<p>I think a thorough advice thread is needed to help kids out, especially those who aren’t too familiar with the admissions process at UT. So I will give my advice here.</p>
<p>I was admitted under the Top Ten law, so I didn’t have to feel a lot of stress in applying. But I really want to help people understand how to play the system so they can get in. So here is what I suggest you do.</p>
<li><p>Read this document. It is the official methodology which UT will use to evaluate you. If you don’t understand it, you can’t maximize your chances for admission. <a href=“http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/research/HB588-Report10.pdf[/url]”>http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/research/HB588-Report10.pdf</a></p></li>
<li><p>GET YOUR RANK UP! Class rank is the single most important factor in getting in to UT. As a general rule, you would need approx. top 15% of your senior class to have a strong chance. If your ranks, do whatever you need to do to get your rank as high as possible. If your school does not, they will use the school profile to determine an approximate rank. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THIS IS AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE. If you aren’t in the top 20, forget about it. If you are, you need to be as close to the top ten as possible. If you are OOS, you REALLY need to be top ten.</p></li>
<li><p>You need a higher SAT than you think. To have average chances, you would need a 1250 instate, and a 1300 OOS. To have strong chances, you really need a 1300 instate and a 1350-1400 OOS. For ACT, this means a 29 English and 29 Math to have an average chance and 31s to have a strong chance. Also, UT does not care about your writing scores at all, so don’t worry. UT also doesn’t care about your science ACT score. They look only at English and Math.</p></li>
<li><p>Your ECs need to be better than they are now. I’m sure you think they are killer, and they are likely very good, but EVERYONE will have very good ECs. You need to be a leader in your activies. You need A LOT of community service. Many people tend to overestimate their own strength in this area. Look at your resume now, and think, “What can I add to what I already have to strengthen this?” Is there a club you are in that you aren’t a leader in? Become one. Is there research you can do that’s relevant to your intended major? This is the one area that I think kills many applicants. You won’t get in with poor academics and great ECs. BUT if your ECs aren’t great, it can take you from in to out. Most OOS kids accepted are going to be in the same range academically, so the leadership is what makes them stand out. The application does not ask for a separate resume, and you don’t need to send one. They prefer that you don’t, unless you are applying for honors.</p></li>
<li><p>Get your application in early! The earlier you get it in, the more likely you hear back early. Also, with the changes they are making, you also can apply for housing earlier and are more likely to get a good room in a nice dorm and not be stuck in Jester. Don’t rush it, but don’t wait until the last minute. However, don’t expect to hear back until March though. You MAY hear back early, but you probably won’t.</p></li>
<li><p>Take your time and write good essays! They are almost as heavily weighted as your resume, and you can make a big difference in a short period of time, unlike a rank or resume. Have your teachers proof them multiple times. Have your counselor look at them if you trus him/her. Have friends look at them. Do NOT let your parents look at them. They do not know what UT want to hear, and more often than not you hear of a mom destroying a good essay by momifying it (no offense, Moms). Do not be afraid to be unique or original. They will only take a few minutes on them and rate them. It won’t be like Harvard where a profound essay can get you in, but a 6 on your essays give you a much better chance than 3s or 4s. Do not be afraid to be political. Do be afraid to take it too far. The staff leans left but will give you a good look no matter what your stance is if it is appropriate. Don’t just go on a crusade, though. Make sure you make sense and give fair coverage to each side. But let your opinion stand out.</p></li>
<li><p>Do not waste time getting recs specifically for UT. UT does not ask for them nor care for them. They won’t read them for the most part, as they can’t improve your score. If you are applying for honors, disregard this statement.</p></li>
<li><p>By all means, apply for honors, but be willing to get rejected. The honors programs at UT (except LAH) are as hard or harder to get in to than Ivies. Your essays and ECs need to be even more stellar than the norm. You also will need an actual resume to submit, as well as strong reccomendations. Take extra time on the essays, they make a HUUUUUUUGE difference in whether you get in. Don’t blow off the separate honors app either. Be serious, yet honest.</p></li>
<li><p>Rank a Liberal Arts or Natural Science major as your second choice. Rank ANY other college first. They DO care. If you rank business second, you will not get in. Period. Do not rank communications second. You will not get in. You will be considered for Undeclared if you don’t get in your top choices, but you have a MUCH better chance if COLA or CNS are in your top two. Some majors, though, such as Econ, are fairly competitive. Rank something bland and unpopular as a choice. You can always change it later.</p></li>
<li><p>Summer Freshman Class is an amazing opportunity you should not give up. Due to the top ten law, they can’t take you up front. They just need you to prove yourself early so they can consider you a returning student. You get to spend the summer in Austin. You may not understand how sweet that is. It is sweet. You only take 9 hours, which isn’t too bad. It lessens your load later anyways. They are core requirements which you get out of the way. You get acclimated to college life in a fairly stressless environment. And you only have class 4 days a week for a total of 9 or so hours, so you have a lot of time for fun.</p></li>
<li><p>CAP means you are rejected, but you have a great opportunity that few, if any, other schools offer. They are saying "just go to this easy school and get some basics out of the way and get a 3.2 and you can transfer. A 3.2 is between a B and B- average. You can do it. If you really want to go to UT, don’t risk an external transfer. Take the CAP agreement, save some money, and go to UT as a sophomore.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t be afraid to transfer in if you aren’t successful the first time. OOS kids can’t do CAP. But if you really want to go to UT, it will be easier for you to transfer in than it was to get in in the first place (there’s no top ten law for transfers, remember). So just do your best in a good school and we’ll see you in a year.</p></li>
<li><p>Finally, remember the odds you are going up against. UT is NOT a safety for OOS and non top-ten kids. It is not even a match. Consider it a reach no matter how qualified you are. The top-ten percentage will likely be 85-90% next year (even if the law does change, it probably won’t have any effect until 2010, so don’t get your hopes up). Expect a 10-15% non top-ten acceptance rate. If you get in, it’s like getting in to Harvard. If you don’t, it’s like getting rejected by Harvard. It happens to a lot of qualified people. Don’t sweat it, you will still get in to a great school. UT can’t control the law, and the law hurts you. It’s designed to promote diversity in many ways, and it hurts geographic diversity. It has its positives, though you may not see them.</p></li>
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<p>If I’ve forgotten any important advice, feel free to add it on here. If anything I’ve said is wrong, by all means correct me. I just want to help clarify what I see as a lot of confusion on the boards by OOS and non top-ten kids. UT is a public Ivy, and it is as difficult to get in to as an Ivy. But hopfully this will help relieve your stress just a bit.</p>