Undergraduate Admissions Counselor Stephen Edwards

Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Irving, Texas and lived in the Dallas-Forth Worth area until the sixth grade. My family and I then moved the Hereford, Texas, a small town just outside of Amarillo in the Panhandle of Texas. Hereford is known as the "Beef Capital of the World" because it supplies about 20 percent of the world's beef. 

Q: Where did you go to college, and what did you study?
A: I graduated from West Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in business. My major was management. I chose this major because you get to focus on all of the aspects of business, finance, management skills and interpersonal skills. Management was my fifth major during my college career (my parents were not very thrilled about this). I first went to college to study landscape architecture and soon went to economics, then agriculture business, then general business and then finally to management.

Choosing a major was very difficult for me because there are so many great options, and I wanted to make sure to make the correct choice for me. I have always been interested in what makes organizations tick, so I knew majoring in business was right for me.   

Q: How long have you been working in higher education?
A: I've been working in higher education for about three years doing several different things. While in college, I did a lot of recruiting for Greek organizations on campus and loved the experience of getting to talk to incoming students and parents. 

After graduating, I was responsible for university marketing for a local bank and also got the chance to speak to students about credit management and higher education funding. Doing this really made me realize what I wanted to do: help students and their families during this important time in their lives. 

Q: What are some of your favorite things to do in Austin?
A: I'm a live music fanatic so obviously visiting Sixth Street is one of my favorite things to do.  No matter what kind of music you like, you cannot beat the live music scene. Austin is also home to some of the largest music festivals in the state (SXSW and Austin City Limits Music Festival).

I love the local restaurants. Some of my favorite spots are the Salt Lick BBQ and Eddie V's Edgewater Grill. If you love going to the lake, then Austin is definitely the place for you. 

Q: What is your favorite UT Austin fact?
A: People may be surprised to know that two thirds of the undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students. UT Austin also boasts a student to faculty ratio of 17:1.

Advice for Prospective Students

• Start thinking about your college choices by the time you are a junior in high school (if not sooner). It is never too soon to start planning for your future. 
• Take the SAT or ACT your junior year and see what you need to work on so that you are not in a hurry your senior year.
• Keep an open mind when visiting universities. Just because you think you know where you want to go to school, that does not mean that you won't find a better fit when you begin looking at other schools. 
• Get involved with organizations that interest you on campus. This not only helps you learn time management but also enhances your college career and gives you experiences to put on your resume.