I have an acquaintance that went to school at Tech. She visited WT a few weeks ago, and hated it. “Why would anyone CHOOSE to go here?” That’s what she asked her friends on facebook.
Let me just say, she probably made the right choice to go to Tech. But there are many people who love it here at WT. I’ve made a list of things us buffs have given up to come to WT. However, I’ve also included the things we have gained by coming here.
1. D1. – District 1 schools are held so highly in America. They are known for sports, education, and parties. They get all the publicity and money. They are well known. So why would we give up going to a D1 school to come to wt? Firstly, D2 schools have their advantages. We don’t get as much publicity, but when a WT game is on ESPN. EVERYONE knows, and EVERYONE watches. It’s a since of Buffalo spirit that we all have. It’s a big deal for WT to get attention so when it does, the campus as a whole gets excited and celebrates!
2. A bigger campus – Go to any big, well-known school and just look around at how big campus is. Some are split up all over the town, some are more like WT where everything is connected. Either way a big campus means 1 of 2 things. A long walk or horrible parking. Now, it would be a lie to say that parking is amazing at WT. It’s not. But if you get a bad parking spot here, it means walking all the way across the parking lot. At a bigger school, getting a bad parking spot means walking across MANY parking lots and walking many blocks to get to class.
3. The Pride that comes with saying I’m an Aggie, Longhorn, or Raider – My sister went to A&M, and for the longest time, I dreamed of being an Aggie. They have so many traditions and such pride in their school. It’s pretty awesome. But along with the pride comes extreme competition, 300-500 person classes, and and a sense of loneliness. There is no limit to how many students can attend WT. You don’t have to fight to stay in school. Also, if you are struggling in a class, your professors are more than happy to spend time with you. They WANT you to succeed. They aren’t trying to weed you out. And going to a smaller campus allows you to get to know people. Walking around campus, I have multiple conversations with people a day. It’s really easy to get to know most of the people here. Also, we get access to all of the resources A&M has.
4. Debt – A&M costs $37,916 a year, UT costs $46,098 a year, and Tech costs $31,590 a year. Wanna know how much WT costs a year? If you live in Texas or a bordering state, 8,810 a year. If you live out of state, 19,340. WOW.
Just some things for you to think about!
BUFFOLOGY 
One other major advantage of WT. I was a graduate of 1990. I spent some time in grad school but didnt finish. I was reluctant to go and try to visit some of my old teachers. I went into the science building and the very first professor I ran into recognized me right away (after almost 15 years) that’s amazing. Now tell me you can get that at the D 1 schools.
Great examples of why WT is great! A couple things you may not know, though: Beginning fall 2012 all out-of-state undergraduate students are going to get the Texas resident rate +$30 per credit hour (something like $7,710 a year.) Graduate students–again, any state–$9,660.
The second one: Parking on WT campus is $40 for students, while average cost at Tech is $315 for a space on campus.
More good reasons!
I love the faculty. I can’t say enough positive things about the faculty at WT. We as students aren’t just “a number” or “another student”. They get to know us individually and create great learning environments that I think are hard to find at other universities. Go Buffs! 🙂