Getting into UT?

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

I am currently a rising high school senior and I have a few questions. I live in Texas and I plan on majoring in something business related.

Rank: Over 600 people in my class, I am barely in the top 10%.
Weighted GPA: 4.0745
Test scores: I recently took the ACT and SAT for the first time, so I don’t have my scores back yet. On the PSAT I made an 1140, hopefully I did significantly better on the SAT.
I have about 75 community service hours, around 35 of the hours have been done at a local library. I volunteer at the library weekly, so I should have more hours by the end of the summer.
Other stuff: Member of NHS, NTHS Officer, Accounting UIL, QuickBooks Pro/Premier 2016 certified, Microsoft Office Word 2013 certified.

  1. As far as getting into UT, do I have a chance?
  2. If not UT, is Texas A&M another option? I know that McCombs is very reputable, how is Mays?
  3. I have never had a job. On a resume and applications, will not having a job bring me down? I can get a job for the rest of the summer and into the school year but at this point I'm not sure if it is worth it. However, saving money would be nice.
  4. I will probably retake the SAT/ACT again. Prep classes in my area are anywhere from $600 to $1200. Is it really worth taking a prep class? I feel like buying prep books might be a smarter choice for me. What are a few good prep books?

I’d really appreciate any information, thanks!

2

If you are in the top 10%, that is good for A&M but does not help you with UT. The big question is what your scores are on the ACT and SAT. For UT, you would need to significantly increase your SAT/ACT scores from your PSAT level. I’m thinking 300+ points greater because you do not have automatic acceptance there.

For A&M, applying early definitely helps you get into your major (with the exception now of engineering). Most the kids around here apply in August and that does not leave you time to retake SAT/ACT. Apply early to A&M but also consider some other state schools. UT Dallas, Texas Tech, UH all have good business schools.

If you want to retake the SAT for some of these other schools, I suggest the books published by College Board. Do the practice tests with the same time restraints and do review all wrong answers to understand what you did wrong.