The University of Texas at Austin Top Questions

Almost - the top ten percent rule is crowding out students who deserve to be admitted to UT, and something needs to be done about it.

No, people find their own niche of people.

Yes

for some people

Definitely not. Only 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the student body is greek and there is a very active Christian community that would definitely not qualify as "partiers."

No. UT is the biggest university and it is in a very youthful city but we are not just a party school. yes there are parties, but no more than anyother school. You can find the party crowd at whatever you school you go too. I go to UT and am NOT a partier, just like most everyone I know.

No

-Yes, they are competitive -Yes, some people think UT is better than any other school in Texas -No, not all of them are hicks, although, there are some

Not entirely

Both are completely inaccurate. The third is true. The education you gain at Texas is so valuable and completely cutthroat. Instead of being pampered in small classrooms by academics, you are thrown into huge classrooms where you are challenged to compete with 300 other people for the top grades. It is the best experience you can get because everything you earn you will have o fight for. That is why UT is a better school... it's survival of the fittest. We are actually not a bunch of rich kids. You probably have a better chance of getting in if you are a minority student from inner-city projects than a wealthy white male from Highland Park. UT prides itself to its diversity initiatives, and you can completely feel it on campus. At UT you are just a number. I actually like this because the school shrinks on you. Everywhere I walk, I will know a person. Going to a big school where there is a mass diversity makes you meet quadruple the amount of people you would know at smaller school. Also, in big classes this is good because you do not always have to participate in lecture... you can just sit in the back and just be a number when you want to. Or, you can also pick the classes that you want to speak up and participate in. Trust me, this is nice.

To a point

Some more so than others. At least, as accurate as a stereotype can be.

In many ways--but also incorrect in many ways.

In some cases, definitely, but not everyone is like that.

Every stereotype has some degree of accuracy, otherwise there wouldn't be any.

somewhat

No. Texas is an excellent and difficult school that produces scholarly intelligent men and women.

It is true that UT is a big school but I never feel lost. You just find your niche, join a greek organization, live in a co-op etc. and you will be fine. This should be the last of your worries.

On average these groups of people just might come from more money, but I don't think everyone wants to just buy their friends. I have lots of friends that are in both organizational types, and I don't feel they are like that at all.

No. We are not snobs and there are a lot of smart people in the greek system

YES! We are longhorns! we are simply the best!

No

Yes for the most part. There is a very large Greek life base and also the business students have a large ego about how good their program is compared to others.

To some extent

No, not necessarily.

Maybe and maybe not. There must be some truth to it if the stereotype exists but overgeneralizing is taking it too far. So basically, yes and no.

nope

Sometimes.

Mostly, except for cowboys.

very

I think they are

Only if you keep your eyes closed.

I believe we have many more resources and opportunities living in such a diverse community than most other college towns. I think that there is truth to these stereotypes, in that many people engage in these activities and practice because of the available opportunities, but I do not think these practices encapsulate all of which define UT students.

Partially, we love to party, but we are also very competitive with our grades. Also, UT is much more artsy than greek, even our greek community likes to stay pretty indie.

No.

Not always... there is a large party scene, but a lot more than that happens here.

no

no

somewhat

Mostly.

No, UT is a fun school but you do not have to go out all the time or be in a sorority/fraternity to enjoy college

no. The majority of the students study a lot, therefore need a break which is where we get the "partying" stereotype. If other schools were worked as hard as we are, they would want to go out for a drink too.

While there are liberals and what one might call "hippies", that seems to be a minority. Most of the students are typical kids. And besides, hippies are as cool as they come.

no

No because stereotypes are a very broad generalization. It is easy to say Asians are very smart until you run into a dumb one.

pretty much

Unless we happen to be playing your school in a basketball or football game this weekend, I don't think that most students have a superiority complex that unreasonably extends past what would be considered normal school pride.

Yes, these stereotypes are somewhat accurate. Most people that I encounter are liberal. Many of them eat granola, smoke pot, or threaten to hurt you if you don't recycle. Presidential hopeful, Ron Paul, enjoyed substantial support on campus because of his willingness to relax restrictions on marijuana. I'm sure that plenty of conservatives exist at UT, but the campus appears to be primarily liberal in my experience. I actually did a survey for my statistics class last semester that validated this opinion, with at least 70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students identifying with the Democratic Party. Regarding the idea that entering freshmen completely change because of the environment, I think that the notion bears some truth. Every student, no matter where they go to school, changes their freshman year. Students are definitely affected, but radically so? It's doubtful.

I have found UT to be a place where people of many different backgrounds can come together and learn from each other. No, the majority of students are not pot-smoking hippies, but we do have some of those! UT is definitely more liberal than other Texas universities on many levels, but there is still plenty of room for conservative students. UT students, in general, just seem to be more willing to accept people for who they really are. There's something for EVERYone at UT!

Neither have to be true. I've never been to a single sporting event, and I have lots of friends that fall into my category. You will see oceans of burnt orange on weekends, though. As far as overpopulated classes go, after your core classes are over, you'll soon be in a much more personal atmosphere - and those are the classes you'll want to have a better dialogue in anyhow.