Evaluate me!

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

<p>Hi guys, </p>

<p>I'm going to be a Senior for the upcoming 2007-2008 school year, here are my stats:</p>

<p>GPA (weighted): 4.2 (on a 5 point scale)</p>

<p>Rank: 75/685 (soooo close to top 10%) I know you're probably tired of hearing this but: my school's crazy hard: Cinco Ranch HS :(</p>

<p>AP/honors classes: I've taken AP/honors classes since freshman year and received pretty much all A's (and 1-3 B's). My GPA is lower then normal because I also have taken a <em>lot</em> of elective classes (my school counts them as a 4, thus my GPA is lowered)</p>

<p>ExtraCur:
HOSA officer (2 years) & member (3 years)
Year Book Editor
HST II program (clinical rotations at the hospital)
Volunteer at the Hospital (50+ hours)
Big Brother Big Sister (30+ hours)
Tutored 3rd graders/Volunteering (30+ hours)
Intern with a Dermatologist
National Honors Society member</p>

<pre><code> *Tennis (took for one year, not sure if important)
*Orchestra (took for one year, not sure if important)
*Latin (took same time as Japanese)
*Japanese (took same time as Japanese)
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<p>SAT: 1850 (I kept putting it off until the last minute...peh) </p>

<p>You see, my SAT scores are not that high so I'm worried about that. I plan on retaking it but...</p>

<pre><code> Does taking SAT Subject tests increase my chances of getting into UT? I looked on the admission requirements and SAT II's are optional...but does it give me a better chance? I plan on taking two (prob. US History and math) during the upcoming October SAT and putting off retaking the SAT reasoning until November.

Or should I not bother with SAT II's and just spend my time on focusing on retaking the SAT Reasoning?

I want to apply early, but at this rate...idk. Does applying early increase your chances?

Sorry if I have so many questions. (: Please help me by answering them!
</code></pre>

<p>Also, how much does tuition cost at UT? Someone told me it was 25k+ (I'm in-state...but still, it costs that much?!)</p>

<pre><code> And I plan on applying under a Liberal Arts major...i mean, I'm going to be pre-med but I don't want my major to deal with something science/math based (i know, weird). *Which college is easier to get into? *
Def. not business (hella hard).
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<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>Definitely take the SAT 1 again. Do everything you can to increase your rank. You can get in if you are ranked in the top 10% at mid-year of your senior year also, it doesn't have to be just at the end of your junior year. It is very tough to get in if you are not in the top 10%. I don't want to discourage you, since you are so close. Just give it every effort to get your numbers up.
UT is closer to $20K/yr for room, board, tuition, books.</p>

3

<p>Are SAT II's important? I was thinking about taking them first before retaking the SAT Reasoning. </p>

<p>Also, the GPA listed is what I have including: all of fresh, soph, and junior year. </p>

<p>It is the last ranking...My school doesn't do anymore ranks after Junior year (as in, the ranking only applies all the way up to second sem. junior year) so I don't know how I would know if I made it into top 10% the first semester of my senior year.</p>

<p>From what i heard, application deadlines for UT isn't until Jan. 31 (or around there). I am positive that by the end of the first semester of Senior year, I will be in top 10% (the classes i'm taking are honors but are ridiculously easy), but how will I be able to send my rank to UT if my school isn't going to do another 'official' ranking.
Do High School's continue to keep up with the ranking, even if they don't distribute it? Can I go ask them for my new rankings? </p>

<p>To sum it all up: by the end of my first sem. of senior year, I will be in top 10%...but will it be too late to qualify for automatic acceptance?</p>

<p>**btw,</p>

<p>I keep hearing mixed opinions about the acceptance rate of UT.
One person said "If you're not in top 10%, you're screwed."
Another person who I know for a fact has very low grades (but took all AP classes) got accepted. Of course she said "I think they were on crack when they looked at my application." but it still gives me some form of hope. :D</p>

<p>So what is it UT? Why are you so hard to pinpoint?</p>

4

<p>I think your sitting at about 50/50 right now. Your close to top ten percent, but your SAT scores are waning. I would definitely take the ACT, cause that boosted me up pretty good. Volunteer hours look pretty good. I honestly had like 2 EC's(soccer for 3 years, and some bs I made up about volunteering for like 6 hours).. I had good scores(1380 m+r, 32 ACT), and was 2% off(class of 787) of top 10 and got in easily. If you can get like a 30 ACT you should bring your chances up way higher.</p>

5

<p>First semester is fine. The deadline isn't till feb so if your top 10% by then, by all means its good. Also it depends on what high school your going to. If you go to a UT "feeder" thats fairly competitive, they'll usually take a good amount of people from outside the top 10%. Granted, they offer most outside the top 10% the summer option, where school begins in the summer (not a big deal).</p>

6

<p>do everything you possibly can to bump yourself up to top 10%</p>

7

<p>runpunk, what did you mean when you said:</p>

<p>"If you go to a UT "feeder" thats fairly competitive, they'll usually take a good amount of people from outside the top 10%."</p>

<p>?</p>

<p>Should I take the ACT? I've been determined only to stick with SAT but I've heard the ACT is easier....but do I have to prepare much for it?</p>

<p>Also, Should I take SAT II's?</p>

<p>Let's say that I send in my application before the reg. deadline, if there's still time, can I update my rank? Like, if I wasn't in top 10% in the first ranking (which I already sent in) but I am in my new ranking, would they still automatically accept me? </p>

<p>thanks!</p>

8

<p>For those who will probably flame me for this post ;) I'm just telling it like it is. It may not be fair that "feeder school" kids have an easier time, but it is the reality. </p>

<p>Cryingivy, I personally think you have a great chance of getting in. Cinco Ranch would be considered one of those "feeder schools," as is my sons' school. </p>

<p>(anecdote disclaimer ;) not true for ALL schools, but true for ours) This year, almost every kid I know from my s's hs that was in the top 1/4 eventually got in to UT. Many have to go to summer school, but they are having a ball, and my s wishes he was in Austin this summer too! We were shocked at some of them (relatively low scores, out of top 1/4). This was true with A&M as well (from the last hs newspaper - there are 47 kids going to A&M and 43 going to UT out of a class of 467) </p>

<p>I'm not saying that it wouldn't greatly benefit you to retake your SAT, I'm just saying you probably don't have to slit your wrists at this point. And, liberal arts is the easiest (except for education) but you will automatically be bumped to liberal arts if you aren't accepted into your first choice major.</p>

<p>As for SAT2's, you have to take one for math anyway (unless you have gotten AP credit before your orientation or have some other exemption) so you might as well. My s ended up having to take the math SAT2 at UT in June before he could register for classes because his orientation was before AP scores came out.</p>

<p>ACT may be a good option for you, some people do better on one test than the other. We certainly found that to be the case for our kids.</p>

9

<p>Forgot to answer one question: Tuition runs around 8 to 9 thousand a year depending on your major as a full time Texas resident (you can find all the costs on the UT website). Room and Board will run you around 8 thousand more or less too depending on where you live (you may be able to find something cheaper, but Austin can be an expensive place to live). If you add in all other costs (books, travel, entertainment, fees, club dues, etc.) it is getting closer to the 25 you mentioned, but that is all going to differ based on each student's situation.</p>

<p>Good luck next year! It's really not as scary as it is made out to be :)</p>

10

<p>ag54, thank you so much for you reply! it was very helpful. :)</p>

<p>I too was surprised by the number of kids who got into either UT Austin or A&M College Station at my school. It's like that every year at my HS. </p>

<p>That's why I said I was confused about the acceptance criteria for UT. A lot of students who were not in top 10% (even some who were not even in top 25%) got in easily. However, UT has a reputation for being hard...that's why I'm so worried about it. </p>

<p>It's required to take SAT2 math? This is a shock...I did not know about it.
I've looked at the admission guidlines before and never saw this requirement.
Can you please give me a link of where to look at all this? I don't want to accidently forget to do something (that would be awful). </p>

<p>Thanks! </p>

<p>ps, btw, ag54, what school does your son go to?</p>

11

<p>The math SAT2 was for only for placement purposes and he couldn't register without it because he went to the early june orientation. If he had waited until now, he ended up placing out of calculus so he wouldn't have had to take it. But, Texas doesn't require SAT2s for application purposes. Does that make sense?</p>

<p>There is information about the testing for placement purposes on the Texas website. If you have a foreign language requirement for your major, you have to take a foreign lang SAT2 test for placement too. </p>

<p>He went to Stratford - we play ya'll in pre season football and we know lots of kids at Cinco through other sports.</p>