Selecting 1st and 2nd Choice Majors

<p>I'm pretty sure this has been covered in a past thread, but I can't find it. If DS wants to be considered for the Dean's Scholar Honors Program in the College of Natural Science AND the Engineering Honors Program in the Cockerell School, and if Dean's Scholar is his first choice, will he still be considered for Engineering Honors if he makes that his second choice on the app?</p>

<p>I thought I read somewhere that Cockerell School wants you to put Engineering Honors as your first choice. UT website only comments that BHP wants the first choice spot, and Plan II says they don't care.</p>

<p>Does anyone know?</p>

<p>bump…anyone?</p>

<p>I seem to recall what you think you read - that you have to put Engineering as your first choice in order to apply to the honors program. My son applied to science and engineering. We really didn’t think he would get into biomedical, so he put down engineering first and science second, but applied to science honors. Much to our surprise, he made it into biomedical, but not science honors! </p>

<p>Are you allowed to two different honors programs? Could you put engineering first and science second, and apply for both honors programs? It’s easier to switch out of engineering to science than vice versa, if your son wanted to change later.</p>

<p>I would advise you to call the engineering school and ask them. They’ve been quite helpful for us.</p>

<p>Good luck! My son is so excited about starting at UT in just a few weeks!</p>

<p>maineLH: Congrats to your son! Indeed, biomed is a very popular and well-respected program. Actually, our D is already attending UT (she’s in COLA) but has mentioned some very smart students from her old HS in biomed. They work hard but sound supportive of each other. Will he live in one of the honors dorm? </p>

<p>You’re right; I should probably just call Cockerell and ask them. If Honors Science is his first choice, though, he really should put Science first. (I’m talking about the Dean’s Scholar program which only accepts 30-ish students, I’m told. Quite competitive.) I just don’t want him to goof up his app and not end up in ANY honors program!</p>

<p>Yes, you can do two honors programs! The caveat is that most honors students in combine with Plan II Honors, LAH/Plan I Honors, or Dean’s Scholars because those three programs are in UT’s “open schools” that allow any UT student to enroll in that school(College of Liberal Arts and College of Natural Sciences). </p>

<p>For example, I am a BHP/Plan II student and my roommate is Biochemistry Honors (Dean’s Scholars) and BME Honors (Eng. Honors). In fact, I believe there are a handful (5-10) students each year who get into both DS and Engineering. </p>

<p>With BHP/Engineering, the case is different because both are not open schools and to be in the honors program, you have to preference that school first. The options you have in that case are applying to BHP as a sophomore transfer 1 year later or calling Cockrell, as @givings mentioned, and asking for an exception. In this case, I would plan what you want to say and talk to the right person who has the power to grant an exception. Also, @givings, I would recommend that you get your son involved rather than calling yourself - it is always better for the college to hear directly from the student (though I don’t know if Cockrell will see a big difference).</p>

<p>Hope that helps.</p>

<p>^ I would highly not recommend doing BHP and Engineering honors, the two are both rigorous programs and it’s not really possible to find a job where both are required. Sure it keeps your options open, but you’re probably only going to want to go one route after a year or two.</p>