<p>I’m only a sophomore in high school, but I’ve recently been looking online at colleges. I’m ranked 7th in my class. I have no idea what college to choose… I know that there isn’t a certain “best” college, but what are some you would suggest? I’m interested in majoring either in biology or engineering. Also, what are the hardest college to get into in Texas? I’ve always liked UT, but a friends was telling me it was a crap school.</p>
<p>UT compared to what other schools? You should probably first stop listening to your friends 
As for which are the hardest to get into, you can’t simply go by the percent admitted. If you did, it would be harder to get into Hardin-Simmons than UT Austin. [College</a> Results Online](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/search2d.aspx?so=TX&sec=1,2&y=2009]College”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/search2d.aspx?so=TX&sec=1,2&y=2009) I think the general consensus for the hardest school in Texas to get into would be Rice.
As long as engineering is an interest, it will be the limiting factor for school selection. You need to start doing some research on your own and visiting the schools. Most colleges will have student visit days on Saturdays and it’s a great way to start figuring out what is important to you. After you visit a few schools, you’ll have a better idea if you want large or small, urban or not, and so on. There’s also nothing stopping you from requesting information from the different colleges right now. Also, keep in mind that with high scores and rankings, you could qualify for significant merit aid at private schools in Texas that no one has ever heard of but do a very good job of preparing students like Austin College, Southwestern, or U of Dallas.</p>
<p>What engineering options are you considering? Both UT and TAMU have excellent engineering programs, but there are lots of options and some may not be available or as great of a program as compared from one school to the other. There’s civil, structural, areospace, mechanical, electrical, etc…I suggest thinking about what speciality sounds most interesting to you, and then compare specific schools looking around for national rankings. Maybe find a contact who has experience there, such as by visiting the schools themselves. Folks at the schools are always interested in talking with their future potential students, especially if they are ranked 7th.</p>
<p>Rice, Trinity, A&M, UT, SMU and Baylor in that order. Don’t worry about which is the best school - worry about which one is the best fit for you. Factor in cost, class size, do you want to pursue grad school, do you dream of big football weekend parties or of small discussion based classes, etc…</p>