University of Texas - Arlington experiences

[cityconvo]

I had a great experience at UTA all the way through grad school. Technically it is no longer a commuter school. One way they accomplished that was by purchasing many of the run down apartments near by and have since built new dorms at those locations.

UTD ranks higher in some categories but not all so its incorrect to say it is a way better school. Depends on the major.

I agree with Lakewooder in that the OP should consider Oak Cliff. Short commute and a great neighborhood.

[k_s]

I graduated from UTA and agree with a lot of the comments here. The school has a reputation of being a commuter school, but has made strides in becoming more traditional. It's been working with the city to provide a more seamless transition between school and city, but there is still work to be done.

There are a lot of "hole in the wall" places around campus that are great for hanging out or studying. You'll catch on once you're attending.

As far as living it Dallas and commuting in -- I would advise against that. There are several students who commute from outside of the city, but if you can avoid, it would likely be in your best interest. The campus has gone from ~25,000 students to ~33,000 students in a matter of 2-3 years, but the infrastructure hasn't been updated to accommodate everyone. Dealing with traffic + dealing with parking on campus = not fun.

North and West Arlington (and South Arlington, if you don't mind the drive) have several nice apartment options that will keep you near the highways, should you feel the need to travel to Dallas or Fort Worth.

ETA: The business, engineering, nursing, and urban planning departments have great reputations. Not too positive about the other departments, but if you plan on staying in DFW for a while, being a UTA grad isn't a terrible thing.

[neekbarnes]

Thanks for the responses, I appreciate your opinions on the school. I will be graduating from UW-Milwaukee in May and it also is referred to as a commuter school so I am certainly used to that type of campus. Born and raised in Minnesota and going to college in Wisconsin, I have grown accustomed to weekends of bar hopping all night and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol (never got into too much trouble, that just how we do it up North!), but nonetheless, what is the nightlife like in Arlington, epsecially near campus? Will I have to travel far to find a good bar with some cute girls?

[k_s]

There are a few bars that are near campus -- J Gilligans, Hooligans, Mavericks, Fuzzy's, Caves Lounge, and Milo's are pretty nice. There are a few more "hole in the wall" options around the area, too.

Most of the entertainment in Arlington is located in the Entertainment District (Collins and I-30 -- there, you'll find Lincoln Square and a few restaurants scattered around) and the area around the mall (I-20 and Cooper or Matlock -- here, you'll find the Arlington Highlands and several other restaurants).

If you get tired of the city, Dallas and Fort Worth aren't too far away.

[VonHuffenHausen]

Dallas has the bar scene. Arlington is more families. UTA is not actually considered a good school, I think it is tier 4. UTD is tier 1 on US News. If you don't care about rankings, it will suit you fine. I thik living in Dallas and commuting is worth it if you care about a social life.

[rahulshah8055]

can anyone tell me about the Masters in Mechanical Engineering program in University of Texas Arlington...??..I need to know how are the job placements and how are the research facilities in the university??..

[cmacemm]

UTA is a great school academic wise. I went there for several years (urban planning as well) but I wasn't fond of the overall feel of the school. It doesn't have a typical college feel (it almost seems a bit cold and sterile) that I wanted though.

[loves2read]

if you want to know that specific info from UTA engineering you should be talking to the college itself
and asking for placement rate (with names/companies) and their research facilities