacko resident decides to chime in. Good for you.

Thanks for the great post!

I have another question. When it says that the average GPA for accepted UT students to medical school is 3.68, is that based off TMDSAS or AMCAS? I know that TMDSAS would convert UT students' A-'s to A's, making their average accepted GPAs higher (and make the 3.68 avg. accepted seem not as high). AMCAS would not do that.

If they have an office of professional school advising, like A&M, they'd be your best resource on this.

But you know what? You're so over thinking all of this.

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[SitraAchra]

How is the premed advising at UT? I've heard that it's not very good, but I wouldn't know what good advising (or bad advising) is.

It sucks. The premed advisors offer minimal support to the pre-meds, probably because there are so damn many. You will need to get your advice on SDN on when to take the MCAT, how heavy a course load to take around MCAT, if it's ok to Q-drop a class, and how to get good extra-curriculars.

 

[Earl Simmons]

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[CMW1120]

Hey friends!

I am currently an undergraduate student taking classes at Lone Star College with hopes of getting into UT. Life has thrown me significant trials so my plan to pursue medicine is still present...but it has taken me longer than what I had expected.

I am set on attending UT but I wouldn't mind attending A&M. I love the atmosphere and reputation of UT but if their advising isn't sufficient, that stirs questions for me.

As of right now, I am 2 semesters away from graduating with an associates degree. I am still unsure if I want to graduate with my AA or if I want to transfer before then. Since the school I am attending is a community/jr college, will medical schools look down on the fact that I have been there for 2 years?

I have taken most of my basic courses and I have done well. I have been a bit behind in science courses because I had to take transitional math courses. In High School, I struggled as a student because I had no goals, dreams, or desires. That bit me in the butt but I will not allow it to hinder me. Though I didn't do well, college has been a fresh start and I am flourishing.

Questions for you:
Will medical colleges look down on CC credit?

Since I've had to take remedial math classes, will that hinder me from Med school?

Thank you!

 

[SitraAchra]

How important/much of a difference is it to graduate from Dean's Scholars or Health Science Honors (College of Natural Science Honors programs) vs. regular degree when it comes to medical school admissions within Texas and outside the state?

Also, does anyone have any info/insight on housing? (which dorms do you prefer, why, etc.?)

I'm sure it's a nice feather in your cap to be on the Dean's scholar list for a few semesters or have a science honors program. However the key is simple. Make A's in your pre-req classes as much as you can. No matter what special program you cay say you're in, A is always greater than B. If you make a bunch of B's in an honors program no one will care and the guy who majored in art and has a 4.0 in his pre-reqs will always get ahead.

For dorms, San Jacinto is the nicest, Jester is the worst. I lived in Jester. Try to get off campus as soon as you can and avoid riverside like the damn devil.

 

[SitraAchra]

I am set on attending UT but I wouldn't mind attending A&M. I love the atmosphere and reputation of UT but if their advising isn't sufficient, that stirs questions for me.

That's putting the cart so far before the horse. Just try to get into either school, and then do well in your classes. Then worry about pre-med advising. SDN has all the pre-med advice you need.

Questions for you:
Will medical colleges look down on CC credit?

Since I've had to take remedial math classes, will that hinder me from Med school?

Thank you!

If you made A's in community college then transferred to a 4 year university and continued to make A's, and then get a competitive score on the MCAT, they likely will not care. Focus on getting into a 4 year college first, then doing well there, and then applying to med school and worrying about advisors and how med schools view you.

 

[TheTruckGuy]

How important/much of a difference is it to graduate from Dean's Scholars or Health Science Honors (College of Natural Science Honors programs) vs. regular degree when it comes to medical school admissions within Texas and outside the state?

It makes exactly 3.2675% difference, although the standard deviation is 1.7516%.

Seriously, just go somewhere, make good grades, get a decent MCAT score, and be somewhat involved in community service with at least 20-50 hours of medically relevant experience and you should be able to get in if you can interview semi-decently. You're over thinking way too much.

 

[SitraAchra]

It makes exactly 3.2675% difference, although the standard deviation is 1.7516%.

Seriously, just go somewhere, make good grades, get a decent MCAT score, and be somewhat involved in community service with at least 20-50 hours of medically relevant experience and you should be able to get in if you can interview semi-decently. You're over thinking way too much.

I second this completely. Just chill the f*ck out and quit thinking about med school so much and enjoy college and be successful in it.

Everything will come in its time. Try to acquire meaningful life experience so that if you do ever become a doctor, you can talk to people, relate to them, and make them comfortable around you. You're getting into that neurotic zone that makes everyone around you nervous and not want to be around you. Also this is a killer in interviews.

 

[Earl Simmons]

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