UT Austin vs TAMU

[GeoInsane]

Hi Guys,

I am applying to Geology PhD program in both schools and wondering which one you think is the cool place to go (academic and non-academic views). Help me!!

 

 

[GeoMex]

You should go to TAMU.... because you'd be occupying one space in UT and I want to get there... kidding

UT is better for me, both academically and otherwise, since Austin is a big city relatively to College Station.

But maybe the POI you want is in TAMU, or you want to specialize in something they are better at, or you like small towns.

 

[CornUltimatum]

I don't know about TAMU but UT's deadline has mostly passed for the Fall 2016 admissions - you can still apply though if you have yet to!

https://www.jsg.utexas.edu/education/graduate/admissions/

I've heard good and bad things about UT's programs. They're very researched based and have good funding, so if you are eager to build up your research experience this is an excellent program for that (one of the best!). In contrast, I hear the graduate courses are not as strong and rounded as some other Universities because there is more focus on research. 

I'm not sure about the PhD program, but the Master's program you typically do not have a direct mentoring relationship with a professor. I think PhD students do. If you do an MS degree there you typically work under a PhD student. (This is what I heard about a student who got accepted there and decided to decline)

UT also has the benefit of being a focus of a lot of Oil and Gas recruitment opportunities, so if you're interested in oil, this is one of the top school choices for you. 

Concerning Austin, it's a pretty amazing city. Lots of activities going on, and very politically active, but I hear it can be a large distraction if you aren't disciplined enough. In the end, while living in a big city may seem to have a lot of bonuses I'm not so sure you can take advantage of it working on your PhD (who knows, maybe you can! Only you can really know if you can manage this). Also living in Austin is considerably expensive - the cheapest I hear a 1 bedroom apartment there is around $900 a month. 

Still, in the end you'll find that one of the most important aspects of a University is finding a professor you want to work with. I had a lot of Universities in mind this year. However, I often found the professors I wanted to work with either did not have funding or had no graduate positions open - so I had to broaden my search. 

So, in my opinion, you should contact professors at both Universities and inquire about their research. See if they have any current or future projects you may be able to take part in. Later if you are accepted see if you can visit the campuses of both, and discuss the environment with grad students that are currently going there! A lot of Universities even help pay for visitations in March. See if you can call and talk with the professors you have made contact with, ask them questions about the academic environment and graduate expectations. They can give you a lot of insight.  

Edited January 5, 2016 by CornUltimatum

[columbia09]

Have you heard anything from UT Austin?

[trulytriaxial]

@columbia09 I was invited to the visit weekend yesterday (Feb 20-22) in a mass email from the graduate coordinator, and I turned it down since I already got my top choice program. It looks like they are inviting accepted students to show them around and to interview some other students. Hope this helps.

[GeoDUDE!]

53 minutes ago, trulytriaxial said:

@columbia09 I was invited to the visit weekend yesterday (Feb 20-22) in a mass email from the graduate coordinator, and I turned it down since I already got my top choice program. It looks like they are inviting accepted students to show them around and to interview some other students. Hope this helps.

 

Congratz ^^

I'm glad it seems grad cafers are doing a bit better this year than last year. 

[trulytriaxial]

@GeoDUDE! Thank you It's a huge burden off my back. There also appears to be fewer applicants this year (if GradCafe forums are a reliable proxy).