<p>Hi, I'm new here and I'm currently a high school graduate. I really want to go the UT Ausin school of Communication because they seems like the only school in Texas that has a good program for Radio-Television-Film major. However, I didn't apply for it as a freshman because of my financial capability. I live in Houston, so I plan to go to Houston Community College in the fall and finish my basic within the first year then transfer to UT, it would definitely save me some cash.
But I learn that UT is a very difficult school to get into as a transfer. People tell me it will be easier if I go to a 4 years universiy and then transfer from there. So I kind of have a plan B, maybe I will go to HCC first, then transfer to Texas State University and then transfer to UT. But again, the idea of transfering twice sounds weird to me.
Please give me some advice. What do you think I should do now? Spend my first year in community college and try to get a good GPA (abou 3.6 maybe) or apply for a 4 years university?</p>
<p>HCC + TSU + UT would be a very unwise choice.</p>
<p>Go to HCC, try to get the best grades you can. I don’t know where you live, but if this is not too far from you I would recommend to look at this program: [Film</a> Degree | San Jacinto College (Arts)<a href=“Never%20take%20any%20PE%20classes%20for%20transfer,%20they%20are%20useless%20and%20waste%20of%20money,%20and%20try%20to%20take%20foreign%20language%20classes%20at%20CC,%20it%20will%20save%20your%20sanity%20at%20UT”>/url</a></p>
<p>Your main concern should be your resume and portfolio, this is what will get you in.
You can join
[url=<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/filmind-254/]The”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/filmind-254/]The</a> Houston Film Industry Meetup Group (Houston, TX) - Meetup](<a href=“http://arts.sanjac.edu/node/8461]Film”>http://arts.sanjac.edu/node/8461)
[Spring</a> Film Group (Houston, TX) - Meetup](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/springfilmgroup]Spring”>http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/springfilmgroup), [The</a> Spring Film Group - Houston Texas](<a href=“http://www.springfilmgroup.com/]The”>http://www.springfilmgroup.com/)
They have a lot of small unpaid projects, and you can build your portfolio very quickly since unpaid jobs are not competitive.</p>
<p>Thank for the advice. I feel more confident that I should go to HCC first, btw I live in Harris county. And can you explain me more about the foreign language class? I can speak and write excellently in Vietnamese, in fact I have three years of it in high school. Since HCC doesn’ offer Vietnamese class, do you think I should take Spanish (I have only one year of Spanish in high school so I probably have to learn again from the begining if I take it in HCC)</p>
<p>Go to HCC and then transfer. It is the best choice. Also, if you took two years of a foreign language in High School, you will not need to take it at UT (they will look at your transcript). </p>
<p>The problem with going into another university and then attempting to transfer is that you might end up getting stuck there. The money might be too much and you will be in debt. You might make friends and decide that you don’t want to transfer (happened to my sister). You might get to comfortable one semester and your GPA takes a big hit. All of these things are very common among freshman in college.</p>
<p>Make good grades at HCC and keep a high GPA
Stay involved in your school, try to get leadership experience
Join an honor society or an honors program
Volunteer in your community
Focus on your resume, and essays (let others edit them extensively)
Also get to know some professors at HCC so they can write you a recommendation letter (or 2)</p>
<p>I transfered to UT from ACC and ^that is what got me in.</p>
<p>Good luck.
Oh and whoever told you to transfer from a CC to Texas State to UT doesn’t know what they are talking about. I also reccomend not listening to their advice anymore.</p>
<p>foafoa
[Bachelor</a> of Science in Radio-Television-Film | College of Communication](<a href=“http://communication.utexas.edu/students/bachelor-science-radio-television-film]Bachelor”>http://communication.utexas.edu/students/bachelor-science-radio-television-film)
“College of Communication requirements
Second year proficiency, or its equivalent, in a foreign language.”</p>
<p>It means that you have to take colleges classes (or test out) on the level of second year proficiency. High school foreign language doesn’t count unless you took AP/IB tests and can claim credit, or if you test out for credit. But it has to be language taught at UT, I believe. And the problems with Vietnamese is that it’s not on UT list.
[Search</a> for Exams by Type » Center for Teaching and Learning](<a href=“http://ctl.utexas.edu/studenttesting/welcome-to-student-testing-services/search-for-exams-by-type/]Search”>http://ctl.utexas.edu/studenttesting/welcome-to-student-testing-services/search-for-exams-by-type/)</p>
<p>You can contact UT admission office in Houston and ask them about Vietnamese, and if there is any chance to take some kind of test and opt out of foreign language requirement.</p>
<p>To meet this 2 year proficiency requirement UT students can take 4 semesters of regular foreign language classes or 2 semesters of intensive language (sometimes 3 semesters of intensive language, with Spanish at least). These classes are nightmare, they are extremely time consuming if you want A, not C. My D spent about 30 hours per week doing her intensive foreign language assignments. And it is core requirement, it is not even you major. If you are majoring in this language or something similar like Foreign Relations or International Business, it’s one thing. But if you are in RTF, which is also extremely time consuming if you want to make movies and be involved in Student TV or other related activities, it’s completely different situation. It’s pure misery, because you have to chose if you want to do what you want to do and get C in, let’s say, Spanish class, for example, or if you want to have a good grade but have to forget about everything else except constantly studying foreign language.</p>
<p>foafoa,</p>
<p>also, don’t put too much weight on leadership and volunteering for RTF (unless it’s volunteering for a film festival, Houston Film Commission, Southwest Alternate Media Project or something similar).</p>
<p>Focus on resume, it’s the most important thing besides grades.</p>
<p>RTF recently got 3 new programs and became an impacted major.</p>
<p>3-D Production Program
<a href=“Radio-Television-Film Receives $2 Million to Create Nation's First 3-D Production Program - UT News”>Radio-Television-Film Receives $2 Million to Create Nation's First 3-D Production Program - UT News;
<p>Game Development Program
<a href=“http://rtf.utexas.edu/undergraduate/game-development-program[/url]”>http://rtf.utexas.edu/undergraduate/game-development-program</a></p>
<p>The Denius-Sams Gaming Academy
<a href=“http://communication.utexas.edu/features/denius-sams-gaming-academy-0[/url]”>http://communication.utexas.edu/features/denius-sams-gaming-academy-0</a></p>
<p>Even internal transfer became complicated - called “full review” now.
[Internal</a> Transfer Information | College of Communication](<a href=“http://communication.utexas.edu/prospective/internal-transfer-information]Internal”>http://communication.utexas.edu/prospective/internal-transfer-information)
[Application</a> Instructions | College of Communication](<a href=“http://communication.utexas.edu/prospective/application-instructions]Application”>http://communication.utexas.edu/prospective/application-instructions)</p>
<p>This essay requirement - it has to be a very strong statement why you want to be in RTF and how you see your future and career with this degree, what you are going to do about it.
And resume has to have a lot of related experience; cashier in Starbucks would look less appealing that PA or gaffer in Houston Film project or somewhere else. </p>
<p>You can check Houston TV stations, by the way, they usually have summer internships, though it might be too late now. Or contact Houston Film Commission and ask if you can do some volunteering for them during summer.</p>
<p>I’m also in the Houston general area and I’m currently in the process for transferring from Lonestar College (Montgomery campus) to UT’s RTF program. As stated transferring to another university after community college then to UT is pointless since UT views every school equally. A good GPA at HCC isn’t any different from a good GPA from Duke. GPA is the most important factor in admissions so make sure you keep it up (mine is only a 3.57 which kind of sucks but that’s because I took dual credit classes in high school). Your resume and essays can help you get through the door if your on the edge but if you don’t have a competitive GPA you won’t get in.</p>
<p>As for the foreign language requirement I hear you can take the two year sequence at another college and still get credit. I know some people take them at Midland College Online. You won’t actually learn the language of course but if you are concerned with time then that might be an option to consider.</p>
<p>All this is coming from somebody who hasn’t been accepted as of yet so take this with a grain of salt. I’m simply somebody in the same situation as you.</p>
<p>Oh and be sure to take COMM 1307 while you are at HCC. You need it to take most RTF classes.</p>
<p>Wow, I didn’t expect to get so many positive advice from you guys. Thank you all, people on this board are just so nice.
As I say I plan to go on community college and finish my basic within one year so the foreign language is kind of hard to deal with. I already have 9 hours from Dual Credit and I got two B’s (My GPA for the dual credit are 3.3), I don’t know will that count into my GPA as I went to college. But anyway, I will push myself to work hard and try to bring it to around 3.6, hopefully I will get accept to UT by fall 2014.</p>
<p>Yeah it does count into your GPA. I also took six hours of dual credit my senior year and got a B and a C. It dropped my GPA a good amount. I’ve only gotten two Bs in college so far but because of dual credit my GPA is only a 3.57.</p>
<p>jpgarcia6, how is your transferring process, are you still waiting?
Also, how long have you been in community college? And is it the first time you apply for UT? I don’t want to stay there for anymore than one year. I think next year I will also apply for Texas State, in case if I can’t get into UT.</p>
<p>Yes still waiting. Only did a year there.</p>