Editor’s Note: In anticipation of the May 1 deadline for admitted high-school students to choose to attend the University, we asked student leaders on campus to tell us why they came to UT. Their responses will appear on the opinion page through Thursday. 

In all honesty, I had not planned on coming to UT as a high school senior. But, at the end of the day, when I compared the cost of attending private East Coast universities to that of attending UT, it was clear which one was the better choice. I don’t regret my decision because I liked the majors that I chose, especially plan II Honors and government. I had always been interested in politics, but it was at UT that I was able to pursue that interest through all the internships that were available in Austin and through having great professors who had real-world political experience. There was no better place for me as a Republican to explore my opportunities in politics than UT. As president of the College Republicans at Texas, I met Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Land Commissioner candidate George P. Bush and many other elected officials.

My word of advice to high school students still unsure about which universities to attend is to look at the rankings for the program they were accepted into. For me, Plan II Honors was ranked as the third best honors program in the nation, and government was ranked first in Texas. Also, think about the location. Austin is a fun city, and there is so much more to do here than in the Rio Grande Valley, where I am from. If cost is your biggest concern, like it was for me, I think you’ll struggle to find a school where you’ll get a better return on your investment. 

With that said, I’ll be attending law school here starting this fall, and it was easy for me to decide to stay for another three years. I hope students who are still unsure will think hard about attending UT. It’s not for everyone. There are those who dropped out or transferred to other schools, but there are also those who would give anything to get into UT. Luckily, those who already got in just have to make a decision, which I know isn’t always an easy one. I hope these students will attend UT.

Hung is a Plan II senior and president of College Republicans. He will be graduating in May.