University of Texas c/o 2019 Applicants (2015-2016) Forum

[Confusedlawkid]

Anyone admitted ~3 weeks ago hear anything re: scholarship yet?

I was admitted March 12~ and I got my Scholarship info yesterday

[ih8makingscreennames]

Just got the call. I thought for sure I'd be waitlisted or something at this point.

[manuelsig]

Just got the call. I thought for sure I'd be waitlisted or something at this point.

Congrats! Do you mind sharing when you went complete?

[ih8makingscreennames]

Just got the call. I thought for sure I'd be waitlisted or something at this point.

Congrats! Do you mind sharing when you went complete?

I honestly have no idea. I got the EID email on Feb 11th after applying Jan 27th. I'm OOS.

[genericwit]

Checking in.

Waitlisted in January.
Accepted via phone call today. Went there for undergrad (c/o 2013).

Not sure I'm going to go. Los Angeles and USC are calling me. I'm not a huuuuge fan of living in Austin, and honestly, none of my friends are there anymore anyway, so... *shrug*

[thebrownnote]

Checking in.

Waitlisted in January.
Accepted via phone call today. Went there for undergrad (c/o 2013).

Not sure I'm going to go. Los Angeles and USC are calling me. I'm not a huuuuge fan of living in Austin, and honestly, none of my friends are there anymore anyway, so... *shrug*

I feel the same way about living in austin from my time there. And attending UT undergrad means you can always return to texas if you decide you hate LA.

[jpl234]

Checking in.

Waitlisted in January.
Accepted via phone call today. Went there for undergrad (c/o 2013).

Not sure I'm going to go. Los Angeles and USC are calling me. I'm not a huuuuge fan of living in Austin, and honestly, none of my friends are there anymore anyway, so... *shrug*

I feel the same way about living in austin from my time there. And attending UT undergrad means you can always return to texas if you decide you hate LA.

Deciding between the same schoools...but the rank and price of UT are pulling me in that direction.

[poptart123]

.

[OtterLaw]

Just got a WL email from Sam Riley. I almost had a heart attack at work when I saw it pop up on my phone. I thought, "oh shit, I'm getting in!" However, it turns out that UT wanted to remind me that I'm on their WL still.

I can't decide if I think it's nice or cruel for them to reach out to me like this..

I got the same email and had the same reaction. It's cruel and was obviously a mass email. I responded with a few questions, namely asking if I've sent too many letters or something. I'm interested to see if/what he responds with.

[genericwit]

Checking in.

Waitlisted in January.
Accepted via phone call today. Went there for undergrad (c/o 2013).

Not sure I'm going to go. Los Angeles and USC are calling me. I'm not a huuuuge fan of living in Austin, and honestly, none of my friends are there anymore anyway, so... *shrug*

I feel the same way about living in austin from my time there. And attending UT undergrad means you can always return to texas if you decide you hate LA.

Deciding between the same schoools...but the rank and price of UT are pulling me in that direction.

If you're not from the area, I recommend you visit. It's fine living in nowhere for a while, but it gets old. Well, Austin isn't exactly nowhere, but it is pretty much a city filled with undergrads and once a year, a cool festival. And if you were offered a decent scholly from USC, like I was, then it offsets the price.

[thebrownnote]

If you're not from the area, I recommend you visit. It's fine living in nowhere for a while, but it gets old. Well, Austin isn't exactly nowhere, but it is pretty much a city filled with undergrads and once a year, a cool festival. And if you were offered a decent scholly from USC, like I was, then it offsets the price.

I second this. I fled Austin at the first chance. I never really felt comfortable in the city as a non-hispanic minority, I hated the traffic and weather, and the festival just means more traffic.

It kind of matters less to me now that I'm thinking about returning for law school, since I'm too old to mess around "going out" and I plan to just bury myself in the library regardless of where I go. But it still gives me pause.

[BigZuck]

Not sure if egregious anti-ACL trolling or egregious anti-SXSW trolling

[thebrownnote]

Not sure if egregious anti-ACL trolling or egregious anti-SXSW trolling

Haha, not sure if it really qualifies as trolling or not, but I guess that's in the eyes of the beholder. Definitely anti-southby, otherwise I'd be talking about two horrible weekends of traffic, not one week. But really, I made it a point to leave town during south by, as did most of my friends. One of my friends recouped his entire year's mortgage ever year by airbnb'ing his condo for south by and acl.

[Hikikomorist]

Not sure if egregious anti-ACL trolling or egregious anti-SXSW trolling

Haha, not sure if it really qualifies as trolling or not, but I guess that's in the eyes of the beholder. Definitely anti-southby, otherwise I'd be talking about two horrible weekends of traffic, not one week. But really, I made it a point to leave town during south by, as did most of my friends. One of my friends recouped his entire year's mortgage ever year by airbnb'ing his condo for south by and acl.

Details/numbers?

[thebrownnote]

.

[genericwit]

SXSW was always my favorite time of year. So much fun. If you're not into arts & culture, then Austin DEFINITELY isn't for you as a city. I'm going to law school to study, but I plan to blow off some steam and have fun occasionally to avoid a "Heeeeere's Johnny!" type of situation. And ample research backs up a happiness and productivity causation type of relationship. But you know, I grew up in Dallas, so Austin is a bit smaller and duller to me. Plus, as much as I adore music and arts, it all gets a bit too pretentious, and then there's a lack of other entertainment.

Like I said, Austin is super cool. And some of you guys are looking for drastically different things, but I don't think it's for me. Not for years 5-7.

[BeatriceButler]

DFW born and raised, and have taken many a weekend trip to Austin while in high school and undergrad. In my opinion Austin has very little to offer outside of South by and ACL when compared to Houston and Dallas. If you're into biking or jogging there are some nice trails. Barton Springs and the Hamilton Pool Preserve (technically 23 miles outside of Austin) are pretty cool also, but outside of that there's not much.

[HabeasandCo]

DFW born and raised, and have taken many a weekend trip to Austin while in high school and undergrad. In my opinion Austin has very little to offer outside of South by and ACL when compared to Houston and Dallas. If you're into biking or jogging there are some nice trails. Barton Springs and the Hamilton Pool Preserve (technically 23 miles outside of Austin) are pretty cool also, but outside of that there's not much.

What do you think Dallas and Houston have to offer that Austin does not? Austin is a smaller city than Dallas and Houston, but for its size it has tons of shows, restaurants, bars, outdoor activities, state parks, museums, and libraries.

Austin does lack cultural diversity in the way of Houston's and major sports franchises (though I think UT games make up for that).

I'm sure I come across as a rabid Texan defending their liberal oasis, but I wouldn't put much faith in sweeping generalizations based off of weekend trips.

[BeatriceButler]

DFW born and raised, and have taken many a weekend trip to Austin while in high school and undergrad. In my opinion Austin has very little to offer outside of South by and ACL when compared to Houston and Dallas. If you're into biking or jogging there are some nice trails. Barton Springs and the Hamilton Pool Preserve (technically 23 miles outside of Austin) are pretty cool also, but outside of that there's not much.

What do you think Dallas and Houston have to offer that Austin does not? Austin is a smaller city than Dallas and Houston, but for its size it has tons of shows, restaurants, bars, outdoor activities, state parks, museums, and libraries.

Austin does lack cultural diversity in the way of Houston's and major sports franchises (though I think UT games make up for that).

I'm sure I come across as a rabid Texan defending their liberal oasis, but I wouldn't put much faith in sweeping generalizations based off of weekend trips.

Dallas and Houston both have as you mentioned multiple professional sports franchises, and more cultural diversity. They also both have way more restaurant options (and in my opinion better options). Especially seafood in Houston. And for the record UT games do not make up for the lack of professional franchises. UT's football team is currently trash compared to what it once was, and most likely will be again next year as well (Still have no real QB talent). I love Shaka Smart, but their mens basketball team is still a ways off from being a serious tournament threat.

Don't get me wrong I like Austin, and if music festivals are your thing you will probably really like Austin. It's just not better than Houston or Dallas in my opinion. Not trying to start an internet argument here, just giving my opinion as a Texas lifer for those out of state applicants....

[mghaffar]

DFW born and raised, and have taken many a weekend trip to Austin while in high school and undergrad. In my opinion Austin has very little to offer outside of South by and ACL when compared to Houston and Dallas. If you're into biking or jogging there are some nice trails. Barton Springs and the Hamilton Pool Preserve (technically 23 miles outside of Austin) are pretty cool also, but outside of that there's not much.

What do you think Dallas and Houston have to offer that Austin does not? Austin is a smaller city than Dallas and Houston, but for its size it has tons of shows, restaurants, bars, outdoor activities, state parks, museums, and libraries.

Austin does lack cultural diversity in the way of Houston's and major sports franchises (though I think UT games make up for that).

I'm sure I come across as a rabid Texan defending their liberal oasis, but I wouldn't put much faith in sweeping generalizations based off of weekend trips.

Dallas and Houston both have as you mentioned multiple professional sports franchises, and more cultural diversity. They also both have way more restaurant options (and in my opinion better options). Especially seafood in Houston. And for the record UT games do not make up for the lack of professional franchises. UT's football team is currently trash compared to what it once was, and most likely will be again next year as well (Still have no real QB talent). I love Shaka Smart, but their mens basketball team is still a ways off from being a serious tournament threat.

Don't get me wrong I like Austin, and if music festivals are your thing you will probably really like Austin. It's just not better than Houston or Dallas in my opinion. Not trying to start an internet argument here, just giving my opinion as a Texas lifer for those out of state applicants....

I can second this. Houston native but long-time lover of Austin. I can definitively say that Houston has far better food/nightlife/outing options if you know where to go. Austin is great, and I love spending time there if I want to be outdoorsy for the weekend. You'll come to find that there are definitely cool places to eat in Austin, but after you've hit them, it gets old. Then you're just left with a couple of places you like to go. However, after 23 years of living in Houston, i've found that there's always a new restaurant to try or play to see or show to watch or running trail to try. As i'm growing up, I'm beginning to see that Houston is a great city for young professionals.

But pls. Don't move to Houston. We have enough traffic as it is.

[sollos]

Not sure if egregious anti-ACL trolling or egregious anti-SXSW trolling

I don't know why it has to be trolling. Surprise: Not everyone likes ACL/SXSW, and whenever I hear someone describe why you should move to Austin, it's almost always about these events. If that's all Austin has to offer, then what about those with different interests?

If you're not into arts & culture, then Austin DEFINITELY isn't for you as a city.

I dunno about this. Austin doesn't even have a full time orchestra, which both Dallas and Houston have. Both Dallas and Houston have larger art museums (with Houston's being three times as large). Just in general, Austin's offerings in art and culture seem less than what Houston and Dallas have to offer.

[BVest]

Not sure if egregious anti-ACL trolling or egregious anti-SXSW trolling

I don't know why it has to be trolling. Surprise: Not everyone likes ACL/SXSW, and whenever I hear someone describe why you should move to Austin, it's almost always about these events. If that's all Austin has to offer, then what about those with different interests?

I think he meant this:

Austin isn't exactly nowhere, but it is pretty much a city filled with undergrads and once a year, a cool festival.

Implication is that one of them is not cool.

[pixalia]

Can someone who's visited tell me how the buildings and facilities are? Are they nice? Or ancient? I've been trying to find pictures, videos, or virtual tours of the law school but I can hardly find anything.

[genericwit]

Not sure if egregious anti-ACL trolling or egregious anti-SXSW trolling

I don't know why it has to be trolling. Surprise: Not everyone likes ACL/SXSW, and whenever I hear someone describe why you should move to Austin, it's almost always about these events. If that's all Austin has to offer, then what about those with different interests?

I think he meant this:

Austin isn't exactly nowhere, but it is pretty much a city filled with undergrads and once a year, a cool festival.

Implication is that one of them is not cool.

When I initially posted that, I had straight up forgotten about ACL. ACL is one of those festivals I went to for four years in undergrad but never returned for. SXSW I still come back for. Also, in scale, SXSW locks up the city for a longer period of time.

And finally, I absolutely didn't mean to start this war in saying Austin isn't cool. As I've said multiple times, it is. And for its size, it definitely does the best it can in terms of activities, but that's like telling an 85 year old she's fit for her age. Yes, for her age. Not compared to Cristiano Ronaldo. Just like I agree with above posters that there's soooo much more in Dallas/Houston (although no, I'd never move to Houston, because of the traffic and smog).

All I, and the rest of the folks here, were trying to tell people was that you have to keep in mind that moving to Austin, especially if you're from a larger city, means sacrificing certain things. And some of us aren't willing to sacrifice it. And I'm saying that not as someone who takes a weekend trip there. I'm saying it as someone who lived there for four years and would loooooooooove to pay $15k less per year for tuition and $10k less for living expenses.

And especially, for out-of-staters who aren't used to the landscape. It's hot. And it's bare. It's not lush forestry and cool summers. I'd visit, take a look around, add 30 degrees to the weather, and say to yourself, "this is all I have for three years," before deciding you're going to go to this school just for ranking reasons. And lots of people love it. But I just was not one of them.

And just fyi, campus is beautiful. It's warm, not cold like a lot of other, modern campuses in the T20. You get the feeling that it's been around. And the people are fun and kind.

[BVest]

You don't go to Texas for the facilities. The school is made up of three buildings technically, though they're all connected, and from the inside (and sometimes from the outside) it's hard to tell where one ends and the next begins. They were built in the early 1950s, late 1970s, and late 1990s, and range in style from the waning of the Spanish-Mediterranean design on campus, to modern (well-nigh brutalistic, though a bit late for that movement), to a modern return to the Spanish-Med style. The bulk of the the classrooms are in the 1950s building, with a few above the library in the 1970s building and very few in the 1990s building (which largely houses clinics, advocacy skills rooms, the courtroom, and some offices).

The classrooms inside are in various states of update. Most are typical of LS classrooms (attached swing-arm chairs on ascending levels of long desk with outlets at each location). Some are far more dated (eames molded style seats on swing arms with more dated long desks and outlets only available along the back and side walls). Seminar rooms are more up to date with movable tables in hollow-square arrangements and comfortable, detached chairs. The most modern classrooms (above the library) are sadly the most useless; they're glass-walled and divided by airwalls such as at a hotel conference center so that they can be expanded. The end result is that if there are two classes going on at the same time or activity in the lobby area, the noise level can be distracting; additionally, the air ducting in that part of the school seems to carry a ton of noise between rooms. Fortunately, I only had two classes there.

The interior common areas vary from basic hallway (nothing remarkable), to nice, to old bus-station tile, to '70s modern take on wood-paneled interiors. The library is decorated with a collection of mostly British paintings and antiques, many of them related to law, which is nice because it gives you something to look out when you wander around to take a break. The library was shrunk by two floors a few years back (like many libraries), which created the space for classrooms and professor offices on the 5th and 6th floors.

Here are mostly exterior pictures:
https://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/exhibits ... about.html
https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/10953