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Boston - larger, more cosmopolitan, colder, more expensive
Austin - smaller, warmer, more affordable
It's mostly a matter of taste. From what I've heard Austin is growing so there probably is good job oppurtinity. Boston is a major city, however and probably has a lot of jobs to offer as well. I personally like Boston more (the architecture and history)
Exactly! & well stated. Boston over Austin [but Austin is a good second choice
In Austin, you have San Antonio the metro area which is about 10 miles away. San Antonio is a very large unique historical city like Boston. So if you choose Austin, you can have the best of two worlds
Location: from houstoner to bostoner to new yorker to new jerseyite ;)
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If I were you, I would go for Boston, my dream city, and not settle. Now is a good time to do so while you're still young and unencumbered. You can always get roommates to help cut down on the cost of living, and who knows? Maybe you'll get a great financial aid package to help offset the cost of tuition. The cost of living may be higher in Massachusetts, but there seems to be many more opportunities in Boston to balance it out. Austin is also rather geographically isolated and landlocked, even with its lakes. There's more to do in and near Boston, and it's closer to other interesting major cities. I think the positives of Boston far outweigh those of Austin. Apply to colleges in both and see where you're accepted and go from there.
In Austin, you have San Antonio the metro area which is about 10 miles away. San Antonio is a very large unique historical city like Boston. So if you choose Austin, you can have the best of two worlds
It's about 80 miles away. San Antonio's large, good to visit but not too much there, depending on one's interests.
I've lived in both areas. You're right, the Austin market is very saturated with UT students/grads and they are preferred. There is a lot of "growth" but the job market is very tough to get into and you have to know the right people to get a job here, even if it's waiting tables. The opportunities in Boston are more accessible and diverse.
UT Austin is VERY difficult to get into, mainly because of the number of people applying. There are some other schools in the area, but it can be restrictive depending on what you want to major in. As for UT being more highly regarded, it depends on who you ask, what your major is, and where you live/move after graduation.
Getting into UT for undergrad is especially difficult if you're transferring from out of state, or over 25. A law was passed a few years back guaranteeing admission for in-state high school students in the top 10% of their graduating class. Since then, the acceptance rate for everyone else has plummeted.
Another school working looking at may be Texas State University in San Marcos, not too far from Austin.
I'm actually considering Boston again, even though it may mean waiting a year for residency.
Since this thread is over 4 months old, hopefully the OP has made a choice by now. Just wanted to point that out for folks who might be crafting a thoughtful reply.
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