The University of Texas at Austin Top Questions

Diverse and accepting.

Is not very diverse but it is full of very passionate students that love their school and the town it is in

I'm Latin, and i would like to see more Latin-American activities on campus. I know there are Latin organizations and international organizations. But, I think specifically Latin people from Central and South America are very different than Mexicans or other international people. I guess there are not many students from these countries, but they should be. And they should get together and somehow get money from the school to organize activities such as the Mexican American organizations, which are huge in school.

I am a member of a religious group on campus, and I feel that there is something for everyone. Students are very politically aware, and are all over the map politically. Students are mostly from Dallas, Houston, and other large cities, but there are students from every walk of life.

This school is very diverse and takes its diversity initiatives seriously. If you have little tolerance for LGBTQ issues, race, sex, whatever... this is not the school for you. In freshman orientation, they try to break you of your prejudices early. You will have to learn tolerance during your time here.

Because of UT's size and diversity, I feel like anyone of any background can find someone with similar interests.

Again, I have always seen Austin and UT as a very liberal place. Though many students have their groups, its very easy to mingle with the plethora of types of students UT has.

I feel like people are either from very upper middle class backgrounds or are from very low socioeconomic backgrounds. Not much in the middle--UT is very expensive to attend, and the people who are in the lower brackets get a lot of need-based aid to allievate that burden.

I think the student body here is incredibly intelligent and unified. However, I think that the campus is way too divided. I don't feel like different cultures and races mix as much as they could and should. I think that white greeks are completely separate from multicultural greeks. I don't think that is right and I wish that it were different.

There is nothing wrong with diversity, and I really love the diversity that the campus has to offer. Our country and the world is diverse, and we need to be prepared to extend ourselves into this environment in the real world.

study body is the most diverse thing you'll ever witness

Students are great.

diverse

The student body at UT is so diverse. We are everything. Right wing, left wing, republican, democrat, independent, black, white, asian, indian, mexican, foreign exchange, wealthy, financial aid needing, etc. We are from Austin, Dallas, Houston, and all over the United States and the world. While outside of school, many of these descriptions divide and group according to similar backgrounds, while we're in class, everyone is the same. Everyone is on the same level and it feels great to be learning in such a diverse community.

When I think of UT's student body I think of an extremely diverse group of people. I hung out mostly with people that came from similar racial, religious, and economic backgrounds. But if I would have wanted to find a more diverse group of friends I feel like I easily could have done so.

nobody will feel out of place in UT there is a place for everybody! Most studnets wear flip flop shorst and t-shirst to class.the financial background taht is most prevalent is middle class people. A lot of these kids havce loans to pay for their education. Studnets are politically aware and most of the are democrats!

The fact that UT is such a big campus makes it a lot more interesting. I have classmates from all different countries and cultures, and that just makes me learn a lot more. No student can feel out of place in UT, there is so much diversity, you can always find someone like you, no matter how crazy or unusual you think you are.

The student body at UT is probably one of the most diverse campuses across the nation. There are so many groups for every type of racial or religious group. It is very easy to find people who come from your same background. I can't think of a single group of students that would feel out of place at UT because there is something for everyone.

At the UT business school if there are 4 tables in the atrium people are sitting at there would be one table of frat guys/sorority girls, another table of Asian people, another table of a mixture of races, and another table of the hardcore undergraduate business council kids.

I think UT has a very diverse population. Different than some other collges, I don't think that any certain type of person woud feel out of place here.

Most students wear t-shirts and shorts. The campus- all 40 acres of it!- is huge! Dressing up is nearly impossible if you want to be comfortable.

You will find everything and anything at UT. Whether or not they interact depends on what they are involved in. There is opportunity to do everything and get to know many people, but some just do not take that chance.

No student would feel out of place at UT, except a small town student. UT is big and Austin is a good sized city. All races, religions, socio-economic classes, and gender preferences exist and feel at home here. Most students are white and are upper middle class. Students are pretty split with half left and half right here. People don't talk much about how much they'll earn one day.

Huge and diverse. Everyone has a voice, which is important on a campus as large as this one.

I have had interactions with and have friend from many different communities, in terms of race, sexual orientation, religion, and socio-economic status. Because there are so many organizations that cater to different identities, the only students who would feel out of place are those who do not choose to get involved in an organization. Students tend to cluster together from similar communities, but there are definitely many interactions as well between them. Most students are from a large city in Texas, but I have met countless studnets from other states and even other countries.

There is a huge diversity of people that go to school here. Big/small, black/white, rich/poor, dorky/cool, smart/dumb, attractive, ugly. I would say that overall, the school is more liberal.

Being such a huge and diverse place UT has people from any background you can imagine. There are international students, white, chicanos, blacks , etc but the majority of times each group hang out with their own people. There is opportunity for you to interact with any group though, i just dont see it happen that often

I like the diversity here. So there's not much to do. You'll always be able to find a group or organization, or at least three other people who have the same values as you. Just look around. I can't tell what's prevalent in terms of demographics.

I think the student body is amazing. There are so many engaging student groups on campus that promote humanitarian causes, religious beliefs, and heritages. Events I love most are those that combine these student organizations to showcase their unique gifts and spirits.

UT is extremely diverse, it's fun to be around so many different cultures that are so proud and active. There are lots of culture related student groups on campus and they host lots of holiday and awareness events that are entertaining but also educational. It's fun to learn about other cultures and UT makes it very easy also.

lots of different organizations and student groups; people that may feel out of place at UT - non-social people (loners); plain clothing in class (t-shirt, jeans or shorts); different types of students interact all the time; most UT students are from Texas; students are very politically aware/active; predominantly left

UT is a very casual campus with all sorts of people. you can learn alot from all the different people that attend here.

UT has a lot of organizations ranging from grouping different ethnicities together to religion to same ethnicity and same religion together.

UT is a pretty open campus that embraces people of all difference backgrounds, preferences, and personalities.

A student from the northern United States would probably feel out of place. Texas is a different state of mind. Different types of students interact, some more than others. There are all different financial backgrounds. Most students are politically leftist. Some students talk about how much they'll earn one day, typically Engineering students (no offense, I can prove this.).

Students dress casually during class, usually t-shirts and shorts. Most UT students are from Texas. The financial backgrounds vary depending on where people live on campus and where they are from. Most students seem politically aware, predominantly liberal. I don't think any kind of student should feel uncomfortable at UT

So many different groups of people come together at UT and all are respected to be unique. Someone who is shy would feel out of place here. UT is so diversified, it's hard to pinpoint what students wear to class; the attire is more casual, but no specific styles. Everyone seems to interact with each other. One table has a surfer girl, an african american, an asian, and a football player; all are diversified in this way and most laugh or search intensely through their books to find an answer. UT students are from everywhere. The diversified financial backgrounds make it about equal for everyone in terms of lower class blending with upper class. Most students are politically aware, and some are active; predominately left. Not usually; most students are just concerned with getting through all their classes.

I dont think there is one majority as far as socioeconomic status at UT. I've met kids who are working full time, in addition to taking out student loans, to pay for their college education since their family can't afford to pay for them. I've met other kids who get hundreds of dollars a week for whatever they want, on top of food/clothes/housing/tuition costs, from their parents. If anything, the only group that outweighs another is liberals to conservatives, and only slightly. A lot of students are just apathetic kids who are bored by politics and just want to have fun. So it's not a crazy intense liberal atmosphere, just slightly more liberal.

The student body is about as diverse as it can get. There is a student group for just about anything you can imagine. I don't think anybody would feel out of place here. Dress to class is very casual. Tshirts and shorts and sneakers or flip flops are most common.

We have all races, groups, etc. No students would feel out of place because we have them all here, most students wear casual clothes to class tshirt shorts flip flops etc,

With over 50,000 undergraduate students at a public university, it's not surprising that that the student body runs the racial, religious, and socio-economic gamut. UT is an extremely casual school; no one will give you a second glance if you show up to class in your pajamas. The students at UT are more politically active that most, on both domestic and foreign issues.

Because of its huge population, UT allows you to find a group or niche where you fit in regardless of your ethnicity, sexual orientation, nationality, religious views, or lack thereof. Starting with freshman orientation, UT preaches a doctrine of tolerance that extends to every walk of life, including white males, the group often overlooked and even blamed in such tolerance seminars. However, this certainly doesn’t mean that we sit in a circle, holding hands and singing songs during our spare time. I recently met a group of boys who earnestly told me that, “women should stay at home and cook dinner” and argued that all successful African Americans are a product of affirmative action and equal opportunity policies. However, such people are rarities. Despite an occasional dispute with a sexist or racist, the majority of students I meet are respectful and accepting of everyone.

In engineering, most students wear jeans and t-shirts, but some people dress up more than that on occasion. We're pretty chill people, on the whole. The Mechanical Engineering department is very diverse. We have more women and Hispanics than many other majors, and we ALL interact. UT's College of Engineering does a great job of providing special programs and incentives (like free tutoring and Freshman Interest Groups) to keep students from dropping out. UT does a great job of giving scholarships to students with financial needs. Sadly, some students looking for merit-based scholarships might find UT a little lacking and stingy. Just remember that you'll be thankful for the great education once you've graduated!

Group variety: UT has a very tolerant atmosphere. Because there's such a political balance between liberal and conservative, everyone accepts that there are thousands of different agendas burgeoning on campus daily. You might be offended by someone's fliers or humongous a-frameboard one week, but you're opinion may very well be represented the next: that's part of free speech. Out of place: I'm not sure. From my own experience, we have a native Russian student studying with us right now. In America, that's not necessarily one of the large nationalities you have running around all the time - but she feels right at home. As long as you can get by on the language, I'm sure anyone, regardless of race, religion, age - could get by at UT. Wear to class: It depends on your major and your daily agenda. Some kids are wearing sweatpants, some are wearing suits. Everything in between is covered, too. Interaction: Definitely. There might be a general separation due to comfort level, majors, and cultural background as far as circles of friends go. But there are so many university events that everyone clamors together during, there's no avoiding interaction. Dining hall: A table of business students wearing suits with their Dell laptops out. A table with students from the communications department with their macbooks out. A table of fraternity and sorority kids talking about parties. A table of activists discussing upcoming events. UT students from: Usually somewhere in Texas. Prevalent financial background: I'd estimate that most of the kids are of upper-middle class standing. That said, I know plenty of us that either halfway support ourselves with jobs or even fully support ourselves because our parents can't. It might get frustrating sometimes, but that goes for life in general. Political activity: That also depends on major usually. You'll find the journalism students, Plan II kids, liberal art kids, maybe even business students for the most part are the most politically active. But generally, you're growing up, you're in an educative atmosphere, so you're probably fairly aware if not chin-deep and working with the U-Dems. I'd say political preference falls about fifty-fifty, if not, maybe more liberal because it's Austin. Money: The more technical majors probably do. Liberal arts kids assume they'll be homeless.

I mentioned this earlier, people who are from different racial and ethic backgrounds, are older, etc. feel isolated. If I were to choose again, I might make a different decision. People come from various financial backgrounds and from various states/countries. Students are politically aware and active and fall all over the place including left, right and center.

With the large student body at UT, there are ALL KINDS of people. I am a Catholic (kind of, don’t really like labels) Latino, gay man from an upper-middle class family. I am involved in the LGBTQ community (Queer Student Alliance, an agency of student government), but most of my close friends (with a few important exceptions of course) are straight people from all different races/ethnicities (there is an important difference), religions, socio-eco classes, and parts of the WORLD (there are quite a few international students at UT). People are really accepting here for the most part. Race is not a huge issue and a vast majority of people at UT (and in Austin) are in favor of LGBTQ rights. People get along great. Both of my roommates (two straight guys) and I will go to civil rights rallies or get involved with local campaign organizations. The only people who would feel out of place at UT are those students who aren’t willing to try new things and accept people for who they are. Most students dress pretty typically. There is a very wide range though. You have everything from your popped collar, Sperry’s wearing Greek guys/girls to to emo/punk people to the “I just rolled out of bed and threw this on” people. In Austin you can pretty much get away with wearing whatever you want, anywhere you want without getting more than a second look. Students tend to be more politically active (we’re not Berkley/Michigan, but we’re not uninformed bystanders by any means either). Especially with the impending presidential primaries/general election, UT is in full political swing. UT held one of the Democratic primary debates and people went wild. Students were not given many tickets (we were outraged), but my friends and I got together at one of our apartments, ordered food and watched and debated alongside the Obama-Clinton debate. Obama has opened a campaign office on campus and people are rallying (mainly for Obama) all the time around campus. The political climate, like I said earlier, tends to swing left, but you can get anything you want here.

-I've had all positive experiences with racial, LGBT, and socio-economic groups on campus. Religious and political groups however can use some very divisive rhetoric. -Nobody should feel out of place at UT, there is something for everyone. -Students wear pajamas, jeans and a t-shirt, or sometimes suits to class. There is a huge range in wardrobe choices. -There is a lot of interaction between all kinds of students. -The four tables in the dining hall will most likely be a group of mixed people from different backgrounds and ethnicities. The major exceptions that stand out in my head are the Asian and Frat/Sorority students who seem to stay grouped with each other. -Most UT students are from Texas. -There is a huge range of financial backgrounds; it's hard to say one in more prevalent but it would probably be middle class. -Many students are politically aware and active. -There may be an even breakdown on how people identify politically. -Students from the business school seem very preoccupied with how much they'll earn in the future. Students in liberal arts just hope they'll be making enough to get by one day.

I think we are fairly progressive in terms of racial, etc tolerance.. still we're in Texas, not exactly the most tolerant place in the world. Who would feel left out? No one really. There may be intolerant people but more tolerant ones. Most students wear t-shirts and jeans or shorts to class. Its very casual. Different types of students do interact. Most students are from Texas. Different financial backgrounds since it is a public university and its not particularly expensive. Lots of political activity. Most fraternity and sorority people are conservative but as a whole Austin is very liberal. I don't hear many poeple talking about how much they'll earn.

I'm in student government so I hear and see events and people come speak about all sorts of issues. I know big issues are that the school is not diverse enough- but it's just because everyone likes to stay in their comfortable spaces. Students who would feel out of place at UT would be students not willing to make friends and change- it takes time and it is scary, but it's worth it. Wear to class- anything- wide variety- from sports bra to head coverings- to makeup to wigs... Some different students interact, but I think most students stay in their group. Dining hall? UT students are mostly from Texas- because of the top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} rule- mostly from cities. Financial- from poverty to billionaire Some students are extremely politically involved and active, while I think the majority are inactive. UT students are all over the place- from a Republican state, college students, in Austin- they are everywhere Earn- some students talk about it. Maybe business, engineers, etc. But liberal arts I feel like have no idea what they want to do and therefore don't talk about it.

I don't have many experiences with minority groups on campus. I don't really interact with many people, and I will only rarely interact with students in my own classes. Many students come from lower to middle class backgrounds, although I have immersed myself among very affluent students which can present its problems and barriers at times. Students are very politically active, and most that are vocal on campus are very left leaning. Students don't talk about how much they'll earn one day, although I always have it on my mind. Hahaha