Well, it is the old Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) College, so that is its strength. I also agree that for high paying jobs in the north east (with big consulting firms and banks on wall street) it is best to attend an ivy league school. Although, top undergrad students from UT and A&M can always try getting an MBA from a top northeast schools after undergrad at UT or A&M.
My point was not to suggest it was comparable to an ivy league. My point was that people in the north, especially those our age, may have misconceptions about A&M. They may think it is the equivalent of an average state college with open admissions like it was in the early 80s because the admit rates are so high and the overall SAT scores are not sky high. I just wanted to point out, that from my point of view, it is academically more comparable to a NYU or Brandeis or Boston U today or a U Penn in the early 80s than the average state college or private u. Also, A&Ms graduates are very influential in Texas.