@Thelma2 The thing is with leadership positions is that, at my school at least, it’s a popularity contest. I don’t know if colleges understand that. With that being said, I guess it seems viable to just list how I was a leader in the EC’s I did(ones without the officer position) and write a stellar essay.
Do you know how heavily the essay influences admission?
Thank you btw for answering all my questions. I appreciate it very much.
I don’t know how closely the college looks at your rank. I know the school does for admissions but to get into a specific college, they look at so much else.
Is there a compelling reason you don’t have much EC’s? Could you incorporate that into one of the essays? Volunteer hours?
Like I said, my friends son was admitted to McCombs and he was right at the 8% cutoff. In fact, he dropped out of top 8% the start of Sr. year but it didn’t matter. He was at the end of Jr. year when transcript was sent. Also, I think mid to high 1900’s on SAT. 6A competitive school.
Yes, I understand about the popularity contest thing and like I said earlier, there are more ways to lead than elected positions or appointed ones. Be sure to state those where you can fit them in (application, essay, resume) be it through church, an outside EC, volunteering, etc. And you don’t necessarily have to have leadership but participation in EC’s. Like Marching band or Orchestra. You could have been in varsity orch for all 4 years-that’s an accomplishment right there. Maybe you were 10th chair as a freshman but section leader second violins Jr and Sr year (that’s earned leadership not elected). There are so many things you could list. Think of them all.
There are others on this forum that can help with the resume questions. Be open and be yourself. It is your best chance for them to get to know you.
I have ALOT of EC’s(honor societies, student council, junior classical league etc), but only one officer position. I’m also in marching band. @Thelma2
@Thelma2 I started an online business venture(basically an online shop). Would this count as an extra curricular?
Btw, you make me feel much better about the admissions process, so I really appreciate you for that. Thank you so much
@TheAvidSeeker Then that sounds fine. Those are fine EC’s. Don’t fret any more. You will do fine. And I will tell you what. Do apply other places, even though you think UT is your dream school. Keep an open mind, even though you want that one most. Do keep some options open.
I will tell you, my youngest did not get into UT though it was his dream school. He had stellar stats, national merit commended, tons of leadership in EC’s, and amazing recommendations. His downfall? He was in the top 10%.
He was offered a COLA major instead of his desired major, but two other great colleges had accepted him into their programs. Turns out, it was a blessing. It didn’t feel like it at the time but where he is and what he’s doing he would have had a difficult time changing majors within the college had he gone to UT.
@Thelma2 Just out of curiosity, what were the other two colleges?
Engineering at TAMU and UT Arlington. He chose TAMU.
I would definitely consider your entrepreneurship an EC. Be sure to include that. I would think you would want to submit a resume. My son had some unique things and that was the best place for him to showcase it.
Sorry for the delayed response. A big storm just blew in and we lost power for a few moments.
@Thelma2 How sure are you that just participation in EC’s is impressive to McCombs specifically?
There is no way to tell you that @TheAvidSeeker. It is good that you have EC’s to list. How important each one is to McCombs and if having leadership or not is crucial is impossible to say. I understand you want a sure thing but there is no way of knowing that for sure. Being an auto admit is one foot in the door. How you stack up on paper compared to the other applicants after everything is taken into account can only be determined by admissions. The rest of us can say, yes, your credentials look good, you should get in or your lacking in X, so it may be a reach.
I am sure there will be some others who will chime in with their opinions which will help you. With the whom I know who are at UT, to me, you have a pretty good shot at McCombs.
Another student I know, was top 3% of her class in a 6A competitive school. She has several EC’s, some school affiliated and outside of school, but through her Jr. year, didn’t have any leadership positions. She was on the homecoming court her sophomore year is about it she was chosen/elected for. She participated in many things and is a good student. Not a gifted one, but a disciplined and studious one. She was accepted into Cockrell, which is extremely competitive.
Apply and put your best foot forward. Then try not to fret. It can be a long wait, if the last two years are any indication.
My son got in McCombs for fall 16. Here are his stats if it will be helpful
Top 20% at a very competitive high school in Austin
34 ACT / 2280 SAT
3.8 weighted GPA and 5.06 unweighted GPA
About 13 AP’s
Team sport all 4 years
DECA 2 years
Summer volunteering all 3 years
No leadership position and/or other EC’s
Guess the recommendation letter and essays must have been good
@Noviite Congrats to your son! Do you think that your sons impressive weighted GPA played a significant role in getting in as much as his stellar test scores were?
@TheAvidSeeker, test scores do play a significant role in the formula for McCombs, but it could be a combination of things. GPA/Test Score/Course load/Sports. We were not hopeful because of his class rank, but fortunately that was not the deal breaker in his case.
@Noviite do you have a rough estimate of what the average ACT and SAT scores were? Do you also know what ACT or SAT score is competitive for McCombs
Same with GPA. Also is weighted GPA important
@TheAvidSeeker, from my understanding, the GPA and/or test score requirements varies for each candidate. There is a combination of factors that fetches an admission. Don’t worry too much, do the best you can to improve your scores and wait for the result since no one knows how decisions are made. It is all speculations…