my chances of getting accepted into big texas schools, such as A&M and UT austin

Applying to College
1

<p>freshman: 3.1 (2 preAp) 86 raw</p>

<p>sophmore: 3.9 (3 Ap/preAp) 93 raw</p>

<p>junior: 3.8 (5Ap/preap) 91 raw</p>

<p>senior: In the summer of my junior year. I plan on taking 7 classes each semester as well as a rigorous workload. (4 Ap/preAp)</p>

<p>class rank is extremely mediocre due to freshman year. SAT/ACT scores are unknown as of now since i just recently took them. (i received a 1700 on PSAT) 1170 math and verbal</p>

<p>clubs: key club, NHS</p>

<p>volunteer work: i foresee an amount of 50+ hours, especially via church community work. </p>

<p>community organizations include a youth group and cultural/community church that i've been a part of since early youth. I'm also an ethnic minority, muslim, and a first generation college student. </p>

<p>College visits to the 2 colleges are upcoming (was invited to the A&M honors program tour), and i have reasons to my lacking grades. Do i even have a decent chance of getting admitted to those universities?</p>

<p>I plan to major in biology. (genetics in particular)</p>

2

<p>I've received a good deal of awards, and am also a part of the National Society of high school scholars. (NSHSS)</p>

<p>I'm also taking a college prep class. I plan on graduating, with this particular class in my schedule for a length of 4 years!</p>

<p>Based on my major preference, do you guys recommend any other school in texas? Neuroscience is also an interest of minem and my interests include egyptology, linguistuics, population history, and more "teenage" hobbies such as games and basketball.</p>

<p>I do fear however that my aforementioned interests will render my appplication a mere fake, although i actually have sincere intersts in those fields.</p>

<p>How is the university of houston in terms of prestige, quality of education, social lifestyle, etc.?(i've always loved settings that have close proximity to beaches/coasts)</p>

<p>Eventual class term ranges include:</p>

<p>foreign language: 3 years</p>

<p>math: 4 or 4.5 years</p>

<p>science: 4 years</p>

<p>english: 4 years</p>

<p>social studies: 4.5 years</p>

<p>electives: 4 years (colleg prep class)</p>

3

<p>Would be great to have input from actual almuni. (although this question is aimed to anyone)</p>

4

<p>if your out of the top 10%, your chance is very slim</p>

5

<p>Is that much emphasis really placed on whether you're in top 10%?</p>

6

<p>For UT-Austin top 10% is extremely important because they give automatic admission to in-state students who are in the top 10%... and those kids take up most of the spots in the school and then you have kids with superb stats trying to get in from out of state as well... so I would imagine that they don't have a lot of room to take kids that are outside of the top 10%, unless they are recruited athletes.</p>

7

<p>i have several friends who were a few spots out of the top 10% who didnt get into ut austin.</p>

<p>basically its the safety school for ppl in the top 10%</p>

8

<p>Try Baylor or Texas Tech too? I'm pretty sure you'd get into A&M.</p>

9

<p>Do college applications ask for PSAT scores? Would you guys recommend me applying via early action/early decision based on my current grades?</p>