To: Class of 2017+ From: Class of 2016

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
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<p>I thought we could pass some knowledge on to the Juniors that will be applying come this fall. What have you learned through applying?</p>

<p>1) Don't be afraid to apply if you're outside of 9%. I can't stress this enough. No matter how much CC tells you it is hard to get in without 9%, it is very much possible and within reach.</p>

<p>2) Send in those updated transcripts! Though UT does not explicitly state that they take seventh-semester High School transcripts, SEND THEM IN! I moved from 62/498 (12.4%) to 43/462 (9.3%) during the first semester of senior year, sent my updated transcript to UT on the 30th of January, and it was in MyStatus on February 3rd.</p>

<p>3) Retake your standardized tests, and remember that UT will accept test scores until the end of December, at least, for class of 2016 decisions they did. It is not too late! </p>

<p>4) Automatic Admits are guaranteed their majors in CNS, COLA, and UGS. If you are a non-automatic-admit, DO NOT BE AFRAID because friends are getting their majors already. I speak from experience when I say that January was a terrifying month.</p>

<p>5) Fill your housing app (The 50$ fee) as soon as possible after you apply. This gets you easily into good housing later.</p>

<p>6) Send in everything you can to improve your chances of admission. Got letters of recommendation? Send those in. Got a resume? No? Make one, and send it in.</p>

<p>That's all I've got for now.</p>

<p>Good luck, and Hook 'em!</p>

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<p>I was top 30% ( competitive high school that sends 70 kids to UT each year) with 33 ACT and was accepted, you definitely don’t need to be top 8/9%</p>

<p>OMG on #2… they explicitly said this year that they would NOT update ranks. ( if i wasnt accepted id be ****ed) Guess it doesn’t matter but on their site it says so. I would still send them in though… just in case (as long as your rank improved)</p>

<p>7) DON’T try to gauge your chances. They change every year and the auto-admit rule makes admission for non-auto applicants VERY unpredictable. For example, I got in but my friend ( top 12%, NMF, 2180 SAT, lots of extracurrics) got CAP’d!! In other words, unless you are automatic… UT is never a safety school!</p>

<p>(on #5) Housing assignments are prioritized by when you payed this fee… NOT by when you are accepted/enroll. So definitely do it ASAP!</p>

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<p>I would have to disagree with you on #4)</p>

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<p>It is definitely true that the majority of admits are automatic, however it definitely isn’t impossible to get in even if your class rank isn’t one of your highlights. I am in the top 17% and I was accepted. It seems that much of your chance of being admitted is unpredictable; UT considers may aspects of your app. (agreeing with TexRose).</p>

<p>good luck to everyone and HOOK EM!</p>

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<p>The tip about paying for housing early cannot be stressed enough. If you go to a UT informational session during your Junior year or whenever, they’ll tell you that it doesn’t matter when you apply as long as you get your application in before the deadline (because UT doesn’t do rolling admissions). However true this is, the earlier you send in your application, the earlier you can apply for housing.</p>

<p>Right now (as admissions decisions are released) you can see a lot of people on this board freaking out (including myself) because they just sent in their $50 housing deposit. Don’t let that be you. It’s an easy thing to do and the cost is minimal.</p>

<hr>

<p>I’d also like to emphasize the idea that you shouldn’t count yourself out due to a low class rank. I’m rank 63 in a class of 194. Not even top 25% (or 30% for that matter). If you have good test scores, good essays, and a strong transcript (AP classes) you should keep hope.</p>

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<p>Lesiva</p>

<p>Actually UT does rolling admissions for Automatic Admits, usually within 2 weeks after the last document is submitted.
My DD was Automatic Admit in September, she got into her major in October because she scheduled her last test October 1, put this date in her application and we had to wait for results.
If you schedule your last test in the end of December as luminne suggested then UT will not even look at your application until January.</p>

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<p>You guys are making me feel so much better about admissions next year so, 1) even if im not addmitted when I apply yet i should still apply for housing like can someone explain to me how that all works and 2) what happens if you apply for housing and you arent admitted, do you get a refund orsomething?</p>

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<p>I absolutely agree with #1.
I was accepted a couple of days ago OOS. I had good EC’s, ACT & recs, but my GPA wasn’t the best.
CC freaked me out all senior year because it seemed like everyone that got in was superhuman and I, in comparison, had little to no chance of getting in. I also agree with #6, I think my extra letter of rec from my boss really helped me.
But I really think that these boards shouldn’t be taken so seriously, as I unfortunately took them, and i think everyone who thinks they can should apply!</p>

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<p>Take #1 with a grain of salt. I was just rejected with these stats: </p>

<p>-In-State, top 50 U.S High School 3.6 UW, 3.9 W: Non-ranking school
-National Merit Commended Scholar
-AP Scholar
-1400 M+CR, 30 ACT
-Varsity wrestler, Co-Captain of the team
-795 Volunteer Hours
-Summa Cum Laude on National Latin Exam
-Head pizza chef at a restaurant for 3 years
-7 AP classes senior year including AP chem, AP bio, AP calc, AP stats
-Great essays, 2 great letters of Rec. from science and english teacher
-Texas state representative whom i volunteered with also sent a rec. letter to Mr. Powers</p>

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<p>Can someone please possibly answer my question?!?</p>

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<p>^Mlihp1, 1-yes, put your $50 deposit down as soon as you apply, 2-it is non-refundable if you are not admitted. See this great summary re: housing: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-texas-austin/624963-campus-housing-timeline.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-texas-austin/624963-campus-housing-timeline.html&lt;/a&gt; See, also, the current housing page: <a href=“http://bealonghorn.utexas.edu/freshmen/housing[/url]”>http://bealonghorn.utexas.edu/freshmen/housing&lt;/a&gt; Read the Be a Longhorn site inside and out, drilling down all the links, if you are really serious about applying. It will answer all of your questions. Good luck. Hook 'em!</p>

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<p>Thanks you so much:)</p>

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<p>@Ya Ya
I wasn’t aware that automatics had rolling admission.</p>

<p>I do know that when I went to an informational session I was told that UT recommends students take their time in filling out their applications because the review process doesn’t take into account the date that the application was submitted. I guess this is just for review admits, or whatever they’re termed.</p>

<p>Anyway, I think we can agree that the earlier the application is submitted, the better. If not for getting admittance to the college, definitely for ensuring housing.</p>

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<p>YES, submit your $50 EARLY. Especially if you want San Jac.</p>

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<p>There was an advice I read on this forum a few months that I think everyone needs to keep in mind when applying. Don’t play the if game!</p>

<p>If this is the school you want to go to, give it 110%; don’t allow yourself to ever think that you could have changed something After the entire admissions process is over with that could have helped you (Trust me, not a fun feeling). </p>

<p>1.) When you finish those two essays and you feel like they are the greatest peices of work you’ve ever written, look over it again. Then have your family, friends, or teachers read them. If they’re not the great essays you know they can be, re-write then. Don’t just push it off and say ‘I’ve worked on it long enough, it’ll do’.</p>

<p>2.) If essays aren’t your strong point, maybe reasoning tests are. Take the SAT and ACT seriously. Some find one test to be easier than the other. Take both tests to find the one that suits your strong points. If you don’t perform well the first time, try a second time. Can’t pay to take it even the first time, let alone a second time? Ask your counselors for a waiver. There are ways to take the tests for free in addition to free study material.</p>

<p>3.) Get involved. I’m not sure about the other schools, but especially McCombs now, they seem to really be emphasizing extra curriculum and non-academic activities. Work a job, get an internship, start a business, run for class president, join a team, do something! You’ve seen the kind of stats that people boast about, but you’ve also seen the ones that people don’t mention until they become the great exeption. Academic stats don’t tell the whole story and I believe this area is one that plays a key role in getting in despite not being at the ‘top of your class’.</p>

<p>4.) Actually go through with all the advice on this thread and the one others give you! Don’t make the mistakes and THEN come here asking for advice or looking for a fix. Because I bet only 1/10 of those problems can be patched while the other 9/10th can only be fixed if you invent a time machine.</p>

<p>@Lesiva Yeah, people really need to pay attention to that one. I was one of the goof balls who thought it was a good idea to submit my entire application the very hour the system began accepting applications … my essays defintely were not ready.</p>

<p>@jd989898 Oh wow, I’m sorry to hear that jd. That’s just insane. With those stats … ughh. Admissions process … you both astound and annoy me.</p>

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<p>Lesiva
Here - 09/04/2011 and people are already accepted.:slight_smile:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-texas-austin/1204967-automatic-admission.html?highlight=accepted[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-texas-austin/1204967-automatic-admission.html?highlight=accepted&lt;/a&gt;
It looks like business majors have to wait pretty long, McCombs being the most competitive school at UT</p>

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<p>My advice, besides everyone else’s:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>GET YOUR SATs/ACTs DONE EARLY. I got them done as a junior - my school, and I’m sure a lot of other public schools, offer a waiver on the June SATs, so I went ahead and just took a free SATs. But wrap them up as a junior, so you don’t have to worry about them as a senior.</p></li>
<li><p>If you’re in state, take advantage of Texas Common App opening on August 1st. Get that sucker done as early as possible. You’re not in school yet, so I would definitely take the time to fill out the form when Common App opens. Also, if possible, and if you have a lot of time on your hands, start working on your Essays A and B in the summer. </p></li>
<li><p>Myedu.com. I know there aren’t too many juniors obsessing over future teachers, but as a senior dealing with not only senioritis but a lot of time on my hands, I’m spending time looking through UT’s courses catalogues and researching potential professors on Myedu and Rate My Prof, that way you have an idea of the classes you want ahead of time.</p></li>
<li><p>Whatever College you’re looking at, really examine every link and info page that their website has to offer. I lucked out when I applied to the Plan II Honors because their website is honestly the best that I’ve seen in terms of available information and links and tips and whatnot. So really look through your college’s website and see what helpful information they have to offer.</p></li>
</ol>

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<p>Visit campus!! Go to Discover UT. take a tour. If you’re auto admit, DON’T blow off your app. If you’re trying for a competitive major, youre not auto into that so write good essays, take your tests well, and get involved.</p>

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<ol>
<li>Academics aren’t everything at UT like you might have heard. My friend got in with a 1050 SAT, and he wasn’t even in the top 10%.</li>
<li>Apply for housing early, as others have stated. I plan on living off-campus because I didn’t know to put in a deposit and I have no desire to live in Jester.</li>
<li>For Engineering, SAT is more important than rank.
In my class: the #7/600 kid with a 1300 SAT got denied altogether,
the #2/600 kid with a 29 ACT didn’t get into biomedical, but electrical,
the #8/600 kid with a 30 ACT didn’t get into biomedical, but electrical,
whereas I was 30ish/600 with a 1430 SAT/33 ACT, and I got into biomed (even though I applied later)</li>
<li>@Ya Ya^^^McCombs is NOT the most competitive school at UT, Cockrell is.</li>
<li>A visit isn’t entirely necessary. I went on one, and it basically just confirmed what I thought about UT before.</li>
<li>Slack off second semester, because those grades DON’T MATTER! YAY!</li>
<li>AP CREDIT AP CREDIT AP CREDIT! I can’t stress this enough. UT accepts most AP credit. The football seating (as I’ve heard) is based on class, with freshman at the very top and so on. Because of AP credit, I will be going in “technically” a sophomore, so I get better seats!</li>
<li>Apply to the major you REALLY want, because UT won’t let you make an easy switch. </li>
<li>Apply to the second major you REALLY want second, because my friends blew it off and now they are in deep ****.</li>
</ol>

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<p>wavylays94, how do you know that second semester grades don’t matter?</p>