<p>Hi Everyone….
It’s been a while but thankfully, business has been good and I am looking forward to the “slow” season.
As we shop for colleges (daughter is a junior who wants to be done with the choice and application process as soon as possible because of very competitive marching band) the evolution of the process has surprised me. As many of you know our daughter was 100% Ivy League focused, determined to be educated in the northeast, etc. (Until her summer at an Ivy where she decided she hated the weather, thought it was too liberal, etc.) She always said she would apply to 10 schools, a few reaches, lots of targets and of course a safety. The University of Texas at Austin has always been her safety and has never been a serious consideration of hers until this fall. Dad took her to a game which of course in his football head thought would seal the deal (he has been pro UT the whole time…me not so much…too big, too close to home, too “normal” etc.) She came home with a “just ok.” Then we went on an “official” visit a few weeks ago and to my utter shock, fell in love. It was the first time she ever said she “loved” a school. She went on and on how UT was not a college, but a culture. Now, with that said, she still feels in order to enjoy the education, she will want to be in an honors program (either Plan II or Dean Scholars and hopefully both) and her stats are typical of honor students here. But we all know there are no done deals anywhere. The admission to the University is not the issue here. I really worry about the honors part. I am afraid that she wants to put all her eggs in the UT basket and if that honors acceptance does not come through, it would be disappointing for her. She is acting as if she will apply nowhere else (her attitude is why?) and frankly it leaves me a bit befuddled. Any advise?</p>
<p>Some good advice I read here was to find several safeties. That way she has a choice when the time comes. She has the rest of this year to pull her marks/SAT’s up a little if that is an issue getting into the honors program at UT. </p>
<p>good luck</p>
<p>I was shocked at how much my son changed between the beginning of senior year and to when a decision had to be made by May 1. I say, be enthusiastic and be patient. As you’ve said, she is but a junior and a lot of maturing (mind-changing) can happen between now and then. Focus on what it was about the culture that she found appealing and if this is her first “official” visit, know that there might be more love in the future. Kids this age; they can be a fickle bunch.</p>
<p>Maybe she’ll like Rice. Top academics, Texas weather…</p>
<p>I have often found that “average” courses can be as challenging to teach as the “honors” courses. “Honors” classes tend to attract the hard workers, which is great. But they are sometimes also quieter and more introverted, and the classes aren’t always as much fun.</p>
<p>If she really likes the school don’t encourage the Honors designation as the deal breaker.</p>
<p>That’s just my advise. YMMV.</p>
<p>I’ve found that even the most “definite” teens change their minds… repeatedly, and not always for reasons that we understand - although the reasons make perfect sense to the kids. I wouldn’t sweat any of this yet - your kid is a junior. Don’t get serious about any of this till at least after Christmas, probably till February. Still leaves plenty of time for looking.</p>
<p>^My son is a senior in the middle of the college application process and, I swear, he changes his mind weekly. The only thing that’s going to save us is that he’s running out of time to submit applications.</p>
<p>Some kids know exactly where they want to go and that’s it. Realistically, a lot of kids change their minds all the way up until decision day. I wouldn’t sweat it. Chances are very, very high she will be in a different frame of mind come senior year - especially once college becomes the topic of conversation with her friends. Right now it’s all hypothetical - the fun really starts when it’s time to apply :)</p>
<p>One of my sons’ classmates was denied a spot in the honors programs despite near perfect SATs and what is considered an excellent transcript at a particular private school that does not weight classes and has a very low grading curve. He just missed the gpa for honors despite the fact that he took very difficult courses at a very high standard.</p>
<p>He went to the school anyways, got into the honors program the following year and has now graduated and is going to a top law school. He did graduate summa cum laude. So that one year of missing the honors program was no big deal at all 4 years later. He loved the college.</p>
<p>S1, a typical “CC type” student, knew by his junior yr. that our big state u. was what he wanted and never waivered. We tried to get him to consider others and he did apply to two other schools but had no real interest in either of them. He went on a full-ride, turned down the honors program invite, went with the regular classes, graduated magna cum laude and overall had a great four years. </p>
<p>It is good to have choices but if she sticks with UT as her favorite, I wouldn’t try to dissuade her because it’s too “normal”. Some kids change their minds and some just make up their mind and go with it. Bottom line is, it’s their choice.</p>
<p>I think that it’s normal for kids to change a lot as they actually participate in the college search process. In the beginning, it’s very hard for a high school student to “know” what they want. Often times they’ll go with what they heard or what they fantasize or what their friends/parents/teachers think a “good” college is. For example, they’ll be Ivy League driven just because it’s the Ivy League and who wouldn’t want to go to Harvard, Princeton, or Yale? But then as they start to actually visit colleges, and experience what’s out there, their perceptions are bound to change. And then hopefully they find something that clicks. And when it does, it can be a powerful thing. </p>
<p>A lot of women at my college (Smith) would talk about how when they went to visit, they just “knew” it just “felt” right, they couldn’t explain it, it just was. Maybe your D is the same with UT. Anyway, if she think she would be happy there, then that’s great. </p>
<p>The most important thing is to just keep reminding her to apply to a lot of different kinds of schools, even if UT is her favorite thus far. She can have a favorite and still keep her options open.</p>
<p>What are your D’s chances of getting into UT’s honors? And, if she doesn’t get in, can she reapply once she’s there?</p>
<p>BTW…my kids love their honors courses. If UT honors does things similarly, the classes are small and often the kids sit around in a circle or at a conference table. A lot of discussion, a lot of “give and take.” </p>
<p>However, if UT’s honors admission requires that all kids have like an ACT 34 or similar, then I guess there might be too many shy brainy types that might not speak up.</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore at UT… He was national merit finalist, eagle scout etc etc of course top 10 % of class.</p>
<p>UT is a certain type fo college experience and an outstanding example of that… the big school / everything is here and on and on </p>
<p>I have mellowed greatly on colleges after two sons … The bottom line is that with a degree (especially an undergrad degree) from UT, AND if you pursue opportunities and interests at UT --your future is not limited in the least by that degree…What more could you ask for</p>
<p>Also remember ( no matter what you think of the concept) almost every student your child will be with will be int eh top 10% of their HS class</p>
<p>“What are your D’s chances of getting into UT’s honors? And, if she doesn’t get in, can she reapply once she’s there?”</p>
<p>She is your typical high achiever. She will have 14 + AP classes under her belt at graduation, pulls 95’s and above in each class. Top 1/2 % of her class. Very strong leadership position in her EC’s, state level in her EC also. Loves working at the hospital…over 300 hours this year alone. I think her chances are really good. She is a very good writer and is warming to the idea of Plan II. The more she looks deeply into it, the more she likes it. Her SAT’s should be fine. Waiting on PSAT scores, but 10th grade scores were good. BUT, as we all know, she is one of many that could show numbers that way. So who knows.</p>
<p>She is a great kid and I am sure she will be fine. I just hope she is choosing UT because she truly loves it, not because it is the easy choice.</p>
<p>For the record, just because the honors program is full of people with good test scores doesn’t mean that no one will talk, and could mean quite the opposite. My undergrad was tiny and packed with dorks, and most classes were far more lively than anything I’ve taken or taught at UT. YMMV.</p>
<p>UT-Austin has a good reputation, be thankful she has a good safety. Use spring break to tour other schools of similar caliber in regions of the country that appeal to you/her. Tell her she needs to see some other schools for comparison. My gifted son was picky and wouldn’t apply to many schools either. Be happy she likes the school for non sports reasons, ie not just the football games. Other schools with some of the campus culture elements she liked would be good for her to see. You will have to have her identify what made the campus feel good to her and find some other schools with good academics that have her priorities. She may have liked the comfort of the culture she grew up with so nearby institutions may be in her comfort zone. I am no help- Texas is not my area of knowledge, and we like the most liberal schools… Good luck- you have 12 more months to go.</p>
<p>Post 12 is just so sane and balanced. (Not that the others aren’t!) I wish this could be the Stickie atop every Ivy forum here, as well as the Admissions Forum. It’s not just about UT, but about many other places. The story is a little paradigm that lots of students and lots of parents (most of whom are probably not on CC!) could benefit from.</p>
<p>UT Austin sounds like a great choice.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, you might want to bring up three things.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Applications to almost all colleges become available during the summer before senior year, teachers’ agreements to write recommendations can be secured in the spring of junior year, and standardized tests can be completed in the winter and spring of junior year in almost all cases. Therefore, if your daughter is concerned about the bulk of the work of the college application process falling during marching band season, there are things she can do to avoid it.</p></li>
<li><p>Does she want to try to be in the UT-Austin marching band? If so, she may want to investigate how competitive it is to get in.</p></li>
<li><p>How will she feel if she is admitted to UT-Austin but not to its honors program? Is this an important issue for her, as it seems to be for you?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I know I go to an Ivy and should not even be concerned about this. But this thread reminded me of just how much I loved UT. If it wasn’t for prestige and financial aid I would have been there. Is it sad that I am wishing I went to UT right now? I really loved that school. </p>
<p>I don’t think your daughter will have any problem getting into the honors college. When I applied last year I got into engineering honors and my class rank was only about top 3% and I had a 34 on the ACT (be sure your daughter takes this test as well). For Plan 2 though you have to make sure that the essays are killer as they are heavily weighted.</p>