Hey all,

I got in to both UT SOA and A&M, both for Masters in Landscape Architecture. I have a bit of a dilemma, they're both very good schools and I can't decide.

Reasons to go to UT: I already live in Austin and like it more than College Station. My fiancee will be going to school in Austin, possibly San Antonio, so I like the idea of being closer to her. A&M is about 3 hours away. Plus Austin has tons of people and money flowing in, so it's an exciting place for architecture. As an example, there's currently construction for UT's new health department which includes a revitalized creek and greenbelt that leads through downtown to Town Lake. I like being that close to the action.

Reasons to go to A&M: I've heard from local architects that it is the better Landscape Architecture school. One told me straight-up she would never hire a UT grad based on the quality of work she has seen. It's more technical and decades older than UT's program. Their faculty is fairly diverse, compared to UT where the GSD is pretty over-represented among their professors.

Financial aid is negligible, and both schools have deep pockets so the campuses and access to materials and equipment is similar. They're both highly ranked, and both have solid alumni networks.

So my question to y'all is what are your thoughts on either school? What have you heard by the water cooler about interns fresh out of either one?