<p>Hi guys!
So I'm about to be a senior in highschool this coming fall, and UT austin is my number one choice, but I'm a bit worried about not getting in. I'm an american citizen an lived in america (and mainly texas) my whole life until I moved to Dubai, UAE my sophmore year. I participate in 3 varsity sports, I have mostly As and Bs (the grading system is different at my school so I have around a 3.5 gpa) and my highest SAT score so far was 1720. I wonder if my grades and possibly that I could be considered international will get me accepted?</p>
<p>Help! I think I'll cry if I see a rejection letter next year</p>
<p>Do you know how you would rank in your class? It would greatly help to be in at least the top 5% or so since you’re considered an international student and UT gives great preference to in-state seniors rather than out-of-state and foreign students. </p>
<p>Also, I would strongly encourage retaking the SAT as many times as you can before the application deadline. I would shoot for a 2000 at the bare minimum; really I’d recommend a 2100. Also, if you can, take the ACT - think of it this way: let’s say they have to choose between you and a very similar applicant, but this applicant has an ACT score IN ADDITION to his SAT score; if they’re comparable enough, they might decide to take that other student because he has another test that backs up his aptitude instead of just having one, the SAT. </p>
<p>Take the essays seriously and write them as well as you can, having a few experienced readers look over them for you. Don’t psych yourself out about them, but submit nothing less than your best. And don’t get lazy like I did; if you have a special circumstance to write about that could in any way positively affect admissions’s impression of your application, write that third essay.</p>
<p>Have a polished resume. This is very important because UT considers the resume more than any other part of the application, excluding your class rank/GPA. There are tons of resources online that you can use to help you build the best resume possible.</p>
<p>Ask people who know your talents and character well enough for recommendation letters. Some people say that UT hardly even looks at these, but having them can’t hurt your chances. Personal note: I applied twice before I got in and submitted three letters both times. I think it’s good to have more than just one person who can back up your achievements, just as long as you don’t send a crazy number like eight recommendations, because that might look like you’re trying to make up for/cover up something.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>