Editor’s Note: In light of the May 1 deadline for high school seniors to decide where they’re attending college, we asked UT students why they chose to come to this University, and how they feel about their decision looking back.

Rebecca Dockall, radio-television-film senior

DT: Why did you choose to come to UT?

RD: It’s really funny, my whole family is Aggies, so I’m kind of the black sheep of the family. I decided to come to UT because UT has one of the top-ranked film programs in the nation. And it has such a big diversity. I was actually supposed to go to Virginia, but the main reason I decided to come to UT was because the level of education and the cost worked itself out. So yeah, Hook ’em Horns!

DT: How do you feel? Do you have any regrets?

RD: Well, to be completely honest, I don’t think the level of education was what I received. But I think UT is a university that doesn’t spend its money very wise. Because I’ve been here for four years, and I don’t think … I really value my education, and I love learning. But I don’t think that UT gave me everything that I hoped. But, at the same time, I think it takes a student who wants to attain what they want and seek after it. So I think UT provides resources, but it takes students who go them themselves. UT’s not going to hand-feed people. But to be completely honest, I love UT. Hook ’em Horns, but I think my … coming in as a freshman, it wasn’t what I expected.

Alex Bean, cell and molecular biology graduate student

DT: Why did you choose to come to UT?

AB: Well first and foremost, I really liked Austin. So that was a good reason to come to Austin. They do a lot of really good scientific research here, and it just seems like the kind of large campus community that I could really see myself being a part of. 

DT: How do you feel about your decision?

AB: Let’s see. I love how much there is going on at all times. Like, no matter what day of the week it is, or what you’re interested in, there’s tons of stuff going on. Almost too much sometimes. 

Victoria Hollingshead, chemical engineering senior

DT: Why did you choose to come to UT?

VH: It was a pretty simple choice. It’s warm here. It’s a pretty awesome city, and it has an exceptional engineering program. So I was like, let’s do it. 

DT: Where are you from? You said it’s warm here?

VH: Yeah, I’m from Japan. So I was looking at a couple of schools in America, and this one seemed pretty cool, so I was like…

DT: How do you feel about your decision?

VH: I think I made the right decision. I’m glad I came here. I met a lot of awesome people. I regret that I am not closer to a beach! But besides that it’s alright. 

Robert Ma, business honors and finance senior. 

DT: Why did you choose to come to UT?

RM: The main reason I chose to come to UT is that I felt like it was a good, diverse mix of education and academics as well as sports and extracurriculars. For me, the schools that came down to it was here, University of Chicago, Georgetown, Carnegie Melon and UT. I think, out of those schools, UT gave me the best opportunity to explore myself because I felt like I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I felt that UT gave me the best choices. 

DT: Do you have any regrets?

RM: No, no regrets. I feel like I made the right decision. I’m really happy to be at this school, and looking back I wouldn’t change anything. I wouldn’t change where I’d want to go to school. It’s where I belong. It’s where I found my community. It’s where I figured out what I want to do. 

Toni Cirlos, international relations and global studies senior

DT: Why did you choose to come to UT?

TS: I chose to come to UT basically because when I came to the University and visited it seemed really diverse, and there were a lot of resources on campus, and because I knew about as far as standings and rankings about professors in the different programs and it was one of the top universities in the nation. 

DT: How do you feel about your decision?

TS: I’m really glad that I came. I almost went to a small private school and I came from a very small high school, so I really enjoyed it. I don’t ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of people at all.  

DT: Do you have any regrets?

TS: No. I mean maybe my freshman year becoming more involved in GPA standing and everything. But other than that I don’t have any regrets. 

Ajay Srivastava, Plan II Honors and unspecified business freshman

DT: Why did you choose to come to UT?

AS: First of all, it’s a fantastic school especially with what I wanted to study. Great business school. Plan II was an awesome program that allowed me to take a well-rounded, interdisciplinary program. Instead of pursuing a myopic path of science, there are a lot of different things I could pursue here. Obviously, UT is huge, so I have the benefits of this huge community and a small tight-knit community with the honors program. And in-state tuition really helps. 

DT: How do you feel about your decision?

AS: I just think that there is a learning curve. First semester you’ll come here and kind of be reserved to academics. That’s the kind of pattern I see. And then second semester you kind of like to over commit, at least that’s what I did. So I think there is definitely a learning curve, and if I had known this earlier, I would have made a healthier balance between the two. That’s all.