UT, could be...

Third in the college collage: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

Again, the prestige factor, very important to Naomi.
And it doesn't get any higher than #1 in the state.

As has become custom, we start with the pizza. How does that have anything to do with prestige? I have no idea. But I also don't have the discerning foodie palate of this one.

Review: "Ok. Kinda like Chuck E. Cheese."
Overall, 3rd behind UNT (1st) and A&M (2nd).

Similar to A&M, UT is academically top tier, and likewise, not east to get into. While they do seem alot more welcoming, the process to get admitted is a lengthy one. So once again, even though Naomi is an auto-admit academically, she's not a sure thing. The "holistic" approach means exactly what it sounds like: they look at the whole person (struggles, achievements, responsibilities AND grades) to choose the best candidates. Naomi: "Dad, I need some hardship to write about. What's my hardship?"

Surprisingly soft spoken admissions guy, especially on the subject of tuition. (not cheap 😬)

Looking at Google maps, ya get the impression that UT is in the middle of downtown Austin, which is kinda true, but kinda not. Going into this, we were all a little weary of the idea of Naomi making her way thru downtown while going to & from class. However, walking the campus, we were pleasantly surprised to realize just how separate it is from the rest of downtown. It's like it's own little secluded island in the midst of Austin.

So Naomi, can you see yourself here?

Well, to our surprise, UT doesn't actually offer either major that Naomi is currently thinking about. (Veterinary or Criminology) So this wouldn't be her first choice for now. But she's not 100% on what she wants to major in yet, so there's still value in checking it out.

TAKEAWAY: Overall better than expected. The campus was a little nicer than UNT and a little smaller than A&M. And the population of students was far more diverse than expected. (I dunno, I just expected them to all be white, upper middle class and on their parents' dime. I am happy to be wrong about that.) UT is definitely a good option, but, without one of the majors Naomi is most interested in, maybe not for her.