I'm beginning to seriously consider grad school and have decided to explore options outside of where I currently live (DC). I likely won't start until fall of 2020; which would mean I'll have lived here for seven years by the time grad school starts. I'm looking at a variety of different programs; but I was curious if anyone had any feedback about the George Bush School at A&M or about College Station in general.
If you like cities and people with a wide range of interests, College Station might have you feeling depressed within a week. The most common age group there is like.... 20. Everything is beige. And flat. And it's built like one big suburb. Or... medium-sized suburb. Katy vibes. But your degree would be legit and you'll probably really enjoy your time at school and meet good people. Also, I have a sweet townhouse for you to rent when you get there.
My son is in his first semester at TAMU for engineering. There is really not a whole lot to do there. Tons of restaurants though. It's a nice campus, but you're going to be bored out of your mind. I spent the weekend with him up there a few weeks ago. On Friday, we went to lunch, movies, campus tour, and dinner. By Saturday, we decided to go to Plantersville for the Rennaissance fair. I know he is getting a quality education and that's why he is there.
Ziggy, my son is in Aston Hall dorms. He seems to like it but is not getting along with his roommate. Tell me about this townhouse...
Aggie undergrad alumni here. I never really considered TAMU for my MBA as generally it's seen better to diversify for a variety of reasons. Went to Cambridge for my Master's. It's a great university. The atmosphere (for a grad student) may not be as exciting as a university in a big city, but as a grad student, that shouldn't be a primary motivation. Feel free to ask any questions.
I loved being an undergrad there 15 years ago. I'm not sure I'd like being a grad student (older) in College Station. It is sort of like living in a suburb, plenty of stuff to do like go to restaurants, shop, etc., but there isn't a ton of extremely interesting things to do. I will say this, my bro in law loves raising his family there, so its good for families. Your education would be top notch however.
It's been a long time but College Station is not Hell It you are a minority it could present a few challenges but nothing you cannot handle Same if you are a liberal .. . or anything outside of White Male Conservative Generally people are at least superficially nice and polite (No one will call you a _____ to your face . .. . even if they make you feel like they did) Rocket River
Much like everyone else has said, it really just depends on what you're looking for/where else you're applying. I got my undergrad 12 years ago, and College Station has changed mightily in that time. However, it's still not the same as Austin, or any other major city in or out of the state. You would be getting a very quality education though, and ultimately, that might be all that matters to you.
Had two friends go there. One was right after undergrad. She went to SHSU for undergrad and like the A&M thing. Another friend from SHSU went there years after undergrad. He seemed to like it too. Don't really see a lot of negative other than the boredom thing, but I imagine that's a lot of schools in small towns.
I didn't go there but in my experience TAMU grads love hiring TAMU grads. Put that graduation ring on a corpse and it will get the job.
Was at A&M for undergrad and grad school. Can honestly say, it was a great place for a student. You have plenty of restaurants, markets, bars. There's a mall (not great, but it's a mall). There's Wal-Mart, HEB, Target, Chick-fil-A, and many more "name" places. And like others have said, if CStat really isn't your thing, it's a city that's pretty much equidistant to all the other major cities in TX. @da_juice : What are your interests? What are your preferences? Giving us more information would really help the past and current CStat residents / A&M students help you out. Also, what are you going to grad school for? Like, what discipline?
Thanks for the feedback guys! A little more in depth about me: - UUndergrad degree from George Washington; Int'l Affairs. As you can imagine the job market is very tight in that field in DC. - Academically looking to do either IA/Poli Sci or a joint MBA/MA in the field. I found one program I really like at Hopkins that was in MA that they call Global Risk Analysis (basically a mix of finance and intl politics). Great program great school BUT it's a 13 month program in Italy. So not only would I be taking on debt for my Master's I'd also take on debt for things like eating because intl students can't work there. - I'm really getting sick of living on DC and part of me has always wanted to give the "classic" college experience a try. Obviously I wouldn't be hitting up frat parties or something in my late 20s; but I think it be cool to see what it's like living in a college town. I've also never been outside the Northeast so I'm looking at similar programs at Duke and considering a few other schools in the South as well (Duke offers a joint MBA program with poli sci; many do not). - My ultimate goal is to get a doctorate; but my worst fear is either never completing it or not being able to find work. I'd like to have something I can fall back on (such as an MBA or some sort of data component to supplement my qualitative skills). I've also been told by several professors that I should pursue a Master's before getting a doctorate to make sure it's something I want to do/can handle AND because I don't have the academic background to apply to doctoral programs at this time. Anyway, I think that covers all of my bases. Appreciate any feedback about A&M; any of my plans etc.
If you want something like the college experience... Would definitely try to go to UT in Austin... I'm 27 and every time I visit there it's not hard to go home with a 21-24 year old on 6th street.
A&M is wonderful, but it isn’t for everyone. So before you commit, visit at least once. One of the real appeals of aggieland is the 12th man network network is real. If your interest is a career in O&G, A&M is a strong choice.
