Just kidding, I don't hate it. I'm actually excited for leaving home and such. But GAH. I hate that as soon as I make up my mind about something (scholarships, essays, schools), someone decides to throw a wrench in my plans. >:O

I had my heart set on UTD, after being accepted. It has a good reputation, has a Creative Writing course, is only about three hours from home, and is just outside of Dallas, where a few of my other relatives live.

Then my friend mentions UNT, which is also outside of Dallas, saying I should go there instead because it's more focused on arts, whereas UTD is focused on math and science (it's well-known for its engineering school). Plus, she claims the UTD campus is ugly; I visited UNT when my brother thought about going there a few years ago, so I believed her when she said UNT was beautiful.

BUT IDK what to do now. UTD is smaller, they have apartments instead of dorms for their students, they offer free bus and shuttle travel all over campus and the city, and there's smart guys. :-* Lol. UNT has dorms, they're 3x as big as UTD, they only offer shuttles around campus, and it's in a dinky small town... but their campus is BEAUTIFUL, it's more artistic, and I have friends that will be going there, which is always good to know.

I'm torn. The shuttle thing is important because I won't have a car; neither of them have an actual major in Creative Writing, but a major in English or Literary Studies with an emphasis on CW. So... ultimately, I guess it's up to the atmosphere of the place. BAH. I'm thinking if I like UTD's campus, I'll go there. If it's ugly, then I'll go to UNT. LOL.

Choosing colleges is hard. I was torn between two schools, and I ended up going to the one that was closer to home because I'm cheap like that.

Unfortunately it does come down to silly things such as prettiness of the campus when things are so close like that. And then people ask, "Why did you choose x over y?" and you have to say, "Uhh . . . it was prettier." And then they're like WTF?

Good luck on choosing your college. Remember that majors do change, and it's not unheard of to switch around.

I did that too, in state school all the way for me. I had to pay my way through college since I had already left home and joined the Marines.

I went to the University of MD at College Park, if you know college sports then you know my school. Mostly because when we beat Duke, we riot. But I digress.

Anyway I know that sometimes people pick a school because of the size or the look. But in the end you should pick the one that really works best with your major. In some cases where you went to school and with the particular program you are in can really give you a competitive edge in life.

Good luck!

I've actually found that it matters little once you graduate. Unless you go to an Ivy League school or somewhere like UC Berkeley, once you graduate no one cares what school you went to or knows how good the degree program is (unless they went there, too). That ends up being all about connections, not degrees.

Go where you think you will be the most comfortable and enjoy your time the most. This includes which program you think you'd like best. Forget about how beautiful the campus is. That wears off after about 3 months. I literally went to one of the most beautiful grad schools in the US, but after awhile I never noticed. Just like anywhere else, you become acclimated and get used to wherever you are. However, if the town is small in your first choice, you may be bored. I have no problem with small towns, but some of my friends went stir crazy.

As far as having friends goes...you'll probably drift from some of them. Everyone seems to change radically, especially in the first couple years of college. It's no big deal, though. So you can make which school your friends are going to a consideration, but I wouldn't balance everything on that, because you will make new friends.

I moved two hours across the state for Uni. I'm going to what's regarded as a 'second chance' university, that is very clearly looked down on by the established universities such as Monash, and the University of Melbourne. But what I've found about this less-prestigious uni, is that it's actually a nicer place to be around.

One of my friends is starting up at UniMelb this year - and it's been one hassle after another, she can't find anyone that she needs to speak with, no one is giving her the time of day, they're referring her questions around in circles.

I send an email (email is usually easiest), and then I can wander into my course coordinator's office for a chat. Face-to-face, zomg!!

Find somewhere that will answer your questions when they need to be answered, that's what I find is most important about a university. As Roswenth said, the appearance is all well and good, but it really doesn't matter in the end. My university is a nice concrete jungle, but there are times where even that looks beautiful to me - and it's kinda awesome that there's a view of Melbourne's most famous racetrack from the student bar.

Mmmmm... a few drinks and watch the races, anyone?

I do love where I study, despite everything - and whatever your choice, I reckon you will too... cause you won't know anything else. So how can you compare? As far as friends go, I started here not knowing anyone from back home, and now I have a huge list of awesomeness people.

Good luck!

Flip a coin?

Heh, just kidding.

Well, I'm faced with a similar decision and I'm going for the best one from an academic point of view. I want to get the best education I can get so there you go. You have to choose the best at what you're looking for so think carefully and determine exactly what that is. Everything will fall into place after that.

One of my teachers used to say: take a piece of paper and divide it in four parts. On the first half, first quarter you put the good points of your first option and on the second quarter the bad then do the same thing for your second option on the second half. Then compare.

But it's easy for me to say, I'm still waiting for answers. And waiting, and waiting, and waiting... o.O

I'm a UKer. Let us revel in our shared hatred of Duke.

The large size was a plus for me actually. It provides a lot of opportunities. You are never without something to do, but it is definitely not for everyone. You can find friends at any school so I don't think there is much benefit there, and the bureaucracy is crazy. Being in a city is much more fun, and the benefits of that outweigh the benefits of a pretty campus.

I definitely agree that you should make pro-con lists. They are how I make all of my decisions, really. In the end, though, go with what feels right. If you honestly cannot decide, it is totally okay and not stupid at all to go with your gut. Besides, if you really love writing and you keep going with it, you can make it work regardless of whether your school is science-focused or not.

Well, it depends on what you want. But, while a pro-con list has been mentioned, that is not the best idea on deciding what you want. It's a good way to map out everything that goes under each college without getting confused yourself. Life, in essence, cannot be decided upon a little sheet of paper. Therefore, you can't really live by that list should you choose to make it. It's one of those things that you have to look at both things and think about what will make you happier in life. But I would say to be careful about that because it is not unheard of to change majors, as I believe someone else has stated before in this thread.