Austin Community College vs CAP at UTA

So I was offered the CAP program at UTA and have yet to accept the admission offer because I am still inquiring about all my options.

I am leaning towards ACC right now but the only thing stopping me is my mother who disagrees with it. Her point is that I don’t have a good work ethic and that combined with a subpar college will result in me not succeeding. However, I disagree. Although I haven’t been putting the utmost effort, my views have changed and I’m determined to succeed especially in a setting where my GPA is reset. And sure, I might be getting a lower education, it wouldn’t make THAT big of a difference would it?

My argument for why I’d choose ACC

  1. It’s cheaper
  2. I don’t need my own car (I don’t have one so it’s a big plus that they don’t have to buy me one)
  3. I am considered a transfer student even as a CAP student so why not just start off at Austin where I want to be? Even if I’m given automatic admission with a 3.2 GPA, I have confidence in myself to get a 3.8+ GPA to get into RTF or any other Communications major. I am willing to risk my chances of admissions for being able to stay in Austin my first year.
  4. It’s community college so it should theoretically be easier to get better grades improving my chances of transferring in.

So what are your final thoughts? Should I take the CAP offer and opt for a better education and a safer route (although I lose my freshman year of college being somewhere I don’t want to be) or go to Austin and attend a school with ‘supposedly’ worse education with no safety net?

P.S. Can anyone recommend housing if I do go to ACC?

i did CAP because 3.2 will get you in , if you mess around at ACC and get stuck with a 3.2 UT won’t accept you as an external transfer , are you willing to take the risk is the real question?

Yes, for me I think it’s worth the risk. I have trust in myself and would like to stay in Austin a lot!

Although my ranking right now is only 25% (220/867) I have improved it from 44%. I also go to a pretty high ranked school (ranked 500~ nationally with 33 national merit semi-finalists) so I think I can do well at ACC. Also, given the fact that I’m extremely motivated to do well after given a complete GPA reset, I don’t think I’d squander my opportunity.

I can only speak for UTA and I’m currently finishing my first year. To me, UTA was kind of a joke. As long as do your homework and attend class it was an easy 100. Take that as you wish but if you’re that confident in yourself do what you feel you can do.

What’s CAP? I’m thinking of doing the same thing after I graduate from high school: moving to TX and starting out at ACC and then transferring to UT Austin. Will having a 3.2 gpa really impede an admission to UT?

@v8pluver Coordinated admissions program (CAP) is specifically designed to give Texas residents who are not in the top 7% (8% next year) a chance to get to UT Austin. You spend a year at a UT system school then are guaranteed admission to select majors at UT Austin if you get a 3.2 GPA. They only offer it to Texas residents, though.

When you say UT system school, do you mean a community college that they accept?

There are specific colleges that you take the CAP program at. http://bealonghorn.utexas.edu/cap/admission/schools

Oh, ok. I don’t think I should do that then. For one, it would be more expensive than a community college ( I wouldn’t have residency yet). And for another thing, I wouldn’t be going to the college I would want; I’d be attending another university until I could get to UT Austin. Thanks for telling me about it, though.

i need to know more about ACC … can you please tell me how its like to be a student of ACC …?

ACC is wonderful if you look for the right teachers. I went there for 5 years (long story as to why), but many of my teachers went to or taught/teach at UT. Given that, I don’t think its it’s subpar at all. Just make sure you check “Rate my Professor” before you choose classes and you should be golden.