OK…here ya go. My experience. Guess we were the horror story piesquared is referring to. DD was top 4.5% (28 out of 601) at one of the highest ranked High Schools in Texas - Westlake High School. 35 ACT. National Merit Finalist. 11 APs. UWGPA 100 WGPA 109.3 Lots of ECs and lots of leadership. Did summer research, mission work, NASA High school aerospace scholar. Assumed she had great recs and wrote great essays because of where she got in - not easy schools. Accepted EA to ND (Reilly Visit invitee), UVA and my favorite, Rice. TAMU has offered a lot of merit aid. Some grants from the other schools but not renewable. She was auto admit to UT but did not get her first choice major. After considering all the options and visiting some, she has decided just this week to stick with UT and try to move into her major when she can. She has been told she has a good shot. But its risky. It’s the best school for her major for the money and she will find a way. And its the best for grad school due to the awesome research that she can get involved in.
The take away - going to such a competitive HS is challenging - we have 4.0 kids in the 2nd and 3rd quartile. Kids take APs as freshman to make it all work. While its nice to go to a top high school, it can backfire.
UT is in a state of flux right now. Lots of kids get in holistically. Lots fail out in a year and the kids that got “Capped” transfer in sophomore year. Not sure this is good for anyone but really don’t know how else you gain diversity which is really important IMHO. Also, with the fall in Oil prices, PE kids moved into Chem E so that was really hard to get into.
Advice: Pick a bigger easier major to get into - Mech E or EE I have been told are a little easier but that will change too. It’s a big somewhat impersonal school so you have to want that and be able to maneuver in that environment.
TAMU changed their engineering admissions process in 2014. I had the opportunity to talk to the Dean of Engineering for the TAMU system - Cathryn Banks - about this. She came from Purdue, which does it the same way. While its harder on the students because freshman year is stressful trying to get into your major, it makes sense because the kids are offered seminars, talks etc to really learn about each major and maybe avoid the transfer process later. But there is a good chance you will not get your major. And you have to want to be an Aggie. Its a strong culture and my DD was not feeling it (most of her friends are going there). I am impressed by TAMU and what I heard at National Scholar visit day.
I loved Rice but neither of my kids chose it. For BME you can’t go wrong. Just not sure its worth double UT or more than double of TAMU. I know very little about Houston for living so I won’t comment. Spoiled up here in Austin.
Sorry this is so long. So very glad that this ridiculous process is over and I can focus on more important things like finding her a prom dress : )