Chance please? <3 non-top 10

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
1

<p>I'd love you forever if you could help ease my stress- even if it means hitting me across the forehead and saying that I have no chance :D But seriously.</p>

<p>I'm an instate, not in the top ten percent. My high school is Southlake Carroll, an incredibly competitive public school, where you need above a 4.0 to be in top ten percent.</p>

<p>UW - 3.75
W - 4.0
Class rank - 92/651 (top 14%)</p>

<p>SAT 2000 // CR 700; M 650; W 650
ACT 29 (planning to retake, took it blind the first time and was completely unprepared... didn't know there was a science section <em>grin</em>) R33; E29; M28; S26 :(</p>

<p>Honors // National Honor Society (but I heard it doesn't matter)
National French Honor Society
All-Star (all region) Lacrosse Team MVP Defense freshmen and sophomore
Defensive Captain Sophomore and Junior Years
AP Scholar
Congressional Leadership Conference Attendee
People to People Ambassador</p>

<p>EC's // Varsity Lacrosse (with accompanying honors)
Journalism (Yearbook freshmen year, then became contributor for local papers)
Speech/Debate Sophomore and Freshmen years (ranked with honors in NFL)
Been working on a novel since middle school, waiting until after acceptance into college to send to editors
I maintain and run a creative writing forum/site that could be considered international
Graphics design (small business on the side where I earn 300-800 for creation and maintenance of sites, mostly local for payment but internationally have created sites as well, UT doesn't have any way for me to send links :/)</p>

<p>Employment // Worked as a front desk receptionist at a doctor's office freshmen-junior summers full time. This last summer and through the school year I've been working as a Physical Therapy Tech (usually you have to be 18+). Both have given me opportunities for leadership, assertiveness, and I've also learned a good deal about things such as the human body (biology) and chemistry. I also love the people I get to meet at both (actually talked about it in my essays)</p>

<p>Community Service // Habitat for Humanity (last two years), Tea for Joy (foundation to raise money for research for spina bifida, been taking part in it for six years), Game Over (program used to help raise awareness of drunk driving and drinking under age, included administration wide participation, movie, week long festivities, 100+ hours)</p>

<p>Was thinking about writing all three essays and explaining junior year problems (my back got totaled and I won't be able to play lacrosse again and for a semester I could barely make it through class) or freshmen problems where my yearbook teacher accused me of deleting my work and the work of others then told me I wasn't going to get anywhere in life because trying is failing. It tore me apart (I grew up a naive little child :D). </p>

<p>I'd be applying to Liberal Arts.
Haven't applied yet, I've been reading around and since I'm competing with so many people I've really been working on making it so that my essays really stand out.</p>

<p>Sooo, any ideas would be lovely and I'd bake you millions and millions of cyber cookies.
I figure I'll get Caped... in which case I'd just go OOS</p>

2

<p>I would say good chances (good sat, not bad of rank, and easy school to get into)</p>

3

<p>Thank you utfor11! :D</p>

4

<p>Yeah, liberal arts isn’t too hard to get into. Hard is business and engineering.</p>

5

<p>That’s what I’ve been reading up on.
The thing I was worrying about was the whole top 10% thing, I heard that if you aren’t in the top 10% then every section is incredibly competitive :confused: are you applying or are you a current student?</p>

6

<p>Applying… and yeah it does make it more competitive not being top 10… really sucks too.</p>

7

<p>Agreed. While I have nothing against affirmative action, there are certain top teners who got into that percentage by taking easy classes. One shouldn’t be penalized for being in an competitive school any more then one should be penalized for being underprivileged.</p>

8

<p>I agree so much…</p>

9

<p>I really wish they’d get rid of the top 10%/8% rule. I’m in the top 10% so I’m not saying that because I’m not in it. I just think it grants people into UT who take easy classes or just happen to be in a class where some of the top students don’t have really high gpa’s. </p>

<p>Or they could at least push it down to top 5 or 3 %. It gives other people out of the top 10% a more equal chance of getting in, even if by a little.</p>

10

<p>I agree with you tori1992. Pushing it up to top 5 or 3 would make a huge difference. Intelligent people in underprivileged schools could still have chances of getting in, and the intelligent people in competitive schools would have a chance as well.
The top 10% law also hinders the amount of national rank UT has. If they want more recognition and a larger base of students from around the country the law needs to be taken care of.
Not to say it is their fault the top 10 % law exists, but places like A&M have found ways around it. UT can too.</p>

11

<p>A&M hasn’t found a way around it, they just have fewer top 10% applicants that take up the limited spots - they’re around 50% top 10%, UT was up around 80%, that’s why the legislature changed the rule for UT solely.</p>

12

<p>I was addressing the fact that A&M has three types of acceptance.
One is by being in the top 10%. The next is by being in the top quartile and having the right SAT grades (1300+). The final is be the conventional way of review.</p>

<p>Anyone else want to chance?</p>

13

<p>Oh, got it…</p>

<p>I think they can do that though because only 50% of the class is top 10%. When those numbers start closing in on 75 to 80%, they are going to have to tighten that up or eliminate it unless the legislature changes their admissions standards as well.</p>

<p>bottom line, the 10% rule has to go…</p>

<p>as to chances - I think you’re in, but may have to wait for a decision because of your rank, but your test scores are certainly high enough to warrant admission.</p>

<p>curious - you play lax - I can’t tell if you are a girl or boy ;), but are you thinking of playing at UT? My son is a junior on the lax team at UT and loves it.</p>

14

<p>agreed ag54, but I think there still needs to be a system in place to help inner-city and lower class children have a chance.
I’m a girl :smiley:
I’m thinking of it. I was planning to play rec, do they have a regular team?</p>

15

<p>Yes, they have a women’s lax team. Here is the website - </p>

<p>[UT</a> Women’s Lacrosse - About](<a href=“http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~womanlax/about.htm]UT”>http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~womanlax/about.htm)</p>

<p>check it out! It has been great for my son to be a part of the men’s team, he always does better in school when he is busy with a sport ;)!! Plus, he’s made some great friends, had some great experiences, and been a part of something great!! (they won their lax division championship and went to the national championship tournament last spring!)</p>

16

<p>It’s ironic that UT was the one who wanted the top 10% rule in the first place, and now they’re wanting it to be removed.</p>

17

<p>Don’t say in your essay that your teacher told you that you would never get anywhere in life and it destroyed you. Think about it from their perspective- they want you to have tough skin and really, people are always going to say nasty things like this. What would it mean if a professor said something nasty? Would you flunk for a semester?</p>

<p>The back excuse is completely reasonable- say that but get a counselor or teacher to read over it so that it doesn’t sound too whiney.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

18

<p>Thanks tim739- ended up not submitting a third essay. Figured that explaining what happened freshmen year would take too long and if it came off wrong it would sound like I wasn’t strong.The back thing wasn’t something that really made me stand out. I realized the third essay is really only a good idea if you have/had a HUGE problem, otherwise I would just sound whiny.</p>

19

<p>No problem! I hope you get in!</p>