Is Texas State University Good? (Houston, San Antonio: dorm, layoffs, living)

[Pontificator]

Gee.....just toured the place with our son. Any feedback on the Biology/Science programs?? Much appreciated!

[jeffari-al-texani]

Originally Posted by TexianPatriot

But hey, SWT is where George Strait got his career started. He played alot of shows in San Marcus before he broke big time.

I sincerely doubt that played ANY shows in San Marcus...

San Marcos, on the other hand...

[icjerk]

They have a very good Biology program. I know two kids right now in the Marine Biology program and they have been successful getting good internships (paid!). And they already have job opportunities open to them.

TX State is a very good school and has a beautiful campus. They have worked very hard the last few years to upgrade their reputation, from a "party school". The name change was just a part of it. It is a "teaching school" now as well as originally. I know many school teachers, young and old, that have graduated there. Any school is a party school. I believe UT was ranked #3 by the Princeton Review last year. TX state did not make the list.

I have one daughter working on her Masters there now. Another daughter will be starting her Freshman year there this fall.

They have fairly strict requirements for admission, very similar to UT. Anybody can get into TX A&M. And I have seen, in several cases, that TX State offers better financial assistance than any other public TX university.

JMO

[Aggie]

Originally Posted by icjerk

They have a very good Biology program. I know two kids right now in the Marine Biology program and they have been successful getting good internships (paid!). And they already have job opportunities open to them.

TX State is a very good school and has a beautiful campus. They have worked very hard the last few years to upgrade their reputation, from a "party school". The name change was just a part of it. It is a "teaching school" now as well as originally. I know many school teachers, young and old, that have graduated there. Any school is a party school. I believe UT was ranked #3 by the Princeton Review last year. TX state did not make the list.

I have one daughter working on her Masters there now. Another daughter will be starting her Freshman year there this fall.

They have fairly strict requirements for admission, very similar to UT. Anybody can get into TX A&M. And I have seen, in several cases, that TX State offers better financial assistance than any other public TX university.

JMO

Good information. EXCEPT for the "anybody can get into TX A&M." A&M is having the same problems as many Land Grant Universities in that there are many "legacy" students who cannot get in and the parents are raising H#&^! I'm referring to children of parents who went to A&M, maybe even grandparents (father anyway) who went and now junior can't get in. The University I work at is facing the same challenges.

I would add that the Aquatic Biology program at Texas State is very highly regarded ... what a laboratory they have in the river that runs along side the campus, fed by the second largest springs in the Hill Country.

[icjerk]

Sorry Aggie! Didn't really mean it bad - although I guess it sounds that way. My nephew got into A&M and had a low GPA from high school. But I do know some very successful graduates from A&M. And a lot of them heading there too.

[Aggie]

Originally Posted by icjerk

Sorry Aggie! Didn't really mean it bad - although I guess it sounds that way. My nephew got into A&M and had a low GPA from high school. But I do know some very successful graduates from A&M. And a lot of them heading there too.

icjerk ... no problem at all ... remember us Aggies are up to volume 12 of " A 101 Aggie Jokes." Y'all take care and have a great weekend.

[aggie2005]

I am sure lcjerk has put a lot of time into researching the admissions processes of the unversities of Texas.

US News and Reports studies the number of applicants, admissions, and the GPA and SAT required to get in to those schools. They then classify them in categories. Texas State made the list as "Selective" Texas A&M is "more selective" UT is also classified as "More Selective" By the way, UT made the list as the 44th best University in America, A&M came in at 62, and Texas State didn't crack the top 500.

But, lcjerk is apparently the expert in this.

[icjerk]

Geeezz Aggie2005! I already apologized and I said I didn't mean it to sound bad! I never said I was an authority! I only spoke of my nephew and I know of a few others. They were in the bottom half of the class and got into A&M. I am really not trying to cut down A&M - I know a lot of good kids there now, some on the way, and some that have already graduated. My intention was not to run down the Aggies, just point out the good things about TX State. And how it is trying to improve its image.

I was trying to point out too that any school can be a "party school". It is what the students make of it.

[Pontificator]

Originally Posted by icjerk

They have a very good Biology program. I know two kids right now in the Marine Biology program and they have been successful getting good internships (paid!). And they already have job opportunities open to them.

Thanks for the positive feedback!! Our son is interested in their Wildlife Biology program, as well as numerous other possibilities. He went nuts over the campus, and loved the type of prospective students & the staff. Fortunately, he is the type of kid who will benefit by the positives that Texas State has to offer -- he has high personal standards, and is the type to opt out of certain high school parties that he considers "inappropriate." And for the record, he did consider A & M, but has now relegated his Aggie t-shirt for painting and yard work. (No offense, A & M!) I'm just sayin'!!

[WestTx]

Depending on your need to live in close proximity to a major city, you should definitely consider Texas Tech. Twenty years ago, we weren't regarded much higher academically than TSU-SM (formerly SWT.) Which, BTW is the very definition of a party school.

In recent years the little 'ol school out in West Texas has done very well for itself despite not having the resources of the earlier established land grant schools UT and A&M. Not having having access to the Public University Fund, or PUF has made becoming a top tier University difficult, but we are moving towards that goal very quickly. The value of a degree from Tech continues to rise every year, as our chancellor has the stated goal of becoming a top tier flagship university with 40,000 students (main campus) within the next 15 years. Tech's current enrollment is just under 30,000, despite being somewhat isolated in Lubbock. TTU offers excellent programs in engineering, business, agriculture, law, medical along with many others.

I think you will also gain a very unique college experience attending Tech as opposed to a commuter school like UTD or party school like TSU. Although, I guarantee you would have an excellent time at TSU. You wouldn't have much in terms of a degree or a bond with fellow alums, but you would very much enjoy the San Marcos river. (Had I attended TSU, I'm sure I would've been on the river every weekend.)

Lubbock can be a bit of a shock to some people. It is 4 1/2 hours to Fort Worth, 6 to Austin and San Antonio, and 8 1/2 hours to Houston. It's a decent sized town, 200,000 plus with most urban conveniences less a major professional sports franchise and theme park, (like Six Flags.) The area is extremely flat, farms cover most of the surrounding area. Winters are colder, and summers are actually quite pleasant in the evenings. It's a very clean, nice city, but it's not for everyone. But, with most Tech students, it's a nice change at least for the time they're away at college.

Being a proud Red Raider, I can recommend no other school than Texas Tech. It is a great experience where you will develop a close bond with fellow Techsans and it's a good school where you earn a degree that matters after graduation.