desperado

My teenager wants to transfer from the East Coast to UT Austin. We haven't visited yet. What do I need to know?
Thanks

Julie304

I went to grad school at UT. Great city, great campus, pretty safe as college campuses go. The town is very liberal--has a bit of a Berkeley feel, but more southwestern flavor. He'll probably love it.

desperado

Liberal is okay. I hear it is a pretty town. Is it cosmopolitan? Don't know what to make of possible passage of legislation that gives permission for students to carry concealed guns on campuses. That's just whack.

Julie304

Well, it's not New York City, but I'd say the area is pretty racially tolerant--particularly compared to the rest of Texas. There is a large Hispanic population. Residents tends to be well-educated given that many UT students graduate and never move away. There are loads of good and inexpensive ethnic restaurants. Whole Foods has its headquarters there but there are also lots of small, independent businesses. And yes, the western side of town is beautiful--right on the edge of hill country. There's also a vibrant live music scene. The trendy South by Southwest music festival is held in Austin every March and attracts lots of Hollywood types. Sixth street is the epicenter of the college bar scene. Halloween there is a huge event.

I agree with you about the concealed gun legislation. The Texas State legislature is kind of right-wing crazy, but their attitudes aren't generally reflective of Austin.

Cranachin

>

There are plenty of people in Texas, including in the suburbs of Austin (which tend to be more conservative than the city proper), whose spin on that would be

"Austin is kind of left-wing crazy, but their attitudes aren't generally reflective of Texas."

Cranachin

As far as living in Austin goes, it gets pretty hot there and stays hot a long time (especially compared both to the coast and to the Northeast, which is what I am guessing you mean by "from the East Coast").

But if your teen doesn't mind the heat, and UT has the desired major, and it is affordable given the out-of-state tuition, then there is a lot to commend both the school and the city.

longhorn55

As a graduate of the University of Texas and the parent of a current student, I highly recommend UT. As the spouse of someone who was born and raised in Austin and still has family there, I highly recommend Austin.
I'm sure you will read a lot about the huge size of UT, but I have always found that to be a "plus". Yes, your son will find himself for the first couple of years in some large lecture classes, but there are over 900 student organizations so that you can find your niche in a smaller environment. (In fact, your son may be interested in the Out-of-State Students Club which my son joined as a freshman. Their motto: "We may not be Texans, but we're all Longhorns".) And after those entry level classes are over, you son should find himself in much smaller classes. (My son's upper-division classes average 20 - 30 students.)
Also, the size of the school ensures that the students can experience so many things--from pop concerts to Presidential visits to the "Mythbusters" to Nobel Prize winners. And many of these special events are free or low-cost for students. This is such a great opportunity for these students!
And, like you, we live on the East Coast so weather is a big advantage to going to school in Austin. Yes, it gets hot but no hotter than what we experience here in the summer (and it's a whole lot less humid!) I was talking to my son a couple days ago and he was on his way to the OUTDOOR pool (in February) to swim laps. And that is one gorgeous pool!
Finally, if you don't already know this, unfortunately the acceptance rate of out-of-state students is not high at UT--about 6% when my son was admitted a couple years ago. This shouldn't discourage your son from applying, but it's something that all out-of-state applicants should be aware of. Having said that, all 4 of the seniors in my son's class that applied to UT were accepted (although not all of them attended.)