Dallas and Houston are your tier one cities, so you decide based on vibe how much time you will spend in each. Dallas is your old money city, narcissistic, lots of sorostitutes, etc. You have Dallas, you have Highland Park, and you have the North Dallas Suburbs, those are the only places that should be on your radar. Houston is more diverse, more latin, has a bit of creole flavor, and some asian flavor. Houston is also really spread out.
Austin is the best really. So maximize your time there in the 6th street area/ downtown. There are other places in ATX that will be bougie or hipster, that you can research. 6th street is really just a mix of everything. I haven't seen much of suburbs/periphery of Austin, but from what I have seen, it in some way mirrors Dallas or other major cities--there are a lot of good opportunities out there because you have a lot of wealthy towns.
There's also the question of university towns, which is a valid one. San Marcos, which is 30 mins or so from Austin is a good option and it is party central for Texas Universities (texas state univ. is here). Good quality here. Texas A&M in Bryan/ College Station also would be a good choice because the university is so big. I hear good things about the place from my friends. Austin doesn't have to be mentioned, because you will be there anyway, and I think it's outgrown the designation of university town since it got so freaking big. You have Denton too (45 mins from center of dallas), which fairly recently was being called the new Austin for it's laid back vibe, bohemian sensibilities, and live music.
Anything else is up to you depending on what you're looking for.
Austin is the best really. So maximize your time there in the 6th street area/ downtown. There are other places in ATX that will be bougie or hipster, that you can research. 6th street is really just a mix of everything. I haven't seen much of suburbs/periphery of Austin, but from what I have seen, it in some way mirrors Dallas or other major cities--there are a lot of good opportunities out there because you have a lot of wealthy towns.
There's also the question of university towns, which is a valid one. San Marcos, which is 30 mins or so from Austin is a good option and it is party central for Texas Universities (texas state univ. is here). Good quality here. Texas A&M in Bryan/ College Station also would be a good choice because the university is so big. I hear good things about the place from my friends. Austin doesn't have to be mentioned, because you will be there anyway, and I think it's outgrown the designation of university town since it got so freaking big. You have Denton too (45 mins from center of dallas), which fairly recently was being called the new Austin for it's laid back vibe, bohemian sensibilities, and live music.
Anything else is up to you depending on what you're looking for.