More Flagship Universities for Texas?

Parents Forum
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<p>This is where you should really look:
<a href=“WSJ Jobs: Tips For Your Job Search During Coronavirus.”>WSJ Jobs: Tips For Your Job Search During Coronavirus.;
and
<a href=“WSJ Jobs: Tips For Your Job Search During Coronavirus.”>WSJ Jobs: Tips For Your Job Search During Coronavirus.;
and
<a href=“WSJ Jobs: Tips For Your Job Search During Coronavirus.”>WSJ Jobs: Tips For Your Job Search During Coronavirus.;

<p>Wow. This is the first I have seen this particular rankings scheme. Does anyone else think these WSJ rankings are not quite ready for prime time?</p>

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<p>Not as many differences as you might like to think…</p>

<p>Utexas - (2004) University-wide, the proportional representation increased for African Americans to 3.5 percent (from 3.4 percent in fall 2003), Hispanics to 13.3 percent (12.7 percent) and Asian Americans to 14.3 percent (14.1 percent). Average SAT: 1230. Average ACT: 26. </p>

<p>TAMU - (College Station)—Texas A&M University’s 2005 fall enrollment of 44,647 includes, for the second consecutive year, double-digit gains in enrollment of minority freshmen –African Americans, Hispanics and Asians-Americans - according to unofficial first-class day enrollment figures released Aug. 31. </p>

<p>Hispanic students in the freshman class have for the first time exceeded 1,000 - now standing at 1,012, an increase of 15 percent compared to last fall. African-American freshmen total 259, for a gain of 19 percent, and entering Asian-American students total 331, up 20 percent. </p>

<p>More than 20,000 applications for admission at the freshman level were received this year, of which more than 6,800 of the applicants are enrolled—an acceptance ratio of approximately one in three. In addition, approximately 28 percent of the students in the freshman class are the first in their families to attend college, and **half of the freshman class is comprised of students who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class. **Average SAT: 1203. Average ACT: 26.</p>

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<p>At our recent presentation at a newish north houston HS the numbers of UT top 10% and acceptance rate favored UT. I think the characterizations of the schools are farily accurate. </p>

<p>But to the orignial question will there be -or are there- other flagship schools in Texas. No not really, but there shoudl be, the comments above emphasize that many ‘good quality kids’ just are not getting into UT /AM. I do believe Tech i clearly the first choice to be upgraded, but UHouston and possibly UNT or UT-Dallas/Arlingiton shoul be considered as well</p>

<p>OH, grew up in West Texas, Tech undergrad, AM grad, Wife UT grad… one son NMF top 10% went to specialty school out of state… other a Jr. so I will be curious to see what happens with him</p>

<p>Interesting discussion</p>

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<p>For what it is worth, UT system designated Arlington, Dallas and San Antonio for move to flagship status when this began. Don’t know what schools A&M designated or what other schools in consideration. While neither UT or A&M would probably totally support this move, you can be sure they would want one of their own system universities to receive the extra funding over another university. In light of that, UT system has been funnelling more graduate programs to those three Universities.</p>

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With identical ACT averages and less than 30 points separating the SAT averages, I don’t think the class of student choosing the two schools is significantly different.</p>

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<p>Remember my earlier comment about Aggies squeezing their privates during football games to “feel pain” with the team?</p>

<p>Here’s a shot from this past Saturday’s Texas A&M game (lost to Texas Tech):</p>

<p><a href=“http://pokerblog.blogspot.com/squeeze_ags.jpg[/url]”>http://pokerblog.blogspot.com/squeeze_ags.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Wow! When I say there is a vast disparity in the perception of UT and A&M in Texas, you see where I’m coming from.</p>

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<p>Ugh.</p>

<p>'Nuff said.</p>

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<p>Keepmesane, is there anything else you can tell us about how this might impact UTSA? My son has his heart set on UT Austin (will not consider A&M, for personality reasons, before anyone suggests it), but we live in San Antonio, so UTSA is the obvious backup, for in case a) he doesn’t get accepted or b) he just decides to stay home and keep his job another year before transferring to UT Austin.</p>

<p>The UTSA website seems to imply that they are a ‘rising star’ and have great faculty, and the only reason they accept nearly everyone is that they are a ‘young’ school with more space than students. They also boast some brand-new facilities that look quite impressive (I don’t just mean the new buildings, but the departments overall have had an overhaul).</p>

<p>It sure would save us a bundle if he went to UTSA for at least a year, or maybe completely. Any more info would be appreciated!</p>

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<p>LOL! I read this to my dh, a former member of the Corps of Cadets at A&M, and I said, “That’s not true, is it?!” He slyly nodded his head and said, “Yes, it is.” We dated all through our college years, I went to <em>tons</em> of A&M games, and I did <em>not</em> know that! He said, “Remember when the yell leaders would yell, ‘Squeeze it, Army!’” I <em>do</em> remember that, but I had <em>no</em> idea what it meant!! By the way, our son is a current member of the Corps of the Cadets. I’ll have to tell him not to hurt himself. ;-)</p>

<p>On a more serious note, our son hasn’t noticed hostility towards minorities. His Corps unit is very diverse, and he said last year when the fish (freshmen) had to congregate in a room, there was as likely to be Spanish as English spoken in there. They also have African American and middle Eastern cadets. This year’s fish class in his outfit is half female (that’s not typical). The unit even has a blind guy. When they march, another cadet keeps a hand on his shoulder to keep him in line. </p>

<p>I realize that A&M is not the most diverse school there is, but they are working very hard on that. As for the white students, S hasn’t witnessed much if any racial/ethnic hostility. Now, to be fair, when a gay/lesbian group came to the quad to engage the Corps, that didn’t go over so well.</p>

<p>Oh, and you know how in Austin they have “Keep Austin Weird” signs, t-shirts, etc.? Well, at a recent Aggie football game, I saw maroon shirts that said, “Keep College Station Normal”. :-)</p>

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<p>Good post, Timely. A&M is a good school and, even though I’m a UT fan, I think Austin could use a little more normal and a little less weird.</p>

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<p>I like weird better than normal. It’s more interesting. ;-)</p>

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<h2>“I like weird better than normal. It’s more interesting. ;-)”</h2>

<p>Well…there’s weird and then there’s ‘weird’, lealdragon. </p>

<p>Most of my family is from Austin and we reluctantly acknowledge that some Austin residents act weird just for the sake of being weird…and there really isn’t any ‘substance’ behind the weirdness. In fact, my brother lives in Austin, but sent his extremely bright daughter to A&M because of the weird factor. lol! </p>

<p>But what can I say…all that weirdness IS endearing, much like those crazy Aggie traditions. Only in Texas. :-)</p>

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<p>Thanks, Timely. Good observations. However, I do have a little trouble equating that “squeeze” picture from the A&M/Tech game this past weekend with “Keep[ing] College Station Normal.” That picture was the subject of a lot of discussion on the A&M fanboard this weekend. The vast majority of Aggies who posted think that that tradition probably should be retired.</p>

<p>My statements weren’t meant as no indictment against your son. I’m sure he’s a fine, young man, and the Corps has a rich tradition. I do believe as A&M’s student body has grown and diversified, with the Corps only comprising a small percentage of total enrollment, the student body is having increasing difficulty seeing eye-to-eye with old Corps practices and traditions. What worked at an all-male military institute 40 years ago doesn’t alway translate well to a co-ed non-military student body. (BTW, just how do female students "“squeeze”?!)</p>

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<p>Oh, there is no offense taken. Some of the Corps’ rich traditions are just plain weird, that’s true. This past week the fish had to spend precious study time crafting spurs out of coathangers and bottle caps. They wore them to class all week to symbolize spurring Texas Tech’s team, or something like that. A lot of the stuff is much like being a pledge in a fraternity, only worse. </p>

<p>Even though it’s weird, many things in our lives that are considered traditions are weird. For example, throwing rice at weddings, wearing goofy hats and blowing noisemakers at midnight on New Year’s Eve, wearing those odd-looking graduation caps and gowns, etc. Because they are different from our day-to-day lives, we remember them and associate them with special times in our lives. </p>

<p>Our son made it through his intense fish year. All the weirdness taught him to keep calm under pressure and to go with the flow. At the end of the year when he was accepted fully into his unit, he felt a bond with them. He knew they had all endured the same thing. At final review, he saw his unit march together one last time. Then, everyone went inside and put on the uniforms of their next class year (our son put on his sophomore uniform and the new seniors put on those leather riding boots). The “old” seniors stood by the side of the road and saluted their classmates as they marched by. It was the whole “circle of life” thing. :slight_smile: Our son feels proud to be a part of that.</p>

<p>Also, it’s important to remember that the Corps is training future military officers. They need to learn to keep calm under pressure, to lead wisely, and to endure some physical deprivation and suffering (though I’m still not sure about that squeezing thing!). By being the ones at the bottom of the totem pole, they find out what it’s like to be led by good leaders and bad ones. That’s a valuable lesson.</p>

<p>They do retire the old traditions from time to time. As you can imagine, in the old days hazing was rampant. Now, it just isn’t tolerated. What is difficult to get rid of are the traditions that are purely voluntary. Squeezing would be one of those. Nobody is forced to do that. They might be hassled and criticized if they don’t, so there are a lot of peer pressure issues like that. </p>

<p>Another thing they are doing at A&M to better integrate the Corps with the rest of the student body is that they are strongly encouraging all cadets to be involved in at least one student organization outside the Corps. Even fish have to be allowed to go out in the evenings (they have mandatory study time…a good tradition!) if they are going to a student club meeting.</p>

<p>As for the female students “squeezing”…I don’t think I want to know. :-)</p>

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<p>A friend of mine who is a native Texan said that homophobia at A&M so pretty prevasive, some people refer to College Station as Closet Station.</p>

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<p>‘…Most of my family is from Austin and we reluctantly acknowledge that some Austin residents act weird just for the sake of being weird…and there really isn’t any ‘substance’ behind the weirdness. In fact, my brother lives in Austin, but sent his extremely bright daughter to A&M because of the weird factor. lol!..’</p>

<p>That is funny!</p>

<p>I guess it depends on what one is comfortable with. I was a metalhead rocker back in the 70s so I’m quite comfortable with old hippies and punk rockers, environmentalists, people with purple hair, etc. Guess what: they’re just normal folk, really they are! Most of them are very nice people, or about as nice as anyone else.</p>

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<p>Last year when my son was at a Robotics team meeting, a new mom actually told me ‘I homeschool to keep my son away from people like your son.’</p>

<p>(She had just arrived and not even met my son, but just saw him across the room.)</p>

<p>I said ‘Beg your pardon? What do you mean, like my son?’</p>

<p>To which she said, ‘You know…the long hair and the black t-shirt.’</p>

<p>Um. Yeah. Long hair and black t-shirt. Very incriminating indeed.</p>

<p>My son doesn’t even have any tattoos! (and if he did, sooooooo what?)</p>

<p>I then told her ‘Well do you automatically assume that all Blacks & Hispanics are members of gangs?’</p>

<p>That made her a bit uncomfortable. I then told her that my son is actually a very good kid - he would never even step on bugs when he was little.</p>

<p>I find it amusing when people are labeled ‘weird’ just because they dress or act differently. But, as long as no one is hurt by it, shouldn’t one have the freedom to dress & act the way one wants to? rather than conforming to the current fashion? People should try to look beyond the clothing, hair, and skin to see the person underneath.</p>

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<p>‘…A friend of mine who is a native Texan said that homophobia at A&M so pretty prevasive, some people refer to College Station as Closet Station…’</p>

<p>That’s sad.</p>

<p>I’ll take weird over bigotry any day.</p>

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<p>People do indeed have the freedom to dress and act the way they want to! Others have the freedom to judge them for the image they project. If there is a job opening for a bartender or a drummer in a punk band on 6th Street, the guy with the pinstripe suit will look weird and out-of-place. If the job is at law firm or a bank on Congress Avenue, the black tee-shirt and long hair won’t help you. Dress like a clown, and you better be in the party business or working for P.T. Barnum. </p>

<p>It’s pretty simple: our actions and image do carry consequences, but we have choices. By the way, I hope you realize that you had to offer several excuses in your last three posts, especially the " they’re just normal folk, really they are! Most of them are very nice people, or about as nice as anyone else." They may appear normal to you, but do not expect everyone to look kindly towards 1970’s hippies who have forgotten or have been unwilling to adjust their clock for the past 30 years.</p>

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<p>Those were not excuses. I was trying to convey to people who judge others by their clothing, or, worse, fear them, that one’s choice of clothing does not necessarily mean s/he is a ‘bad’ person. To me, judging someone by his/her clothing is just as prejudiced as judging him/her by the color of his/her skin.</p>

<p>And, you failed to pick up on the humor that was intended. I thought the whole incident with that woman thinking my son was some sort of villain was just beyond preposterous. That’s like thinking someone is a ‘bad person’ because s/he has a nose ring or a tattoo, or is Hispanic or Black. It’s still bigotry no matter how you slice it.</p>

<p>Your last comment was very telling. Did you think that the hippie movement was merely a fashion statement?</p>

<p>Well, here’s some news for you: Yes, it was only a fashion statement for some. But for many others, the causes of PEACE and saving the environment for our children and their children are very REAL causes. These causes have not gone away, but, in fact, have become even more relevant now than they were 30 years ago.</p>

<p>Of course people need to dress appropriately for whichever job they are pursuing. But I was not referring to what they wear for job interviews or on the job. The discussion was about what people wear to school, to the grocery store, or whatever else they do on a daily basis when living in Austin.</p>

<p>Why should they be required to conform? Aren’t free thinking and individuality admirable traits?</p>