Attending Texas Southern University

[indyman]

My daughter is attending texas southern university as an incoming freshman this year.we spent the week

of orientation with her and was suprised the school was right in the middle of the hood.i think its third ward.trying to get some general info about the area,the university, etc.while we we traveling the city that week,we would tell people we were visiting from Nap(indianapolis)and in return they would ask us why we were in houston.my wife said our daughter enrolled in TSU and the people would literally frown at us.somebody let me know whats up.

[goastros]

Well, TSU is a traditional black university. Are you black? Were the people frowning black? It is considered in the hood although there are some really nice pockets around there. The school has been in the news alot about the Slade scandals there and there has been financial problems. It is considered an easy school academically to get accepted into it's programs. What will your daughter be studying? I don't know if I would go across country to actually enroll in that school--I don't know that any of its programs are that great.

[sevfiv]

What brought her to TSU all the way from Indianapolis?

As far as I remember, it has very low retention and graduation rates.

The surrounding neighborhood has its ups and downs, like most of Houston. Neither UH or TSU have been great gentrifiers of the surrounding areas - even Riverside has its share of beautiful, large, yet rundown homes. The main drags to midtown/west side (Elgin, Alabama, and sidestreets) illustrate the massive amount of poverty in the adjacent areas.

[sheeats]

My friend, did y'all research TSU at all before your daughter decided to attend school there? sevfiv and goastros are right: it's a school with some major issues, the least of which being that it's situated in a less-than-pleasant part of town. From a January 2008 article in the Houston Chronicle:

TSU is at risk of losing accreditation because of its poor financial picture. Enrollment is at a five-year low. The graduation rate ranks among the nation's lowest.

Read the rest here: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/moms/5490326.html

From another article in the NY Times about TSU:

For some 185 incoming freshmen like him, and indeed for Texas Southern as an institution, the summer courses in reading, writing, and math form one front in a battle to reverse a disturbingly low graduation rate. Of the students who received diplomas last May, only 6 percent had earned their degree in the normal four years, and only 21 percent in six years. Those numbers, incredibly, reflected improvement from prior rates.

Read the rest here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/03/education/03education.html

They currently have an open-door admission policy, which only serves to keep their retention and graduation rates unacceptably low. If you don't make someone work to get into an educational institution, then they aren't going to respect it or themselves enough to get a good education. Add into that all of the financial scandals that have plagued TSU lately and you've got one sad school.

BTW, has anyone read the Wikipedia entry for TSU? It's a joke: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Southern_University. Sounds like someone copied their admissions brochure verbatim.

[indyman]

Well, TSU is a traditional black university. Are you black? Were the people frowning black? It is considered in the hood although there are some really nice pockets around there. The school has been in the news alot about the Slade scandals there and there has been financial problems. It is considered an easy school academically to get accepted into it's programs. What will your daughter be studying? I don't know if I would go across country to actually enroll in that school--I don't know that any of its programs are that great.

Dang,thats alot of info.First we are black.second,majoring in communications.The people that were frowning

were black!I checked on a hotel and told the front desk clerk about attending TSU and he said thats a long way to travel to go to school in third ward.My daughter visited the campus back during school her senior year along with Prairie View.I trusted her judgement.It seems to me the type of school that you go to if you werent a great student or you want to go to college but dont want to leave houston.I could be wrong.She likes it,shes happy to be in Houston,so I gotta roll with it.In orientation,the speaker was saying to the students to stay in your area dont go wandering.I knew something was up.more info please!

[goastros]

I'm not sure for a communications program, but Prairie View would be a step above TSU as far as school performance. I think UH Central has a good communications program and it isn't far from TSU, the graduation rate is better, the student population is very diverse and it's a good all around school. I graduated from there. Not something I would travel all the way from Indy to attend though. Bottom line is that this is your money that's being spent and I don't think TSU is a wise investment. If she wants to come to Houston there are much better schools. Here's a partial list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colle...ties_in_Houston

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Indyman,

If your daughter is happy at TSU and is determined to pursue her education, then it is not money wasted. College is what you make of it. Attending Harvard does not guarantee you anything, and attending TSU is not some life sentence to misery.

My wife just graduated from TSU with a bachelors degree in December. She was pursued by many of the top accounting firms in the nation, and is now working for one of the world's biggest. She sits for the CPA exam in about 2 months. She has both good and bad things to say about TSU, probably just like any other graduate of any other school.

Don't let anyone else's opinions detract you or your daughter from her goals. Let her make those decisions on her own. If she doesn't like the atmosphere at TSU, she has plenty of options. On the other hand, she may become a very proud alumnus of TSU.

I graduated from UH myself, just two blocks from TSU. It never ceases to amaze me the comments I hear about the so-called "war zone" that is adjacent to parts of TSU and UH. In my experience, the reputation is much worse than what you'll find in reality. I've spent 10 of the last 17 years either spending all hours of the day at UH or living in my home just south of Third Ward. I've been out at all hours of the night, and never once felt threatened or unsafe. That's not to say you shouldn't watch your back, as you always should, but it's not the war zone it's made out to be.

[indyman]

I'm not sure for a communications program, but Prairie View would be a step above TSU as far as school performance. I think UH Central has a good communications program and it isn't far from TSU, the graduation rate is better, the student population is very diverse and it's a good all around school. I graduated from there. Not something I would travel all the way from Indy to attend though. Bottom line is that this is your money that's being spent and I don't think TSU is a wise investment. If she wants to come to Houston there are much better schools. Here's a partial list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colle...ties_in_Houston

Thanks for the feedback.One theme that doesnt seem to change is why travel so far to attend a school like TSU?Thanks for the school listings.She could've attended Ball State University in Muncie,In which has one of the top communication schools in the nation,but she was sold on TSU.I've heard more negative than positive things about TSU.Where can I find info on crime in the area?Thats my biggest concern.With all the down time students have,they will eventually find their way off campus.TSU is in the hood.

[indyman]

Indyman,

If your daughter is happy at TSU and is determined to pursue her education, then it is not money wasted. College is what you make of it. Attending Harvard does not guarantee you anything, and attending TSU is not some life sentence to misery.

My wife just graduated from TSU with a bachelors degree in December. She was pursued by many of the top accounting firms in the nation, and is now working for one of the world's biggest. She sits for the CPA exam in about 2 months. She has both good and bad things to say about TSU, probably just like any other graduate of any other school.

Don't let anyone else's opinions detract you or your daughter from her goals. Let her make those decisions on her own. If she doesn't like the atmosphere at TSU, she has plenty of options. On the other hand, she may become a very proud alumnus of TSU.

I graduated from UH myself, just two blocks from TSU. It never ceases to amaze me the comments I hear about the so-called "war zone" that is adjacent to parts of TSU and UH. In my experience, the reputation is much worse than what you'll find in reality. I've spent 10 of the last 17 years either spending all hours of the day at UH or living in my home just south of Third Ward. I've been out at all hours of the night, and never once felt threatened or unsafe. That's not to say you shouldn't watch your back, as you always should, but it's not the war zone it's made out to be.

Yeah,your'e right.A broken clock is right twice a day. When I was there,it was no different than any other 'hood I've been in. If she concentrates on her work and stays aware of her surroundings,she'll be ok.But you cant get caught slipping.Any history on third ward would be helpful.

Indyman,

If your daughter is happy at TSU and is determined to pursue her education, then it is not money wasted. College is what you make of it. Attending Harvard does not guarantee you anything, and attending TSU is not some life sentence to misery.

My wife just graduated from TSU with a bachelors degree in December. She was pursued by many of the top accounting firms in the nation, and is now working for one of the world's biggest. She sits for the CPA exam in about 2 months. She has both good and bad things to say about TSU, probably just like any other graduate of any other school.

Don't let anyone else's opinions detract you or your daughter from her goals. Let her make those decisions on her own. If she doesn't like the atmosphere at TSU, she has plenty of options. On the other hand, she may become a very proud alumnus of TSU.

I graduated from UH myself, just two blocks from TSU. It never ceases to amaze me the comments I hear about the so-called "war zone" that is adjacent to parts of TSU and UH. In my experience, the reputation is much worse than what you'll find in reality. I've spent 10 of the last 17 years either spending all hours of the day at UH or living in my home just south of Third Ward. I've been out at all hours of the night, and never once felt threatened or unsafe. That's not to say you shouldn't watch your back, as you always should, but it's not the war zone it's made out to be.

Yeah,your'e right.A broken clock is right twice a day. When I was there,it was no different than any other 'hood I've been in. If she concentrates on her work and stays aware of her surroundings,she'll be ok.But you cant get caught slipping.Any history on third ward would be helpful.

[goastros]

Here are the crime stats for that area:

http://houstoncrimemaps.com/zip/77004/

I doubt that violent crime there is any worse than anywhere else in Houston. I lived near campus when I went to UH (across I-45 in Eastwood). I am a female and just used common sense, like not walking around the streets at night, having a guy friend from class walk me to my car, etc and nothing ever happened to me. I don't know what her situation is but if she doesn't have a car to get around in once she gets here and is limited to the areas around the school for socializing, I would be worried. There are some very nice places for students to hang out not far from the campus but I would only do so if I had transportation. I would not be standing on a corner waiting for a bus in that neighborhood.

I suggested that it would be a waste of your money because I know when I was in school, the support and dedication of your fellow students goes a long way towards getting you through. If you are surrounded by a bunch of clowns that aren't interested in furthering their education, there is a lot more chance of her not sticking with the program.

Even if the school were in a better neighborhood or if she decided to go to UH, neither are schools that are worthy of traveling across country for. They are both considered commuter schools for Houston students. Even UH where I graduated from they nickname "Cougar High." If she were coming to Texas to attend UT or Texas A&M then it may be worth paying out of state tuition for.

[sevfiv]

The TSU and UH areas are in HPD beats 10H60 and 10H50. Those pages give month-by-month crime statistics.

Here are a few sites with some information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Ward,_Houston,_Texas

http://eyeonthirdward.mfah.org/reflections.asp

http://www.storymapping.org/thirdward.html

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Even if the school were in a better neighborhood or if she decided to go to UH, neither are schools that are worthy of traveling across country for. They are both considered commuter schools for Houston students. Even UH where I graduated from they nickname "Cougar High." If she were coming to Texas to attend UT or Texas A&M then it may be worth paying out of state tuition for.

Wow, I STRONGLY disagree with that sentiment.

I fail to see how UT-Austin or A&M are more "worthy" schools than UH or TSU for a bachelor's degree. The undegrad curriculum is nearly the same at all schools for similar degrees.

I work with many Aggie and Coog engineers (UT-Austin doesn't seem to send many civil engineers to Houston). I can guarantee you that by no means are the Aggie engineers any better as a group than UH engineers. There are employees of varying degrees of excellence and failure from each school. For that matter, the two Rice grads I've ever worked with were two of the worst employees I've ever met.

For an undergraduate degree (I have no experience with graduate degrees), I believe it's the individual that determines the value of the diploma, not the school from which it came. Once you get your foot in the door with the degree, it's all up to the individual. The name of the school on your diploma is pretty meaningless at that point.

[goastros]

and I STRONGLY disagree that the name of the school where you receive your diploma doesn't matter. Your resume comes first and then the interview. If you have a school that barely meets the standards for graduating students, I don't see a lot of employers scrambling to get you in for an interview, regardless of the caliber of the individual.

If you think TSU or UH carries the same weight as A&M or UT, you are kidding yourself. If I got a degree with the University of Phoenix, do you think it would carry the same weight as even a TSU degree. They are both bachelor's degrees after all--I think not.

[TexasVines]

I would say that comparing the story of the persons wife with the accounting degree VS a communications degree is not comparing apples to apples

accountants of any racial makeup are in very high demand......being a female and possibly a minority (assumption based on going to TSU even though I know not only minorities go there) would make that graduate that much more in demand especially if she had a high GPA

communications degrees from ANY school are much harder to land a job with......people are correct that one can make whatever they wish with a degree of any type from any school......but TSU has a very poor reputation overall so your daughter will need to have HIGH grades and she will need to avail herself of EVERY outside opportunity to gain experience in her field before she graduates....if your daughter is a "go getter" then TSU might work for her because the graduation rates there show that there are plenty of students that are "no getters" so the playing field should be WIDE OPEN for a young girl that wants to take advantage of every opportunity offered to her

I will also say at the risk of possibly offending you that while I can appreciate the fact that you want to allow your daughter to make her own choices and that is why she came to TSU.....she is still YOUR DAUGHTER and I would encourage you to be involved in her academics to the point of making sure she is keeping her grades VERY HIGH and that she is taking advantage of the fact that there will probably be outside opportunities available to her that other students are blowing off......I see this as the BEST (and possibly only way) for her to get where I am sure you want her and she wants to go in life with a communications degree from TSU

I would be prepared to look at her progress at the end of her first year and evaluate if TSU was the right choice for her and if a communications degree from there was the right choice and I would be prepared for her to possibly desire to change schools to UH, Prairie View or some others with much better academic reputations....while it is nice to allow your kids to make choices I imagine you have years of wisdom under your belt......do not be scared to give her a push in a different direction when you feel the need.....she CAN make anything she wants with that particular degree from TSU, but she is starting out at a disadvantage in that degree program from that particular school in my opinion

If she was going into accounting, computer science, engineering or industrial technology or some of the health or education related offerings from TSU I would have much less concerns about her opportunities upon graduation because graduates in those fields are in demand......but I believe and many I know with communications degrees tell me that it is a tough field to make it in from any university.....add in the less than stellar academic reputation of TSU and your daughter will need to make a lot of opportunity FOR HERSELF

the fact that you ask shows you care.....I would say monitor her progress and encourage her to become active in outside opportunities FIRST THING and be prepared for her to change schools or for you to talk with her about changing majors or schools if TSU is not working for her

I would also encourage you to make sure she 100% avails herself of any night time campus escort services and to make sure she goes as few places as possible alone....crimes can happen on any university campus and UH and TSU are FAR from the only universities in the USA to be near rough areas so she can be safe is she is aware and alert.....also I would remind anyone with a daughter going to ANY school that sadly often crimes that happen to girls are committed by people they know or think they know.....so she needs to be aware of who she hangs out with......keep an eye on what she is drinking.....and not accept unopened drinks from guys that she does not know even if they seem like a guy she wants to meet....and she should stick to going places with other girls or groups so they can all watch out for each other until she really gets to know people

[goastros]

Well said TexasVines

[sheeats]

For an undergraduate degree (I have no experience with graduate degrees), I believe it's the individual that determines the value of the diploma, not the school from which it came. Once you get your foot in the door with the degree, it's all up to the individual. The name of the school on your diploma is pretty meaningless at that point.

No. Sorry. Working in HR, I can tell you that's not true. Whether we like to admit it or not, the people reviewing and passing along resumes all have some inherent bias towards and against certain schools. Most places I've worked will pass up resumes with TSU, Mary Hardin Baylor, UTEP, SFA, etc. in lieu of resumes with UT, A&M, Baylor, SMU or Rice on them. Then again, I've also worked for an agency that would specifically select people with diplomas from TSU, Prairie View, East Texas Baptist, Paul Quinn, etc. in lieu of any other colleges. People are biased. The institution from which you received your degree matters somewhere to someone.

Every single job interview I've had had started with, "So I see you went to ________ University. That's a wonderful school! Tell me about your time there," or some other variation on that opening statement. Even years out of college, people still ask me that question, despite the fact that one's achievements and experience since that time -- as well as a person as an "individual" -- should matter more.

People need to realize that it's no longer enough just to have a bachelor's degree. You need to have a bachelor's degree from the kind of educational institution that says to people, "I worked my ass off to get there and worked it off again to graduate." Not one that says, "I went to the first place that would let me in and stayed because they didn't care how many times I had to take Physics to graduate."

[Original Timmy Chan's]

Apparently I've been using the wrong techniques to interview all these years.

I base my hiring recommendations on character, experience, dedication, and personality rather than school. Maybe engineering is a different animal, but to me an engineering degree is an engineering degree, regardless of whether it came from Rice U, A&M, TSU, UH or Lamar. Every engineer worked hard to get that degree, and I haven't seen anything in my years to show me that someone with an A&M diploma is automatically more qualified than someone with a UH diploma. It all comes down to the individual. I've seen enough bad engineers from A&M to not be wowed by that diploma, and some of the best engineering minds I've worked with have nothing more than a high school diploma.

I still say it's the individual, not the school. I'm not wowed by any school name, nor am I discouraged by any school name on the resume. It's the total package that counts.

With that in mind, I believe that a person should choose a school environment that they're comfortable in. Not everyone feels at home at Big State U. Some like smaller private schools like St Thomas, some just want a party school like UT-Austin.

That being said, I do agree with Texas Vines on the point that it's tough to find a job with certain degrees, such as Communications...or English, Political Science, Philosophy, Business, etc. I was friends with a number of people who graduated with degrees in English, and they went on to make excellent waiters!

[Deut28Thirteen]

TSU can be a good school if your daughter makes it a good school. Your daughter is going to know how to present herself when it comes down to getting a job and she must make the grades. TSU gets a lot of the kids from the Houston area that dont do any thing in high school class end up going their because of the open enrollment, and they think they can do that at TSU, but they cant cause TSU wont allow them. I think that mess up TSU's numbers a bit. To many people think the only schools that produce good students are the big schools like Texas A&M, Texas or USC but thas not true. I am not sure if your family lives right in the middle of a big city, but she cant get caught up in the Houston clubs or the Partys at TSU. There is a bias towards schools like TSU for the big schools so coming all the way to Houston for TSU she needs to make the grades so it would be worth it!!!

[houstonmacbro]

I'm not sure for a communications program, but Prairie View would be a step above TSU as far as school performance. I think UH Central has a good communications program and it isn't far from TSU, the graduation rate is better, the student population is very diverse and it's a good all around school. I graduated from there. Not something I would travel all the way from Indy to attend though. Bottom line is that this is your money that's being spent and I don't think TSU is a wise investment. If she wants to come to Houston there are much better schools. Here's a partial list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colle...ties_in_Houston

I thought TSU's communications program was pretty good. As I recall, didn't Tavis Smiley donate $1M for an endowment?

[indyman]

Here are the crime stats for that area:

http://houstoncrimemaps.com/zip/77004/

I doubt that violent crime there is any worse than anywhere else in Houston. I lived near campus when I went to UH (across I-45 in Eastwood). I am a female and just used common sense, like not walking around the streets at night, having a guy friend from class walk me to my car, etc and nothing ever happened to me. I don't know what her situation is but if she doesn't have a car to get around in once she gets here and is limited to the areas around the school for socializing, I would be worried. There are some very nice places for students to hang out not far from the campus but I would only do so if I had transportation. I would not be standing on a corner waiting for a bus in that neighborhood.

I suggested that it would be a waste of your money because I know when I was in school, the support and dedication of your fellow students goes a long way towards getting you through. If you are surrounded by a bunch of clowns that aren't interested in furthering their education, there is a lot more chance of her not sticking with the program.

Even if the school were in a better neighborhood or if she decided to go to UH, neither are schools that are worthy of traveling across country for. They are both considered commuter schools for Houston students. Even UH where I graduated from they nickname "Cougar High." If she were coming to Texas to attend UT or Texas A&M then it may be worth paying out of state tuition for.

what is a commuter.dont want to comment until i fully understand what the term means.

[sevfiv]

^Usually refers to locals that drive to and from campus / don't live there.

[indyman]

^Usually refers to locals that drive to and from campus / don't live there.

Everyone seems to agree on one thing.TSU isnt worth traveling to and attending all the way from Indianapolis.But they did offer her in state tuition.dont know if that was a good or bad thing.statstics say enrollment is declining at TSU.probably why they offered it to her.also the mens' dorms were torn down.

rumor is they were cheaper to tear down than to fix up.thats why there are so many guys where shes living.football team,band,and incoming freshman are there.the night before i left,there were people outside hangin like it was 2 in the afternoon on a saturday but it was thursday around midnite.and the icing on the cake is this:my daughter completed the 21 Century Scholars program and they were gonna pay full tuition

for any school in Indiana.we were responsible for room/board.she turned it DOWN! She received other 'ships thru our church,her high school and one other one.romm/board paid for.Her mind was set on TSU. She said she wanted to get out of Indiana and support a HBCU.I told her you can enter your freshman year debt free

if you go to college here.I dont know what TSU told her,but she didnt change her mind.I think she made the wrond decision.But ,I gotta support my daughter.Go TSU!!!....i guess.

[sheeats]

Everyone seems to agree on one thing.TSU isnt worth traveling to and attending all the way from Indianapolis.But they did offer her in state tuition.dont know if that was a good or bad thing.statstics say enrollment is declining at TSU.probably why they offered it to her.also the mens' dorms were torn down.

rumor is they were cheaper to tear down than to fix up.thats why there are so many guys where shes living.football team,band,and incoming freshman are there.the night before i left,there were people outside hangin like it was 2 in the afternoon on a saturday but it was thursday around midnite.and the icing on the cake is this:my daughter completed the 21 Century Scholars program and they were gonna pay full tuition

for any school in Indiana.we were responsible for room/board.she turned it DOWN! She received other 'ships thru our church,her high school and one other one.romm/board paid for.Her mind was set on TSU. She said she wanted to get out of Indiana and support a HBCU.I told her you can enter your freshman year debt free

if you go to college here.I dont know what TSU told her,but she didnt change her mind.I think she made the wrond decision.But ,I gotta support my daughter.Go TSU!!!....i guess.

There are lots of lots of other HBCUs she could have chosen to support -- really good ones like Howard or Morehouse or Spellman or even Grambling -- but if she wanted an HBCU in Houston, then it's gonna have to be TSU...

I think that if her intent is to support an HBCU, especially a struggling one like TSU, then that's commendable and she'll probably do very well there. And the important thing here is that you're supporting her (and trying to find out information to keep her safe and happy), which is awesome. You're a good dad and you're doing a good job.

[toadfroggy]

I think there's a lot of elitism being shown here.

I work at University of Houston, so I'm pretty familiar with the area around TSU. I guess it's somewhat accurate to describe it as being in the 'hood, but I'm not sure that area fits with all that the term implies. Yes, it is a primarily Af-Am area and it isn't economically vibrant, but you don't have gangs roaming the streets and/or drive-by shootings occurring nightly.

Your daughter should be cautious about her safety both on campus and off, but that would be my advice regardless of what school she was attending. I'm not familiar with TSU's crime statistics as compared to UH, but I know that the overwhelming majority of crimes that occur on this campus are perpetrated by the students themselves rather than by outsiders (although there have been a couple of scary exceptions lately).

Anyway, the TSU area is awfully close to Midtown, one of the city's hottest neighborhoods at the moment, and there is already some spillover into the TSU environs. More will surely come. There's also some significant community involvement. It's not the wasteland that folks here would have you believe. For instance, check out Project Row Houses. http://www.projectrowhouses.org/index.htm

The new administration at TSU is composed of some top notch people who are certainly capable of getting the finances straightened out. Getting their reputation back will take some doing, but if they're successfully recruiting students like your daughter, then they're on the right track. She sounds like a real gem.

[houstonmacbro]

Are you sure there's not a fella involved?

[indyman]

There are lots of lots of other HBCUs she could have chosen to support -- really good ones like Howard or Morehouse or Spellman or even Grambling -- but if she wanted an HBCU in Houston, then it's gonna have to be TSU...

I think that if her intent is to support an HBCU, especially a struggling one like TSU, then that's commendable and she'll probably do very well there. And the important thing here is that you're supporting her (and trying to find out information to keep her safe and happy), which is awesome. You're a good dad and you're doing a good job.

thanks for the encouragement.the truth is she could be going to yale and i would still have concerns.shes just so far away and it s gonna take some time to get used to.then when i seen where she is going i was like "you could've stayed at home and went to school school in the hood."i just think she could've went to school closer to home and gone to a better school.it is what it is.i havent even brought up the condition of the FIRST room they tried to put her in.they finally got it right the THIRD time.she'll do well because she is very driven.and she has two parents who will support her every step of the way.

[indyman]

Are you sure there's not a fella involved?

wasnt trying to go there but i see you can read between the lines.yeah,at prarie view.she said

that didnt play a role in her decision,but come on,now.game recognize game.i almost think she chose TSU so it wouldnt be so obvious.whatever the reason,gotta be there for her.

[Trae]

There are lots of lots of other HBCUs she could have chosen to support -- really good ones like Howard or Morehouse or Spellman or even Grambling -- but if she wanted an HBCU in Houston, then it's gonna have to be TSU...

I think that if her intent is to support an HBCU, especially a struggling one like TSU, then that's commendable and she'll probably do very well there. And the important thing here is that you're supporting her (and trying to find out information to keep her safe and happy), which is awesome. You're a good dad and you're doing a good job.

Prairie View being the best out of the bunch. They have a REALLY nice engineering department.

[Original Timmy Chan's]

And the important thing here is that you're supporting her (and trying to find out information to keep her safe and happy), which is awesome. You're a good dad and you're doing a good job.

Sheeats makes a great point here...you're doing your job as a father by worrying about your daughter and wanting the best for her.

Of course, we've ALL made decisions in our lives that our parents questioned, haven't we? Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. But lucky for your daughter, she's got you keeping an eye out for her best interests. You can't make decisions for her anymore, but you can certainly help. Personally, now that I'm older, I wish I'd listened to my dad more often in my youth. Then again, by doing a lot of the things my dad told me not to do, I had a hell of a good time!!!

Be confident in what you instilled in your daughter, and hope that you've given her the tools to make the right decisions. And if it doesn't work out, you can always welcome her back to Indiana with open arms.

She may just surprise you. This may be her time to get out on her own and shine as an independent woman.

[TexasVines]

Prairie View being the best out of the bunch. They have a REALLY nice engineering department.

actually they offer computer science, engineering technology, and industrial technology, if they are ABET accredited you can still take the test for becoming a RPE after your professional experience.....but they are not exactly the same as an engineering degree in those subjects