Texas State or A&M?

Question

Majoring in Biology
pros cons?

Texas State University that is not UT

Answer 1

Texas A&M:

Pros:
+First rate public university
+If you want to go to graduate school later on (especially medical school) an undergraduate degree from A&M looks a LOT better than a degree from TSU.
+A&M has many more resources than TSU (i.e.-- very good offices that can help you find a job after you graduate or get into professional school)

Cons:
-Student body culture is definitely very conservative. If you are an atheist or liberal you would get annoyed very quickly. This isn't a con if you're conservative/don't care
-EXPENSIVE


Texas State
Pro:
+Cheap tuition (relative to A&M)
+Smaller campus; easier to traverse
+MAAAAAAAAAAYBE smaller class sizes

Cons:
-It's not as good school as A&M
-Far fewer resources
-If you're going to grad school or medical school you'll have to do MUCH better to compete for admissions


But yeah, A&M is your best bet. This is especially true if you want to attend graduate or professional school.

Answer 2

Don't know which biology department is better. I'd place my bets on A&M though. If national reputation is important to you, A&M is the way to go. That name is recognizable nationwide and might help a little when searching for future options out of state. Texas State is known pretty much only in Texas, and will do fine for you there. The campus culture of the two differs radically. Texas State is mostly a commuter school, not much school spirit. Texas A&M has great sports and spirit to go along. San Marcos has a lot more activities and entertainment options nearby than College Station, and the campus and grounds are prettier. Both schools have a pretty big student body, so not much difference in class size. So, location and cost are probably Tx State's pluses, while reputation and campus life are A&M's.

If grad/med school is your goal, you need to be a top student no matter where you go. If you don't have a GPA 3.6 or higher, stellar recommendations, or any awards, you can forget about any of the top programs. You get out of any college what you put into it. If you just want a decent job, the name on your degree means little, just that you have one. My mom went to Notre Dame, while her brother went to some small liberal arts college back east. People are impressed when she throws the name of that university around, but it's the brother that makes a lot more money than she does.

Answer 3

Texas A&M has a better national reputation unless when you wrote Texas State you meant Univ. of Texas at Austin which is ranked superior.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 4

A&M...Texas State is kinda 4nd tier.....if you know what I mean. Its a nice starting school though....

Answer 5

One of my friends is a biology(pre-med) student at A&M and he loves it. Says its a great program.