If you wanna do accounting this really isn't even a question, goto UT. UofH gives lots of scholarships out (no offense), I was offered one too and I think I made the right choice by attending a better school. For a lot of things it doesn't matter, but you don't pass up the #1 accounting program in the country.
This isn't a black and white thing... a lot depends on how you view college. Is it just a stepping stool to your career? Well, how smart and driven are you? Sure, you can be successful with a degree from anywhere if you put forth effort. The best of the best will stand out regardless of where they went to undergrad. However, there is absolutely no doubt that a degree from McCombs at UT is more impressive on the surface than one from UH. The fact of the matter is that most students aren't the 4.0 type, and a 3.3 degree from UT will open many more doors than a 3.3 from UH. Do you want to have the full college experience? Many will scoff at this next statement, but to some people the memories you create during those 4(+) years are priceless and easily worth $10k a year. By all accounts, if you want a true college experience, pick A&M or UT. I know UH is improving, but at this moment it isn't even in the same discussion as those two when it comes to student life. I went to UT. I dated a girl who went to UH. I had more fun, she spent less money, we're both successful post-grad. Just depends on what your priorities are.
I agree. If OP is factoring in those, I would choose UT or A&M. I went to UT myself and loved it there. However, if your in a money crunch and are worrying about if the school itself will affect your career, it's actually not as big as most people think. My friend graduated from UH and makes twice as much as me with similar degrees.
Getting a degree from UT would make entry level jobs "easier" to get considered for, but at the end of the day it depends on networking and who you know. The people you know can get you farther than a college at which you obtained your degree. So, wherever you go remember to attend career fairs, get to know your professors, and be active on campus because you never know who might help you along the road. Personally if money isn't a problem attend UT or A&M. I didn't want to take on the debt so I went to UH.
saying UT has the number 1 accounting school isnt saying much, rankings are based on the following categories: tuition and fees ($9,790) instate, total enrollment (52,186), Fall 2012 Acceptance rate (46.8%), average freshman retention rate (92%), 6 year graduation rate (79%), and two other categories that the data was not initially listed (classes with fewer than 20 students and ACT/SAT 25th-75th percentile) the ranking system does not indicate the quality of education you'll be receiving, nor does it rank internship prospects, jobs, or entering salaries edit: also UT did not even make bloomberg business week's top 10, again very misleading http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-04-22/the-best-undergraduate-b-schools-for-accounting
think about why you want to be an accountant.. for the payday.. so treat school like your business at the moment.. maximize your expenseayday ratio
Take a little bit of time and really think about what kind of job/career you would like to pursue with an accounting/finance degree. UH has a good business school, and you will have access to some really good jobs. However, there will be a whole host of jobs that you won't have access to, simply because those companies do not recruit at UH. Big 4 accounting - plenty of opportunity from UH (especially with masters degree) Regional firm accounting - plenty of opportunity from UH (especially with masters degree) Corporate finance analyst (P&L, budgetting, etc...) - plenty of opportunity from UH, you just need to be proactive Investment banking - would be tough Consulting - would be tough Going to UT or A&M would leave all of these doors open as you learn more about what you'd like to do.
Move to the upper Midwest and become an ag trader. Those jobs aren't easy to transition into otherwise.
always pick UT or A&M over UH. sorry, but that's the truth as of today. In 10 years? 20 years? Maybe different
And most U of H grads with a genuine affection for this city are grateful that Rice exists. They're both a byproduct of the legislature's short-sightedness in not building or funding a decent state school in the largest city in the state. Without the engineering talent that Rice produced in the first half of the twentieth century, Houston wouldn't have built the banks, oilfield services or engineering firms that allow us to fully capitalize on the entire energy supply chain. Otherwise we'd be closer to New Mexico, Arkansas, or Louisiana economically.
Another thing is going to school in town sucks compared to being out of town, especially Austin. You don't get the experience.
I have a few connections in business who would disagree with you, mainly regarding A&M. Texas A&M's business program is not that much better than UH. A&M has a better regional/Texas network of alumni, but neither UH nor Texas A&M has a great national/international network. If you want a strong network on all three levels, regional, national, and international, then pick UT every time.
Sounds like you're talking about grad school. Show me a publication that ranks UH Business anywhere close to Texas A&M Business... generally TAMU is in the top 30 and almost always above Rice (much less UH). Not sure I've ever seen UH anywhere. I know their entrepreneurship program gets some publicity. Or it used to anyway. Here's a random publication - http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings Why exactly doesn't TAMU have an international presence on par with UT? Not disagreeing, just curious. http://www.qatar.tamu.edu/
Just making suppositions here. UT is known for being great for business occupations, and business jobs tend to be some of the most mobile, business people often travel around the country and/or the world. UT has established itself around the world as a great school, mainly from these business people representing the university in different places. That is why UT is generally 20-30 in world rankings, and Texas A&M (I believe) is around 150-160.
If you have a choice of UT, UH and A&M and you can afford any of the three, choosing UH is a mistake. UT>A&M>UH Not because of the education. College education is a simple you get out what you put into it type situation. There are good professors at UH. But, the networking is so inferior, the campus life is inferior, the resume pride is inferior, etc. UH isn't bad by any stretch though so don't feel ashamed if you go there regardless of the Cougar High posts on a message board.
my point is rankings for undergraduate programs have no real substance, and rarely reflect the quality of education at the undergraduate level
