<p>Youdon'tsay, my oldest is a senior at UF and is right this minute sitting on the front row of section 156 in the endzone for the UF/OU game. I am praying with all my might (although God may be a bit busy to listen to me about such a trivial thing) that the Gators can win this game!!!!</p>
<p>UF has been wonderful to my son, they welcomed him with open arms, begging him to come there with a full ride and stipend versus the reception he got from UT - which was eventually gaining acceptance in April after stringing him along (he wasn't top 10%) with a pittance (their version of a NMF scholarship). So tonight, and for much of the last 3 1/2 years, I've been a Gator fan! ;)</p>
<p>Of course, my second son is a deliriously happy sophomore at UT, home for break, so I'll have to keep my Gator rabidity under wraps (oh, and there's that little point about my husband playing for the Longhorns back in the 80's, there's a bit of alliegience there, lol).</p>
<p>Dang!!! I have a 3.65 GPA and that barely gets me into the top 50% at my public high school. The average SAT is around 1200 in a class of over 700 students where almost everybody takes the test. I may not be in the top 10% but that doesn't mean that I don't work hard!! I have 4 AP classes this year...physics, calculus, statistics, and Gov. I work much harder than many of the top 10% students who only take super easy classes just to keep their GPA up...and I mean SUPER easy. I don't think that being in the top 10% of your class actually means all that much if it doesn't take into consideration what the actual classes taken are. And I will have to disagree with many of the parents in this thread....top 10% does not mean that you work hard....it can easily mean that you are slacker more interested in how you look on paper than in actual learning. I would never give up my B's in tough classes for an A in computer tech or math applications. So those kids automatically get in but I would have to go into an applicant pool and compete for any remaining spots..... Not fair!</p>
<p>ag, I forgot about your Gator son!!! How exciting for him to be at the game. We must PM later about how he got that full ride at UF.</p>
<p>Gators just scored! Woot!</p>
<p>boomu, I totally agree with this sentiment: "top 10% does not mean that you work hard....it can easily mean that you are slacker more interested in how you look on paper than in actual learning."</p>
<p>And let's not forget how the proposed Uniform GPA could change things up. Unless that's also on the list of things for the Legislature to repeal.</p>
<p>I hadn't quite connected the dots here....seems that Powers' recent (lobbying) appearance at a "legislative preview meeting" was because the Texas legislature is due to review the top 10% rule this coming 2009 session.... Legislators</a> face slimmer budget : State : Abilene Reporter-News</p>
<p>
[quote]
The top 10 percent rule, which allows high school students graduating in the top 10 percent of their class automatic admission to state public colleges, and tuition deregulation also will be reviewed this session.
<p>Ugh.... This is like Groundhog Day! I have noticed a trend of kids going out of state the first year and transferring into UT sophomore year with no problem.</p>
<p>My son - incredibly - was the first hand Tebow shook when he went over after the game to shake the fan's hands!!! We DVR'd the game and were able to take a picture. It was an amazing conclusion for him for an amazing 4 years at UF!!!</p>
<p>RE: UT and transferring:</p>
<p>Also, kids have very little trouble transferring from ACC after getting 30 hours. Get a 4.0 at the community college (not very hard) and you're in. Better than the CAP program because you're in Austin and can get the 30 hours by Xmas of your freshman year if you have some credit going in.</p>
<p>At the risk of offending my cyber-friend xiggi, I'll repeat a post that I made pages ago. IMO, one thing the Univ of California got right was that the University itself decides class rank based on University-approved courses. Thus, the University of California does not care one whit how an individual high school ranks its own students bcos the UC re-ranks those same kids based on the Univeristy's own, approved academic criteria. Voila: the University has "control" over its own admissions.</p>
<p>We've got to remember that the top 10% rule was put into place when the Texas system of affirmative action was struck down by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. I remember the days of special benefits going to "Spanish surnamed" Americans. Remember when Tony Sanchez ran for governor? At the time, his personal wealth was estimated at $600 million. His ancestors left Spain in 1690 and settled in Texas in 1755. I'm sure everyone would agree that his kids shouldn't receive preference in college admissions, but under system where you get preference if you check a "minority" box, they would receive it. In that way, the top 10% rule seemed more fair. But it's obviously flawed, too.</p>
<p>
[quote]
At the risk of offending my cyber-friend xiggi, I'll repeat a post that I made pages ago. IMO, one thing the Univ of California got right was that the University itself decides class rank based on University-approved courses. Thus, the University of California does not care one whit how an individual high school ranks its own students bcos the UC re-ranks those same kids based on the Univeristy's own, approved academic criteria. Voila: the University has "control" over its own admissions.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Have no fear of offending me, BB! For starters, this is an issue that is highly volatile and does not offer any easy solutions. Obviously, because it invariably pits people who might benefit from the system against "losers" any attempts to amend the system has been derailed. One reality that is inescapable is that the school cannot move in the direction of having to accept close to 100% of automatic admissions. In fact, I believe that the system might collapse if more automatic admitted students would accept the offer of UT at Austin instead of staying closer to home or in an environment that is racially closer to their kin. </p>
<p>Fwiw, I do not believe that the real problem is controlling the integrity of admissions (which classes count in the ranking) or establishing a more universal system. The issue is that the school cannot grow and that the 10% ratio is too high for a system that pretends to rely on holistic admissions. </p>
<p>Interestingly enough, one "solution" that has been discussed is to raise the level of more universities in Texas. For instance, UTEP (one of the worst UT schools) has announced they plan to become a First Tier university. </p>
<p>No easy road for Texas, especially since the attraction of UT at Austin in much stronger than all remaining schools.</p>
<p>I am in favor of the "top 10% rule". I like the fact that students from every city from the very tiny to the very large ISD's have the same opportunities to go to UT. Students from a redneck city like say, Jasper go to classes and live in the same dorms as some students from an urban school like Houston. Students from Brownsville, Texas have the same chance as some student from Southlake, Texas.</p>
<p>The "top 10% rule" gives every student in Texas the same chance.</p>
<p>Just work hard and get into the top ten percent I'm not trying to be rude, but when high school started people kept talking about the top ten percent, so I wanted to be in it. So I worked hard and got in. I don't understand what the problem is, it is fair to everyone at that high school. Even if other high schools are different it doesn't matter bc for public at least, you don't get to pick which high school you go to.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Just work hard and get into the top ten percent I'm not trying to be rude, but when high school started people kept talking about the top ten percent, so I wanted to be in it. So I worked hard and got in. I don't understand what the problem is, it is fair to everyone at that high school.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>More accurately, just work hard, get As in 12 AP classes, drop your sport and any other non-weighted courses by 11th grade, and get into the top ten percent.</p>
<p>^^I was already in the top ten percent by then, but i was only 26 so I dropped those courses and am now 13, so yeah. Do the above. Oh and that is really creepy, that you know those things, bc I have no idea who you are.</p>
<p>Moreover, ppl overestimate the diffucult of AP classes. Sure only like 7 out of 60 people get A's (like in my AP Biology class) or (AP english) but as long as you are one there shouldn't be a problem.</p>
<p>I know a lot of people have suggested alternative proposals. Here's one more. How about:
Top 5% of each TX graduating class gets in automatically (to let in kids from every rural school, every inner city school) Next 5% of each TX graduating class gets in automatically if the student's SAT or ACT score is in the 90th percentile or higher.</p>
<p>That’s the theory in real estate, and new research suggests that the same theory may apply to graduation rates, too. Attend a more selective institution and you are more likely to graduate. That may not seem shocking, if you assume that better students attend more competitive institutions. But the new study focuses on the impact of the “10 percent” admissions system in Texas and was done in a way that challenges the theory of “minority mismatch,” in which some critics of affirmative action say that graduation rates for minority students would be better if they attended institutions they could enroll at without any special admissions system in place.</p>
<p>The key finding is that minority students in Texas are significantly more likely to graduate if they enroll at a competitive institution through the 10 percent plan than if they enroll at a less competitive, and theoretically easier, institution. In fact the only minority students who don’t appear to benefit from 10 percent are those who are below the top decile of their high school classes and who might have previously won admission to a highly competitive institution, but now frequently lose their spots and end up at other institutions. These students see a decline in graduation rates.
<p>
[quote]
The key finding is that minority students in Texas are significantly more likely to graduate if they enroll at a competitive institution through the 10 percent plan than if they enroll at a less competitive, and theoretically easier, institution.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Oh what a revelation! </p>
<p>Now factor in the considerably lesser quality and dedication of teachers in lesser competitive schools systems. Not only did the families who were able to migrate to the suburbs, so were the teachers! </p>
<p>Again, school choice works very well in the United States. Unfortunately, it only works for people who can pay for private schools or afford to move to the spanking new suburbs where the value of the real estate helps "separating" the population based on SES if not racial differences. </p>
<p>There are many reasons why schools systems such as Southlake-Carroll are better than Dallas ISD. The top 10% system is not one of the main ones.</p>
<p>UT's engineering school ranks third nationally in graduating diverse engineers. "The entire university ranks eighth in the nation in graduating minorities."</p>