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Want to go to University of Texas at Austin? Get in line!

Posted by Mark Truman on Mon, Jan 12, 2009 @ 04:20 PM
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I have a good number of students every year who would like to attend the University of Texas at Austin.  There are a lot of great reasons to go to Austin (weather, cool city, great sports teams, world-class programs), but my students are always surprised to find out just how competitive UT Austin actually is when compared to similar schools. 

For example, last year UT Austin admitted around 50% of its applicants.  That's an incredible difference from Brigham Young's 75% admission rate or Arizona State's 90%+ rate, two more typical rates when looking at large state schools that have strong academic programs. UT's low rate is much closer to Occidental College (45%), a small private college than it is to any of these other state schools!

I've always known that UT Austin has a strong preference for in-state students and assumed that they have gotten more selective over the years, a typical position for a school that has raised standards and built a brand that appeals to parents and students. But this week, some information came out of the UT campus that redefined the discussion quite a bit.

The University of Texas at Austin President, William Powers, revealed to the Texas Associated Press that 81% of entering freshman at UT: Austin were admitted under the "10% law" and called for the law to be rewritten to give his admissions staff more discrection in the process.

That's right.  More than 80% of the entire entering class has to meet only two requirements to be automatically granted admission:

  1. Graduate from a Texas High School
  2. Be in the top 10% of the class

That leaves the admissions office at UT Austin in a bind.  They can't deny admission to any of these students, so they have to get more selective with the remainder of their class. 

Therefore, unless you are a stand out student, it's going to be difficult to gain admission, not because the student body is getting more selective overall, but because they are simply so few spots left! (You'll find the same sort of situation over in the Ivy Leagues, where admission rates have fallen in half because the number of applicants has doubled without a significant increase in open spots.)

Powers is going to continue to fight this battle, but he's not doing it to ensure that they can get more out of state students.  In fact, he's more concerned about Texas students that don't meet the requirements being denied admission and the efficiacy of this program in regards to minority applicants.

So, what can you do about the low admission rate for out of state students?  Not much.   As you now know, there aren't a lot of spots left every year for out of state kids. You've got to treat UT Austin as if it was an incredibly selective school.

But now that you know how tough the battle will be, you can get ready for it.  Improve your ACT or SAT score, get some help with your college essay, and keep your grades high!  If you've set a goal like UT Austin, make you are getting all the help you need!

#####################################

What are you doing to get ready for applications this year?  Let us know in the comments!

 


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Comments

Gods! Haven't been even near UT since Darryl Royal was running the Wishbone. Left Texas then and never had a desire to go back, for all sorts of reasons
Posted @ Monday, January 26, 2009 11:35 PM by jrandom42
Texas is an interesting place. I've noticed that my students have strong reactions to it. 
 
However, I think Austin is a lot different from the rest of Texas. My visits there have helped to convince me that Austin is refreshingly weird!
Posted @ Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:30 AM by Mark Truman
This is obsurd. The top 10% is crucial.. let it go.
Posted @ Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:05 PM by Emily ROLL
@emily - Do you mean to say that I shouldn't report on the 10% law? I personally don't have a problem with it, but it's making it difficult for the UT admissions office to function...
Posted @ Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:11 PM by Mark Truman
Consider this... 
I am in the top 10.3% of my graduating class, and I was offered in UT's CAP program. In simple terms it means I got denied admission to UT Austin's Fall 2009 freshman class.  
Now, it seems a understandable for me to be denied entry if I were in the top 25% of my class. But, currently there are two people between me and the top 10% rule. I have a higher SAT score than almost half of the "top ten percenters" in my class (all of whom I know), and I am a competitive student, who attended a small (small as in graduating class of four people small) private high school for two years, and then transfered to a large public high school with no rank and no academic GPA, and I worked very hard to get where I am. So how is the top 10% rule "crucial" to admissions? Crucial in the sense that it causes the University to deny well-qualified students? That just doesn't seem right. 
The top 10% rule assumes a lot of things about an applicant, and leaves out many other important details. And what happens, if, like this year, so many top 10% students (there are over 24,000 of them) applied that the University has to fill up their freshman class with only top ten percenters and reject everyone else? How is that a good idea?
Posted @ Saturday, March 21, 2009 5:58 AM by Laura B
@laura - I think your case is exactly why the 10% admission policy is probably a bad idea. 10% is a wide swath of students...so wide that it's taking students that probably don't belong. 
 
I think the best quote from your comment is this: 
 
"The top 10% rule assumes a lot of things about an applicant, and leaves out many other important details." 
 
Where did you end up deciding to go to school?
Posted @ Saturday, March 21, 2009 1:41 PM by Mark Truman
Wow Laura, I definitely agree with you.  
 
I am in the same position. I got offered the CAP program as well. I am in the top 10.7% of my class, am in numerous activities (several of which I hold leadership positions), have good SAT scores, and have worked my butt off to get where I am.  
 
We received the same offer as any other Texas applicant who did not receive direct admissions. As long as you live in Texas and apply to UT, you will at least be assured entrance to the University thru CAP. This infuriates me. I could have taken regular classes and been in the top 10% of my class, but instead, I figured it would pay off if I took Advanced Placement classes. I guess I was wrong. 
 
When I hear people say that the top 10% rule is "crucial" like Emily, it makes me think they are ignorant. The fact that she has misspelled the word "absurd" even furthers my assumption.
Posted @ Saturday, March 28, 2009 5:36 PM by Kaylie
@Kaylie - I'm sorry to hear that you have been frustrated by the 10% issue. You may be happy to know that there are efforts to cap the number of students admitted to Austin under the 10% law at 60% of the class.  
 
The more I hear from students, the less I like this program. I hope that the efforts to change it are successful. 
 
However, those efforts don't much help you. Have you looked into alternate state schools? There are lots of places where you can still find spots open for school if you look! 
 
Posted @ Sunday, March 29, 2009 11:21 AM by Mark Truman
Thanks for your concern, Mr. Truman. 
 
I actually wrote to several Senators, Representatives, and Governor Perry urging them to vote in favor of SB 175 (the bill that plans to alter the Top 10 Percent Law). 
 
I'm currently appealing the admissions decision. I've been a die hard Longhorn since I was a baby, so UT is definitely my number one choice.  
 
If I don't get in through the appeal, though, I'll be a Boomer Sooner. I also got into LSU, but I think OU would better suit me. It's quite the opposite of UT, but after the appeal, I'll have done everything in my power to get in and maybe that's what I'll need.
Posted @ Sunday, March 29, 2009 11:41 AM by Kaylie
First, call me Mark. Mr. Truman makes me think of my dad. :) 
 
Second, I'm impressed with your tenacity! I think you will feel better once you've done everything you can to work on your admission. 
 
Please let us know if we can help!
Posted @ Sunday, March 29, 2009 11:44 AM by Mark Truman
How does this work if you have been out of High School for over ten years and have taken classes at two different Comunity Colleges? I was number 3 in my Texas public high school, class of 35 persons, back in 1996 with a 93.7 GPA. I joined the USMC after high school and served for 8 years. After the USMC I took a few classes, five to be exact, at TCC (in Fort Worth)and my GPA was 4.0. What are my chances at getting in to UT? I will be using the new GI Bill which will pay for the full tuition and books. What is the best approach for me to get accepted into UT? Thank You!
Posted @ Wednesday, June 03, 2009 6:25 PM by Gabe
@Gabe - Hello! Thanks for visiting the site.  
 
As far as your individual case goes, I don't believe you will qualify under the 10% plan because you've already taken college classes. In fact, I believe that UT may treat you as a transfer student. 
 
If you've like more information, I'd be happy to chat with you on the phone or via email. Hit us up through our contact page on the site!
Posted @ Wednesday, June 10, 2009 4:11 PM by Mark Truman
There is hope for the 11%ers, but beware. My son (a little out of the top 10 percent) was not initially accepted to UT Austin, but was offered an opportunity to be on a small(250 I think) waitlist. He found out May 29 that he got in. We're now stuck in the nighmare of trying to figure out financial aid (that office is impossibly far behind), housing (dorms are full and student apts are confusing) and he won't even register until a day before classes begin. It's very stressful having everything up in the air and not even knowing the size of the check you'll have to write for it.
Posted @ Monday, August 03, 2009 2:20 PM by Jane K
@Jane - Congrats! I'm so glad to hear that your son got in. Try to keep in mind how wonderful that is as you get buried in a mountain of paperwork. :) 
 
Last minute work is always stressful, but in the case of college admissions it can eventually feel like you are snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Hang in there and you'll reap the benefits down the road. 
 
In the meantime, let us know if we can help!
Posted @ Monday, August 03, 2009 2:41 PM by Mark Truman
My daughter is a senior this year with a weighted grade average of 92.6 and this puts her in the 19th percentile of her class. A slow start in the 9th grade started her in the 36th percentile but hard work in 10th an 11th grade improved her standing significantly. Her SAT score (first attempt) was 1860 (620 critical reading, 590 math and 650 writing). She has taken a very challenging schedule each year, completing 7 units in English (4 yrs AP + 1 unit Creative Writing + 2 units of Journalism and Newspaper); 4 Units each of AP math and science (1 Pre-AP), 4 units of AP history and economics, 2 units of French; 3 units of Art (1 AP) and Orchestra; and units in Speech, Health, Computer, Graphic Design. She has taken two years of Independent study classes where she has written a novel (550 pages), to include doing all the formatting to prepare the manuscript for publication. 
 
 
 
As a parent it is frustrating to know that the 10% rule and only the 10% rule, might cause her to not be accepted to UT Austin. As a Texan, it frustrates me to know that we could lose this potential young talent to another state. 
 
 
 
Posted @ Friday, August 28, 2009 1:05 AM by jan
@Jan - Yes, it is frustrating that your student sees stiffer competition because of the 10% rule. It looks like she's done a lot to build a fantastic resume and it would be a pity for her to be denied based on a large scale program. 
 
However, I wouldn't be too quick to jump the gun and declare her out of luck. It sounds to me like she has a significantly above average application. While she might only be in the top 19% of her class, her AP Classes, test scores, and accomplishments are fantastic!  
 
The 10% program has a purpose. It helps students who go to high schools that don't have the AP classes and internship opportunities that your daughter has had. It's a valuable program for bringing low-income and minority students into college. 
 
Please, let us know what happens!
Posted @ Friday, August 28, 2009 12:40 PM by Mark Truman
What are my chances of getting into UT as a transfer student with 3.5 GPA. I am transferring from UTD. I have some volunteer hours and am involved in 3 campus clubs. I want to get into the school of natural sciences.
Posted @ Friday, September 25, 2009 3:34 PM by Archana
@Archana - It's really tough to say what your chances are without knowing more about your application. If you'd like you can contact me at markt@omniaceducation.com, I would be thrilled to talk with you in more detail. 
 
That said, 45% of transfer students are admitted at UT Austin. Given your GPA and involvement, I would rate your chances as fairly good!
Posted @ Friday, September 25, 2009 3:48 PM by Mark Truman
People who complain that the 10% rule is bad because they didn't get in need to stop. Sure, it makes admission more difficult, and I don't agree with the law, but UT Austin still reviews all "non-top-10%" applicants. If you aren't good enough, you don't make the cut. I applied for admission fall 2010, and am a resident of Maryland. Yes, out of state, where the odds are even slimmer. I was offered admission for fall 2010 before winter break. So, I don't agree with the law, but it does ensure diversity and it does bring lots of competitive students to the school. Just maintain your GPA and be involved in your community and school. (That doesn't mean "I have a decent GPA and am pretty involved.") Plus, when you get in, it's all the sweeter. 
@ mark truman, I couldn't have said it better!
Posted @ Tuesday, January 05, 2010 6:53 PM by Gordie
Updating my Aug. 28th post.... 
 
 
 
My daughter increased her SAT to 1910 and took the ACT and scored a 29 (33 on the writing/english section). She was accepted early admission to Tulane and much to our surprise she was accepted today to UT Austin eventhough she was in the 19th percentile when she applied (she's 16th percentile now). She was accepted to three other safety schools and she is waiting to hear from two others. So its been a very exciting time. Thanks for your encouragement.
Posted @ Friday, February 19, 2010 12:14 AM by Jan
@Jan - Great! As I said before, she has an outstanding application overall. I'm not at all surprised to hear she was admitted. Good luck to her in the fall! 
 
Also, thanks a lot for checking back in with us...
Posted @ Friday, February 19, 2010 5:15 PM by Mark Truman
I agree that those who are complaining about the top 10% rule stop complaining. I moved from a school with a class of 200 people of which I was #5 to a class with 700 people that was much more academically competitive my junior year and worked my hardest with all AP classes to get in the top 8% of my class. I really believe that anyone who is in the top 10% deserves to be automatically admitted. You either worked hard enough or you didn't and that's the harsh reality of it.
Posted @ Sunday, February 28, 2010 8:40 PM by Tiffany
Wow... I had totally forgotten I had posted a comment to this blog. I posted almost a year ago, right after I had gotten denied admission to UT and had been offered the CAP program. I stated above that I had chosen to appeal the decision. I told you, Mark, that I would keep you posted on whether or not I got in... 
 
Well, I am writing to you as I sit in my dorm room in Austin, Texas as a TEXAS LONGHORN! I got in through the appeals process and I am so glad I did. 
 
As you know, I was not in the top 10% of my school. Many people say if you're not in the top 10% you don't deserve to be here. I definitely disagree. I had a 3.5 GPA last semester here at Texas and I made the Dean's List. Having to work so hard to get here has made me really appreciate it. 
 
I encourage everyone who gets in automatically to really be grateful, but also recognize that being a good college student has more to do with study habits and initiative than where you sat in your high school class ranking. I have several friends here who were in the top 10 percent of my graduating class and are now on academic probation.  
 
Anyways, that was my spiel... Just thought I should share. 
 
Hook 'em \m/
Posted @ Sunday, February 28, 2010 11:54 PM by Kaylie Williams
Kaylie, 
My son just had a similar experience to yours. We found out this weekend that he was denied admission and offered the CAP. It is encouraging to hear of your success in the appeals process. I would be very interested in your appeal strategy.
Posted @ Monday, March 01, 2010 9:16 AM by Jon Brickey
@Kaylie - Great job! I'm so pleased to hear that your appeal led to results. Well done! Please share anything you felt made the difference. 
 
@Jon - Kaylie's example is a great place to start. Don't give up and let me know if there's anything we can do to help.
Posted @ Monday, March 01, 2010 9:44 AM by Mark Truman
Jon, 
 
My best advice to your son is to get in touch with his admissions counselor. Ka'rin (my admissions counselor) was extremely helpful in telling me what the appeals board is looking for. Also, I'm not positive and they won't tell you for sure, but I believe your son's admissions counselor can rally for your son if he or she feel like he really deserves to get in. Therefore, make friends with him or her, because they're on your side. 
 
Also, one thing Ka'rin stressed was that the appeals board is looking for NEW information. It's a huge turnoff if you ask them to "reconsider your original application". 
 
The process is definitely competitive. Last year, Ka'rin told me many people (over a thousand I believe she said) appeal, but only a handful will have their original decision overturned. For that reason, it's important to really make your appeal stand out. Many people only send in a letter and I have a feeling that's not too impressive to the appeals board, but that's just me. Get creative and put some work into it and I'm sure it will pay off.  
 
For me personally, the appeals process was grueling, emotional and stressful, but in the end, it was absolutely, totally worth it to get in.  
 
Hope this helps! Tell your son good luck and let me know if there's anything else I can do :) 
 
P.S. The appeals process is very hush hush so you'll probably find it hard to get in depth information about it. Again, your son's admissions counselor will be loads of help in this area.
Posted @ Monday, March 01, 2010 4:23 PM by Kaylie Williams
Jon, 
 
I just googled the appeals process for UT and apparently, just this year, they formalized the process and published information about it... Lucky you (or your son, rather)! Here's the link to the information: 
 
http://bealonghorn.utexas.edu/freshmen/admission/appeals/index.html 
 
And feel free to email me with any other questions you have at kaylie.williams@yahoo.com
Posted @ Monday, March 01, 2010 4:29 PM by Kaylie Williams
The 10% rule is stupid because that assumes that all high schools are equally rigorous. Some high schools are clearly better and more "college prep" than others, meaning someone could be ranked in the top 50% at one school and have had tougher courses and competition than someone in the top 10% at another school. Plus, it doesn't take into account difficulty of the course load. Some students may be loading up on home ec and band while others are taking honors physics and honors calculus. To not even look at the cirriculum is stupid. Plus, finishing in the top 10% of a class of 80 is not the same as finishing in the top 10% of a class of 800. Typical Texan dimwits.
Posted @ Wednesday, April 28, 2010 4:14 PM by Mortimer
I can't stand to see these comments go unanswered. The 10% law (which was probably a response to Texas's elimination of affirmative action policies) does not deny students who are not in the top 10% of their class automatically. I was admitted out of state (I'm from Maryland), so I wasn't eligible for the 10% rule, but still gained entrance into the university's honors programs and the business school. Anyone who applies who isn't in the top 10% still has their application reviewed holistically.. they're just not guaranteed admission.  
That said, the reason the law is in place is to increase diversity since the (arguably more fair) affirmative action policies are now illegal. It's not perfect, but it's not denying qualified students spots at the university by any means. If a student is qualified as a student at UT, he will be admitted. If he's not, he won't be offered admission.
Posted @ Wednesday, April 28, 2010 8:31 PM by Gordie
@Mortimer - I don't think the 10% rule assumes that all high schools are equally rigorous. In fact, I believe the intent of the law is exactly the opposite. 
 
Many students in Texas go to high schools that don't have the opportunities that are available to students at more successful and challenging schools. The 10% rule keeps those students in the application pool and levels the playing field.
Posted @ Thursday, April 29, 2010 10:18 AM by Mark Truman
@Gordie - I don't think anyone here has said that students that are outside the 10% will be denied admission.  
 
It is, however, much more difficult to get admitted outside of the program. Given your accomplishments, I would say that you're likely a top scorer with a fantastic GPA. It's likely that your application is well above the average for UT Austin...which is why you were admitted. An average application that isn't in the 10% is usually rejected.
Posted @ Thursday, April 29, 2010 10:25 AM by Mark Truman
This new law is absolutely ridiculous. Lets compare two different kids: One goes to a lower ranked high school, and just by adding one and one, he got into the top ten percent. The second kid takes all AP and Honors classes, and has learned a tremendous amount of material in high school, but since he goes to a top ranked high school, he is only in the top quarter. They both apply to UT Austin, and only the kid in the top ten gets accepted. After a semester or so, this kid finds out that college is just a little bit harder than addition. After his first semester, he fails out. Basically, that kids spot could have been filled by the top quarter kid who is clearly smarter, and would succeed in life. He could have graduated and made the world a better place, but rather the top ten kid just makes the world a less developed place. Basically, this situation is showing how this new law is destroying the world.
Posted @ Friday, April 30, 2010 10:07 PM by Jesus Christ
@ jesus christ.. 
The kid you described who was in the top quarter of a competitive high school taking lots of AP classes would almost certainly be admitted, along with the student in the under-achieving school in the top 10. Admissions takes into account the rigor of coursework, competitiveness of the school, extracurriculars, etc when deciding who to admit. Is the system perfect? No, and far from it I'd say, but it does help fill the void in diversity that the outlawing of affirmative action left. It's Texas's attempt to replace affirmative action (which probably would have been less controversial..). Further, are there any statistics that say that it's now much harder to be admitted to UT than before the 10% rule? I just think it's hard to argue that, because of this rule, fully qualified students are being turned away. UT does everything it can to get students in (CAP, spring semester, appeals, etc).
Posted @ Friday, April 30, 2010 11:04 PM by Gordie
i think the top 10% percent rule is obsurd you should let it go.
Posted @ Tuesday, May 18, 2010 12:20 PM by mary
They can be offered CAP, I was. There are rigorous requirements to meet, but if you do then you'll be admitted to UT Austin as a sophomore.
Posted @ Tuesday, May 18, 2010 11:16 PM by
TEXAS NEEDS OUT OF STATE STUDENTS TO INCREASE IT'S NATIONAL VISIBILITY. NO, football doesn't count for that. 
 
I WANT TO SEE KIDS LOOKING AT UT, UVA and BERKELEY. 
 
NOT... 
 
ARIZONA, TEXAS, AND ALABAMA. How pathetic. 
 
UT AUSTIN should be the flagship school for the best and the brightest in the state and country (ex: Virginia, Berkeley). Send the rest to San Antonio, El Paso, etc. 
 
PLAN II HONORS and BHP should try harder to be noticed on a national level. I went to school in the Northeast and NO ONE knew what Plan II or BHP was...UT admissions officers do a pathetic job, and UT does a poor job of attracting the best professors and students nationally.
Posted @ Monday, June 07, 2010 12:17 PM by Mary
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