<p>so i go to the highest ranked high school in the DFW area. we had more national merit scholars last year than every other school in fort worth put together (and i believe dallas, but don't quote me on that). we also had, i believe 500 passing AP test-takers last year (not tests, but students), and in all probably have around 700 people in each grade.</p>
<p>it is, by all means, an incredibly good high school.</p>
<p>unfortunately, i am unbelievably lazy. there is no doubt in my mind that i could have been top 10% if i tried, but my laziness has been cripplingly overwhelming, and i am currently ranked around top 30 or 40%, i believe. i am a junior finishing out my year and i don't really think i have a chance to raise my ranking.</p>
<p>so i am not top ten percent.
but i have taken about six AP classes so far (and am going to take another six senior year). my weighted gpa is ~3.75 i believe, and i was national merit commended after i scored a 207 on the psat. i have no doubt that when i take the sat i'll be able to score at least a 2150, and probably higher. i can also write essays very well.</p>
<p>my one passion in life is everything to do with computers -- hardware, software, internets, etc., and i love austin, so if there were any possible way to get into UT-austin i would jump on it like a fat kid on a twinkie.</p>
<p>so what -- if any -- are my chances of getting in? what does UT look at mostly for achievements, etc.</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>p.s. dear university of austin, texas, i am in love with you. please don't reject me like does everyone else in my life (pity party woohoo)</p>
<p>UT does not take into account your school's reputation. I'm not too sure, but I don't really think you'll get in. Rank is a huge factor in the admission process.</p>
<p>you wont get in. its getting to the top where, for the most part, theyre only accepting the top 10%. it sucks, but yeah..even people top 11% are getting shafted.</p>
<p>yeah rank is pretty much it, so you have a few choices... because they are right top 30-40% is about as good as dead</p>
<p>Choice One: Transfer in.
Choice Two: CAP.
Choice Three: Somehow get the Texas Legislature to change the rule, by fighting through probably a coalition of Urban Democrats and Rural Conservatives.</p>
<p>When I went last summer for a tour, the information session speaker said they don't look at GPA as much as rank. Rank to them is very very important.</p>
<p>You most likely wont get in. It may be at the point next year where they only take top 10%. I got into Berkeley and rejected from UT, none of it really makes sense. Because of money though I may end up doing ACC for a semester and transferring to UT in January. That is an option that's becoming more and more popular if you'd consider it for next year.</p>
<p>I don't know man... I'm in the same position as you as far as being in an elite high school, but I'm in the top 25%. I know in the past the top 25% kids at my school have had a good record with getting accepted. I would say there's definitely a chance for you; if you can bring up your rank after this semester that would help a lot.</p>
<p>If I have guessed properly on the school you attend, I hate to break the news to you but it is FAR from the best in the Metroplex. 25 NMFs means nothing when you have a 700 member class. Try Cistercian, where roungly 1/3 of the grads are NMFs. Maybe the best in FWISD...but that ain't saying much. If I'm guessing right it certainly is a good school but it isn't anything that a dozen or more other schools can't claim.</p>
<p>And if anything, going to a "good school" will hurt your chances. UT's system gives credit to high achieving kids from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and if I am guessing right (PHS right?) then you probably aren't from that background. UT doesn't care that your school has a high number of national merit finalists unless you ARE a national merit finalist. They don't care about a high average SAT score unless you have a high score.</p>
<p>UT does not care what your GPA is at all. They won't look at it at all. They will see your rank and won't say "oh well he went to a good school," they will say "oh he is only top 40%." I hate to tell you but that's the way it is. If you can get to the top quarter you may have a shot at summer school but with the rank you have right now I doubt you have a shot.</p>
<p>My suggestion if you REALLY want to attend UT: transfer to OD Wyatt or PL Dunbar for next year and graduate from there. You will probably be in the top ten percent there and gain automatic admission. If UT means that much to you then that would be your best course of action because I see little chance of you gaining admission with that rank unless you earn 2400-range SAT scores and have an amazing resume of leadership and service.</p>
<p>Alternately you could apply to Nursing, Education, or Geosciences, three schools which have higher than average admit rates. Complete your basics while nominally a member of that college and then complete an internal transfer to another division of UT.</p>
<p>Good luck but if I have guessed your situation right I see little chance of you getting into UT unless you transfer high schools.</p>
<p>Well, UT accepts 82% of their applications through the automatic admission (top 10) law, and the other admitted are transferred or near the top 10%. You aren't even in the top quarter. It shouldn't stop you from applying, though I highly doubt you will get in.</p>
<p>My advice would just be to go to a mediocre school (UNT, for example, is really cheap and in the DFW metroplex) for two years and then if you have a 3.5 and 60 credit hours you are likely to get in. This would be a good idea anyway because you'll save money and adjust to "college life". You will also get your core out of the way and not have to take classes unrelated to your major at the school of your dreams.</p>
<p>I'd have to go with the School of the Talented and Gifted in Dallas or the School of Science & Engineering in Dallas as being the top HS's in DFW.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Choice One: Transfer in.
Choice Two: CAP.
Choice Three: Somehow get the Texas Legislature to change the rule, by fighting through probably a coalition of Urban Democrats and Rural Conservatives.
[/quote]
Choice Four: (suggested above) Transfer into a lower academic tier school so you are highly ranked at the time of graduation.
Choice Five: (suggested by me) Transfer into a good school that doesn't rank? In our area, many schools don't rank, and the kids still get into good colleges - would this work for a Texan wanting to get into UT?</p>
<p>=-=-=
So apply. If you aren't admitted and UT is still your top choice, have a nice freshman year somewhere else through CAP and come to UT the next year.</p>
<p>SEM and TAG are far from being the best. They simply force their kids to take an inordinate amount of AP course. At TAG, most juniors and seniors are enrolled in 7 or 8 credits of AP material. That means they are taking the equivalent of 21-24 hours. I know probably half of the class at TAG and they all are incredibly bitter at the school for destroying their social life, and for lying to them about their ability to get in to college.</p>
<p>I would say the best all-around public high school in Dallas is Highland Park. Even if you are not a 2400-student, you will get a top notch education there.</p>
<p>I also believe that at least 10 private schools are academically equal or better than the top public schools.</p>
<p>And I am going to go ahead and say that the best academic school (though not the best all-around school because of their weaknesses in extracurriculars) is Cistercian. However, you basically have to apply in 5th grade to get in. They take 40 kids in 5th grade and then only replace kids as they leave. It's probably one of the most rigorous high schools in the country and it provides an outstanding academic curriculum for its grads.</p>
<p>hey robert giraffe
dont give up so easily though! yeah statistics show that you are more likely to get CAPed but i am living proof that you don't have to be top 10% to get in. i am top 27% from a super competitive high school in Texas and got into Plan II. I was so taken aback to get into UT and then on top of that into one of the most selective honors programs in the country. I'm not going to lie all of my friends who were much higher ranks than me got summer programmed or CAPed but it can happen!! I had a friend who was four people away from top 10% and has to spend her entire summer in austin because she's four off from top 10%. </p>
<p>But it can happen, it does happen! There are not top 10%-ers out there that get in, although our club may be small! I love writing and I have a ton of leadership positions but I think I got into Plan II because of my essays.</p>
<p>My advice to you is to write incredible essays, have a resume that accentuates every achievement you know of and have amazing recs! I think what did it for me are my essays. You mentioned a passion for computers. Try writing an essay that really shows your passion for all things computers. Put a lot of thought and time into it!! If you can show them that there's a lot of passion to you with computers through your essays, then I would reccomend you apply to Plan II. =) but then again, im super biased!</p>
<p>prettyinpink, from everything I am hearing this year is that a Plan II acceptance has been a virtual guarantee of acceptance to the university. You honestly could very well have been rejected had Plan II not accepted you. Lucky they did!</p>
<p>Plan II very much so does reward a student for applying from a top high school and having good grades, SATs, and particularly essays. So if the OP can write very well, Plan II may be a good shot regardless of rank (all academic numbers and test scores are a grand total of 20% for Plan II). And though I've heard of Plan II acceptees not being accepted to UT, this group was usually OOS or had riddiculously low class ranks though at challenging schools. If you pull off Plan II, it will be easier to get in to UT as a whole.</p>
<p>loneranger, i got accepted into UT before I got my acceptance to Plan II. And, although, my rank was not your normal Plan II rank, my SAT score was! And yes, Plan II is only 20% rank, gpa, sat, etc. so, I don't think my rank was a huge negative factor considering the other 80% that is considered. </p>
<p>i am just trying to make the point that I had a lot of people telling me I was going to get CAPed from the beginning and that applying to an honors program was a waste of time, but obviously it wasn't. So, don't let stats scare you away or make you think you aren't going to get in because you very well could!!</p>
<p>plano school
URM
1400 sat
top 13%
varsity sport 4 yrs
400+ hr voluntering
numerous ECs including leadership positions
applied to : aeronautical engineering and mccombs (LOL)
result: rejected</p>
<p>i dont know man, i got into UT with a 3.3 gpa and 2150 SATs, NAT Merit Scholar, and i live in Washington. So I would assume that in state you have a better chance than me with similiar stats</p>