<p>I'm very interested in going to the University of Texas-Austin for petroleum engineering. One of the harder majors to get. Chemical engineering would be my second choice.</p>
<p>About Me....</p>
<p>High School Class of 2014
UGPA: 3.9/4.0
WGPA: 5.1/6.0
Rank: Competitive non-ranking Texas High School and I'm not in the top 7%. I don't know where I stand but a guess is around the 12% mark for a class of 700. My competitive high school sent kids to Stanford, Princeton, MIT, Chicago, Georgetown, etc plus 60 to UT this year.<br>
ACT: 33 Composite (35 Math; 35 English; 33 Science; 29 Reading)</p>
<p>AP classes (APUSH, Calc B/C, Psychology, English, etc), dual credit classes and honors classes. Scores of 4 in all of the AP tests so far. Sure I wanted a 5 but a 4 will work.</p>
<p>School awards for digital graphics and physics.
Football, baseball and summer lacrosse.
National Honor Society 10, 11, 12
Leader of Student Response Team as selected by teachers.</p>
<p>3 year Captain and leader of fund raising event for cancer.
3 year mentor and leader for middle school kids through community program.
Coach and helper for local Challenger Baseball League for mentally and physically challenged athletes.</p>
<p>Did summer intern work for a small oil company covering many facets of production.
Employed junior/senior years as a math and reading tutor. (15 hours per week) </p>
<p>Good rec letters and currently working on applications and essays. </p>
<p>So what do you think? Can I get into UT-Austin and engineering? I know I'm and auto-admit to A&M but I prefer UT. I've also applied to Alabama due to the scholarship and guaranteed engineering but it would be chemical and not petroleum.</p>
<p>Alright so here is where you stand, you don’t fall under auto-admit. Your ACT score is great! You have your Calculus 1&2 completed through CAL:BC. You were captain of some clubs and have summer work experience. If you can get yourself 2-3 letters of recommendations you have a good shot…</p>
<p>Here is what I’d recommend, mark PE as your first choice major and then mark something not in the engineering school as your second choice major. Worst case senario you will get into UT just not as a PE… However you can transfer into PE after a year. (This is no big deal because in your first year you would be getting alot of prereqs done) Your situation is tricky because UT is all about top 7% when coming from HS but your academic standing scores, clubs, and internships give you a REALLY competitive edge.</p>
<p>Also just so you know, UT doesn’t care what HS you go to as long as its in Texas.</p>
<p>If I had to give you an approximation I’d say you have an 80% chance getting into PE, 90% chance getting into UT w/ a major and a near 95% chance getting in as undeclared. It all is really up to whoever reviews your application…</p>
<p>I agree with most of what oatman says. From my knowledge UT does look at your high school profile and history of success at UT. Good schools with a good track record give you an extra edge that other schools may not have. That appears to be evident in the number of kids your school sent to UT. </p>
<p>I’ve heard from many saying essays are the key. Turn in a killer essay and even though you are not top 7% you have a good shot. You’re stats are better than most who are not auto-admit and better than many who are auto-admit. The 7% rule makes admission tough.</p>
<p>For me this degree looks more similar to PE than Chemical Engineering.
And School of Geosciences is less competitive than College of Engineering. it is very small and often simply overlooked.</p>
<p>From what I’ve heard and read it seems that is harder to transfer into engineering than it is to get in as a freshman. I will have to think about what to put as a second major.</p>
<p>I say go for it. The waiting part is the hardest. No one’s word on this forum has any weight to the decision UT will ultimately make. Hopefully, you are applying to other schools as well and don’t get your hopes up too much for any one school.</p>
<p>Your stats are very similar to my S’s. He was admitted but he decided to be an Aggie! He was not an auto admit, but was top 10% at a high school that sounds exactly like yours! (UT does look at the high school…especially for engineering…although not stated in any of their literature of course!) But it is that 35 in math that will really help you!<br>
Also, be sure and do the optional essay. My S wrote about how/why he knew engineering was for him! Your essays will be quite important!
Best Wishes!</p>
<p>also…my D will graduate in engineering from UT this fall. She started out in undergraduate studies and transferred into engineering sophomore year. She did have almost all a’s and took the required math courses. As long as a student keeps grades way way up…transferring into engineering is doable. But PE and Chem E are most competitive!</p>
<p>@lisiatc I know the waiting will be the hardest. Hopefully I will hear early. I know no one here has any weight but some do have knowledge and maybe some inside knowledge. Yes I’m applying to a few other schools and several of them I’m an auto-admit so I do have a backup plan. Just hoping for UT!</p>
<p>@schmegel That is good to know. I took the ACT a couple of times and got 35 on math both times. Hopefully that helps. I’ve also heard about the unstated process of looking at the applicant’s high school’s history and reputation. I am doing all 3 essays and I had already written about why engineering is for me. I also talked about my summer internship at the oil and gas company. I think have some solid essays and hopefully all these little things add up.</p>
<p>Now on to the common app for some high reach schools.</p>
<p>Well I’m officially admitted to A&M as of today into engineering with a “preference” for petroleum. A&M no longer admits to specific engineering disciplines. </p>
<p>Congrat’s tjdTexas on a&m admission. Wow, I’d like to hear more about the engineering admissions. I wonder how they handle the students who go in with most/all their first year courses. My son was able to go ahead and take sophomore classes in his major. How will they handle moving into the specific majors later?</p>
<p>Congratulations Tjd. Any differences between engineering at A&M and UT are not material at the undergraduate level – both schools are excellent, both schools have several top 10/top 20 concentrations, and both schools love to tell everyone how highly they are ranked in these concentrations. I believe the Petroleum Eng programs are highly ranked at both schools.</p>
<p>As to using external coursework or AP scores for college credit, I recommend taking a cautious approach to using STEM external credits. Definitely take all the credits you can in non-STEM classes (History, English, Government, etc.), but seriously consider taking, say, calculus second time (Math 408-something I think) even if you scored a 5 on the AP exam. Same goes for physics. </p>
<p>The primary danger being getting your physics or applied engineering classes ahead of your math skills. Build the math skills first, then physics, and then the applied physics (e.g., engineering). If possible, FINISH your calculus sequence before taking the electricity & magnetism physics class (course #2). Now, for many that means using that 4 or 5 on the AP calculus exam and getting into the second calculus class. I get that. I’m not opposed. It’s just that taking it all a second time really helps it all sink in.</p>
<p>FormerProf, My son was admitted to A&M Engineering. His preference is Chemical Engineering. He wants to have a job in Oil and Gas company in Houston. Shall he choose Chemical or Mechanic Engineering? Sounds like CE is very hard but pay more and ME is more versatile. And which major does Oil and Gas Company prefer to recruit? Thanks.</p>
<p>Summer – I think Chem E is better for the O&G industry. It’s a hard major, but there is a reason Chem E grads get paid well. </p>
<p>I think of Mechanical Engineering as the ‘generic’, jack-of-all-trades engineering major. My dad was trained as a mechanical engineer and he spent 40+ years in the aerospace industry. It’s a very flexible major. Chem E is more specialized.</p>
<p>A benefit to some of pursuing the Chem E route is that you’re also well positioned to run a micro brewery (beer, whisky, other spirits). Lots of growth in this area of late. One of my college roommates was a Chem E and he’d loved making homemade beer – not my style, but different strokes for different folks. </p>
<p>Chemical engineering grads can work jobs refining oil or refining something else …</p>
<p>Tjd , since you are admitted by a & m, and still waiting for UT austin. Did you accept offer via AIS? Or we can leave it till 5/1/14. Will that affect admission to a and m if we wait that long to accept the admission?</p>
<p>I have not accepted since I have until 5/1/14 as you said. I did apply for housing just in case I go there so I will be fairly high in the housing queue. Waiting doesn’t affect the A&M admission.</p>
<p>I’ve UT may start admitting the autos in November. I may have to wait until February which is when they notified most applicants last year.</p>
Yes I’m applying to a few other schools and several of them I’m an auto-admit so I do have a backup plan. Just hoping for UT!</p>