<p>Yes, they can make the class size as large or as small as they wish. And that’s what they’ve been doing the last decade or so. IIRC, as of a year or so ago it’s been reduced by 1,200 but the other three classes have increased in size. UT cut out the summer 2009 freshman class so who knows how that’s going to affect the number of freshmen admitted fall 2009 and spring 2010 or if there will be a summer 2010 freshman class. </p>
<p>To make the class so small that they’re limiting admittance to such a small percent, they would also be looking at a huge reduction in revenue. Offsetting that with increases in the transfer population would in turn lower standards. Granted, they’re not supposed to do legacies any more but the Exes wouldn’t be pleased if too many of their kids didn’t get to start their time at UT as incoming freshmen simply because of size reduction. There has to be a happy medium.</p>
<p>They COULD but there’s no way that they will. They’ve already cut it by 1200 to around 6600, and they won’t cut any more, particularly next year, because that would mean basically only taking top ten kids.</p>
<p>Guess it comes down to whether the university is looking to be world-class or serve its residents/legacies foremost. But the new law would give them the option for the former unlike the previous one.</p>
<p>How about only allowing auto admits for top 5% students who have a combined SAT score of 1700+, I bet that would give everyone a fair chance and narrow down the list of auto admits leaving the door open for other non-Top 10% students IMO.</p>
<p>A minimum SAT requirement defeats the purpose of the top ten law–to admit underserved students. Blacks and Hispanics and rural students have historically gone to underfunded, largely minority schools, and have not had the extracurricular opportunities or standardized test prep that suburban white kids have. They were systematically discriminated against for over a hundred years and the vestigies of that discrimination still last in this state. I won’t deny that many of those students are less prepared than students at suburban high schools, but that doesn’t mean that they are less deserving of a place at UT.</p>
<p>The law has already been narrowed down a bit, and there’s no chance of getting rural reps and minority reps to agree to change it much further. Be glad with what they’ve already given you.</p>