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The University of Texas at Austin

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The Graduate School would be happy to assist your program in recruiting the very best students. If you believe that our sending this letter would be useful, please contact us.

Graduate Dean Victoria Rodríguez's Chamber of Commerce Letter

To send this letter, e-mail Graduate Dean Rodríguez

"Chamber of Commerce Letter"-Subject to Change-

Name
Address
City, State Zip

Dear_____:

Congratulations on receiving an admissions offer from The University of Texas at Austin. I want to take this opportunity to share with you some additional information about The University of Texas, the city of Austin, quality of life, cost of living and other things that make the University a world class institution at which to study and Austin a wonderful place to call home. Before beginning I want to acknowledge that you may get a similar letter from your program. Sorry for the repetition if this is the case--we are trying to assure that our best applicants receive this information.

Here are a few facts about our community:

  1. Over the past years Austin has become a center for high-technology business enterprises, which have energized the city's economy and helped to enhance its already strong cultural attractions. Normally, such events drive up the cost of living in a city, and there has been some increase in the cost of living here. Still, Austin's cost of living is considerably less than the cost in the nation's priciest areas, and noticeably less than that in cities like Madison, WI, or Ann Arbor, MI, which house other fine universities.
  2. Unemployment in Austin compares favorably to that in the nation at large. At the height of the high-tech boom unemployment here was 2%, leading one source to the comment "Anyone wanting to work in Austin has a job." While the unemployment rate has risen because of the nation's economic difficulties, we anticipate a return to very low unemployment as the economy recovers.
  3. Unlike the states in which most other premier academic institutions are located, Texas has no personal income tax; hence, the buying power of your stipend may be greater than that of the same salary earned at other universities in different parts of the country.
  4. As a center of high tech industry, home to the country's largest university, and the seat of Texas government, Austin offers professional, social and recreational opportunities for every taste. The weather is mild and perfect for outdoor sports 10 months out of the year--water sports, including swimming at Barton Springs and boating on the various local lakes, are very popular, as are cycling and jogging. Austin is home to some of the best music in the U.S. And the area boasts several excellent public school districts within the city and surrounding suburbs, and a number of private and parochial schools.

We at The University of Texas at Austin feel extremely fortunate to be an anchor of this vibrant young community. I list below a number of web sites that provide additional information, and may help you in deciding whether to attend UT.

For information on the Graduate School at UT Austin, please visit our web site: www.utexas.edu/ogs.

Another useful site is the "Comparative Salary Calculator" <www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html>, which allows you to compare costs of living of different cities where universities are located; this site takes into account the cost of owning or renting property, the price of local utilities, and the costs of consumables and services. Using this web-based tool will help further document that, among your many choices, UT Austin represents a top-flight educational value, not to mention an institution situated in an extremely livable community.

Finally, the University offers a web site which describes a wide range and diversity of people and activities in the Austin area <www.utexas.edu/austin/>. Visiting these pages demonstrates why Austin is one of the most popular places to live in the United States.

We are acutely aware of the many options you have in deciding where to attend graduate school. Your receiving an admissions offer is testimony to the fact that you are considered among the brightest and most talented in your discipline: only the best of the best are offered admissions at The University of Texas at Austin. We believe, and we hope you will concur, that the entire UT Austin package (its considerable academic, cultural and intellectual resources, its world class faculty and the highly sought lifestyle of the community) makes The University of Texas at Austin a highly attractive venue to continue your education.

We look forward to hearing from you--and welcoming you to the UT Austin community.

Very truly yours,

Victoria Rodríguez
Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies

To have this letter sent to a recruit, e-mail Dean Rodríguez