University of Texas--Austin

About Me

Intro

You know me. Remember that kid you grew up with—the really cool one that was always linking you to the latest bands and rocking the tight jean look way before it caught on? Yeah, that's me. Remember how you wanted to pass the kid off as some shallow, trendy bubblehead, but when you actually had a conversation, you realized that they had oodles of smarts to go with that vinyl record collection? And when they made captain of the football team, you thought it was just a little over the top? The trouble was, this kid was just so down-to-earth that he (or she) was impossible to hate.

Yup, that's me. I know, it sounds like I have a head the size of Jupiter (the better to wear these longhorns, my dear). The thing is, I sort of have it all—big-time sports, top-ranking academic programs, and a vibrant student culture in the middle of one of the coolest cities in the U.S. I know, I'd hate me, too...if I weren't so darn cool.

Name

I am Bevo, the Longhorn. Behold, the awesome splendor of my horns.

Hometown

Austin, Texas—as in, that Austin. The place all the cool kids in your school want to move to so that they can start their own band, and read paperbacks in open-air coffee shops.

Birthdate

1833

Body Type

Do you think bigger is better? Me, too. How does forty acres and 40,000 undergrads sound to you? I know that the size of my main campus (not even counting my satellite schools) and my large student body might be intimidating to some, but that's just more of me to love, right? As one of the biggest colleges in the country, you can bet that I'm large and in charge. You know what they say—everything is bigger is Texas.

Current Living Situation

Where do my students live? How about…everywhere? Seriously, I've got lot of options. First, you can get cozy and make a friend or two in my on-campus dorms. The biggest of these is Jester Hall. It offers study spaces, a dining hall, co-ed floors, and the always-fun communal bathrooms. For slightly better accommodations, you can also schlep a few blocks off campus to one of the many private dorms that surround the campus. These offer pretty much what you'd find in an on-campus dorm, only with nicer rooms and (usually) tastier food in the dining halls. (Cloth napkins? You had me at "taco bar.") The extra couple blocks it takes to walk to class is worth it for most folks, but then again, rent is generally steeper.

Of course, if you're going Greek, you can also grab a pledge pin and find a room in one of the fraternity or sorority houses around campus. Accommodation and pricing will vary, although the weekend activities tend to be pretty standard (rage, rest, repeat).

Finally, if not you're not into the whole socializing thing—or if you just want to really spread your wings and fly free—there are about a bazillion student apartment complexes. As you might expect, what you pay for is what you get. Want to live close to campus? With a parking spot? And a working stove? Better start prepping the parents for a hefty rental payment.

Relationship Status

I come from a big family, y'all. (Yes, "y'all" is a thing here in Texas.) You see, I'm kind of the oldest sibling of sorts, with a ton of other branches across the state: UT San Antonio, UT El Paso, UT Dallas, UT Pan American—I could go on. While each one of these guys is doing their own thing, I can't help but feel like a proud big brother when I see them grow into their own.

Of course, like the head of any large, prosperous family, I also have some haters. The biggest of these is probably the University of Oklahoma, which, for some reason, thinks it deserves props for sneaking into my state and using my local athletic talent to compete against me in major sports. I don't take them too seriously, though. They still have to live in Oklahoma, after all.

Politics

Austin is home to the bluest zip code in the state of Texas—no lie. If you look at a map of voting trends in the state, Austin looks like a tiny speck of liberalism, smack dab in the middle of raging sea of red. It's been said that no man is an island, but UT (and Austin in general) is much like an island—an enclave of protest-marchers, organic food co-ops, and drum circles. The Republicans may have us surrounded (for now), but Austin's been holding out and "keeping it weird" (and liberal) for decades.

You should apply to me if...

if the phrase "Follow Your Bliss" holds more meaning for you than just a bumper sticker on an old Volvo.