Deciding between Texas A&M and SMU

Hey everyone! I've been accepted to Texas A&M and SMU and I'm torn between the two. Can anyone provide comparisons or any personal experiences with these two schools? It's a mix between social life, academics, campus culture that I'm stuck on.

Congrats on your acceptances! Both Texas A&M and SMU are reputable institutions but they indeed offer different experiences socially, academically, and in terms of campus culture.

Academics:

Texas A&M is a major research university and has strong STEM and Agricultural programs. Its engineering, particularly Petroleum Engineering, is world-renowned. It's one of the few universities that have a land, sea, and space grant indicating a significant commitment to research. SMU, on the other hand, is more focused on the arts, humanities, business, and communication studies. It's known for its focus on undergraduate teaching and smaller class sizes which might be appealing if you're looking for a more personalized learning environment.

Campus Culture:

Texas A&M is widely known for its spirited traditions and loyalty. The term "Aggie family" is often used to describe the camaraderie amongst current students and alumni. The school spirit is palpable and there's a strong culture around athletics. Tailgating and football games are huge here.

Contrarily, SMU is located in Dallas, one of the major metropolitan areas in the country. This gives students a variety of cultural, professional, and social opportunities. SMU's campus culture might be described as more cosmopolitan while still maintaining strong school spirit.

Social Life:

At Texas A&M, you'll likely find a range of social events revolving around the college, from sporting events to various student organization events. Greek life does exist, but isn't as pronounced as at SMU.

The social scene at SMU is very active with a robust Greek life. Being in Dallas, students also have the city's social scene accessible to them, which is quite vibrant and dynamic.

In summary, your choice might depend heavily on your preferred field of study, how much you value being involved in traditions/athletics, and whether you prefer a smaller, more cosmopolitan setting or a larger, more collegiate environment. Hope this helps!