<p>I am from texas and I heard there is an automatic admission to the top 10% of graduates - by law.</p>
<p>I currently go to an extremely small school, like there is only one other girl in my grade. The entire high school is less than 10 people. </p>
<p>I want to become a pediatric psychiatrist not psychologist - I am aware of the differences.</p>
<p>So if there are only 2 people in my graduating class, would I qualify as the top 10%? What if I was the only one? Or if more people came in? </p>
<p>Is UT austin a good college for a career in psychiatry? Psychology would most likely be my major. Do SAT/ ACT scores count as much as rank? How would rank even work in such a small environment?
Is rank just dismissed due to how small my graduating class is? Or does it still count?</p>
<p>also does ut austin care about what school you actually went to, or do they just focus on rank/ percentile?</p>
<p>Also, is that the only catch to the law? as long as I am in the top ten percent (which again, I’m not sure how that will work due to how small my school is) then I can get into any public texas school? Do I need to take any ap or dual credit classes? My school, I will admit, is extremely easy. I want to go to public school for the first time next year, but I must also take the SAT and ACT and do well as I’ve already taken the sat twice (unaware that 3 times is usually the “max”) </p>
<p>and the education at my current school is not strong despite the average tuition costs (around 12k), so I’m not sure what to do. If I stay here I will obviously be in the top ten % (if that even applies to me), but I will not be very educated. If I choose a public or different private school, the education may be higher but also being in that top ten percent will be extremely difficult.</p>
<p>For automatic admission to UT-Austin, your GPA needs to be in the top applicable percentile of a public or private high school in Texas accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the United States Department of Defense. The upcoming application season threshold is 8%. This only applies to general admission. Specific majors and programs can be much more selective.</p>
<p>The applicable percentiles for auto admission to UT-Austin are decreasing over time:
Summer/fall 2013 & spring 2014 applicants: Top 8%
Summer/fall 2014 & spring 2015 applicants:Top 7%
Summer/fall 2015 & spring 2016 applicants: To be determined</p>
<p>Only 75% of each class is filled through auto admission. The balance is admitted through an application process. </p>
<p>Students who graduate in the top percentiles of their HS but who do not have a strong preparatory curriculum tend to not do well at UT-Austin. It is in your best interest to get the best high school education available to you. There are plenty of great colleges that will be open to you if you are not able to get into UT.</p>
<p>I doubt ranking in a class that small qualifies for topX%. You should check that with your school counselor. I know homeschoolers are given an estimated rank based on the public school they could have attended. </p>
<p>You can get ranked by going to a public school or private school that ranks for your junior year. Auto admit does not get you your choice of major, you have to meet a particular college’s requirements for them to accept you into that major. </p>
<p>PS For class of 2014, UTs auto admit is top 7%.</p>
<p>For UT-Austin the auto-admit for 2014 is set at 7%. A&M is at 10%. With your class being so small unless you are valedictorian it seems like you will not qualify for either auto-admit. You will have to go to the holistic review. </p>
<p>Taking AP and/or dual credit classes are normally helpful and increases your course rigor to be more competitive with the other students applying to UT. A good score on the SAT/ACT is very helpful. SAT of 2000+ or an ACT of 31+.</p>
<p>Give it a try. You never know what will happen.</p>
<p>Have you taken the SATs/ACTs? Have you taken any AP exams?</p>
<p>Psychiatry is a medical profession which comes after you graduate from an undergraduate college. So your undergrad school has no impact on a career in medicine, only how good your major is at that school.</p>
<p>If you don’t get accepted as a freshman, you get still get into UT under the CAP program. You attend a different school in the system, such as UT-San Antonio, and if your freshman grades meet the requirements, you can transfer to UT-Austin as a sophomore. My nephew had that option, but decided to go to school out of state instead.</p>
<p>It is very possible I become valedictorian (I mean come on, ONE other girl in my grade and who knows she might leave when I graduate in 2015, which leaves me no choice but to be valedictorian)</p>
<p>Also I have not taken any AP classes yet, but I want to start this year. I also want to do dual credit as well if possible (Through UTA) I have taken the SAT twice and ACT once, but I have no studied for them (okay, big mistake but there was a big misunderstanding about these tests)</p>
<p>And thanks mainelonghorn, I’ve heard of that option as well, but I’d really like to go to UT freshmen year IF possible with my circumstances…?</p>
<p>Yes, obviously. But since my current school isn’t big enough, and there are less than 10 people in my grade, I am wondering how that will work. Which is what I’m asking, under my circumstances.</p>
<p>I think you are pondering a hypothetical of an extremely small class size. This hypothetical is fully addressed by the rules. Firstly, a small high school has to fulfill the other conditions like being accredited and offering the Texas Reccommended high school curriculum.</p>
<p>Then the school has to have a ranking system and some schools don’t. Your rank x must then be calculated x/class size <= 0.07. Your counselor is then obliged to certify that you meet all the requirements for auto admit.</p>
<p>It is indeed accredited. And it does have a ranking system, so let’s say. Even with the small amount of people (seriously TWO people including myself next year in my junior year, more or less senior year) as long as it’s accredited and has a ranking system the auto admit will apply to me? </p>
<p>Also, on a somewhat different topic, let’s say I am in the top 5% of an accredited school with a ranking system, but my SAT/ ACT scores are low do I still get in because of the auto admit law?</p>
<p>As Billcsho pointed out, in a class size of two your rank is not top 7%.</p>
<p>1/2 * 100 = 50% which hurts you even in holistic review.</p>
<p>Whereas, top 3/50 * 100 = 6% so kid 1-3 out of a class of 50 qualify. The other 47 will need to go through holistic review where test scores, ECs etc. will get considered along with rank.</p>
<p>So even if I’m valedictorian that won’t really matter? Due to my class size? </p>
<p>So what IS my best option now? Stay at a small private school where I know my grades will be relatively averagehigh, or go to a public school for the first time and risk completely failing and ruining everything?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Go to public school if you can make top 7%. You have to check the school to see how rank is determined for transfers. </p></li>
<li><p>Go to another private school where they rank and you can make top 7%.</p></li>
<li><p>Homeschool and get a rank (from your district, I think). Much harder to guesstimate where you’ll be ranked.</p></li>
<li><p>Stay put and get great SAT or ACT scores, make your ECs shine, write very good essays, get very good recs and keep your fingers crossed for holistic admit.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The public school I’m thinking about has around 2360 kids from grades 10-12, I’m guessing it’s somewhat competitive? As it’s an IB school and a few people went to ivy league schools, I have no idea how the rest of the students are? Like if most are very competitive or if it’s just a few students? Which is doubtful. I COULD go to another public but I am not sure how much more competitive they are academically… </p>
<p>Homeschool isn’t really something I’d be willing to commit to. </p>
<p>Okay, after lots of thinking I’ve decided to maybe include private colleges as well, and if I am correct private colleges don’t care about rank, correct? Mainly just GPA, and sat/ act scores and maybe ec’s? </p>
<p>So If i want to go to public school, then yes the options you’ve listed are my only options - leaning towards public. </p>
<p>But if I want to go to private then I should stay where I am where I know I will have an average-high gpa, and can spend most of my time on the SAT/ ACT.</p>
<p>But If i want to go to a public college then I should go to public school and study hard and try to be in the top quartile at LEAST so I could get into A&M (academic way, not auto admit), and hopefully ut if I somehow miraculously am in the top 7% (but who knows by 2015 it could be down to top 5%)</p>
<p>But then all of this really depends on my major, I would like to major in psychology as I plan on being a psychiatrist (yes I know the difference between this and a psychologist) and I heard UT has a great psychology program, what about A&M in college station? Are there are any good schools in texas with a very good psychology program? If so, would you mind listing them? I guess THIS is where I decide which school I attend next year</p>