@xtexasmom I wholeheartedly understand your perspective, as many others stand right beside you in believing the same thing. I think that the same could also be said if universities were to look solely at scores–many of the best applicants would be turned down because of a number. Now, this is not to say that standardized testing isn’t important, but the accomplishments a student has outside of testing says a lot more about potential than a 36 or 1600. I know plenty of kids in my grade who have perfect scores but have no initiative to “make a difference,” as a crude example. In the end, I think every school looks for something different, and applicants will never know what a school looks for in particular. It’s all a matter of fit in the given environment. All we can do is put forth our best application and hope for the best. Definitely not fair, but many times it happens because something better lies before us.
@3bound, we are also waiting impatiently for Rice. If she doesn’t get Rice, she will go to Plan II at UT. But if she does get accepted at Rice, it will be a tough decision.
Daughter is a homeschooler and I acted as her school counselor. This week, Rice sent an email to all school counselors (which I received) and it said decisions will be released “last week of March.”
Top students being turned down by schools happens all over the country, not just at UT.
The UC system has come in for a lot of flak recently for turning down qualified students in favor of OOS, international students but their process seems a lot fairer, in my opinion. Our school doesnt rank but the top kids (high GPA +standardized tests + rigorous curriculum +AP scores) always get into the top ranked UC schools, definitely their second choice if not the first. The UCs do not emphasize holistic admission but do get some sort diversity by focusing on the top ranked kids at each school, including the less competitive ones. Which is why our UC system is so strong throughout, as there is strong emphasis on academic capability, irrespective from where you come.
I would be interested to know the yield rate for engineering and business…I know at least two kids who got into UTA who will be taking a pass.
@StraightOuttaTX - Well said - amen.
So an “auto-admit” student is not as qualified to attend UT as someone from a “highly competitive” public or private school? I have seen some pretty vicious posts the past 24 hours about test scores, gpa, etc., of auto-admit kids not being up to par with other applicants. While that might be true in some cases, many of those auto-admits do NOT get the major choice they wanted (If not “qualified”, I would say the majority). Also, how do you determine what a “highly competitive” school is? Colleges look at things more closely now, grade inflation is a big red flag. Maybe they actually read essays from someone that “wasn’t qualified” and compare it to an essay from someone from a “highly competitive” school, and decide the former can write a hell of a lot better than the latter.
Bottom line, it doesn’t matter what college you attend. If you are driven, you will succeed no matter what college you go to.
Good luck to you all.
@momofsenior1 The stats UT is turning away…in state and out… this year are the type of stats top notch schools turn away. Not schools with a 40% acceptance rate and an average ACT score of 29.
Test scores…including APs…certainly aren’t the end all be all but they are something where you can compare kids on the same basis. Yes there is test prep, but anyone can buy a book and do that. I know an awful lot of kids padding resumes, paying for tons of help on essays, and exaggerating their stories so they look much more impressive or to pull the heartstrings on a holistic review. Not sure what deciding factor is but holistic review is very subjective.
I don’t know what the answer is, but we know an awful lot of top notch kids who were capped. Those kids will all find their spot and do great at other schools, but I agree with whoever said UT is choosing to let an awful lot of other schools get much our top Texas talent.
My Aggie family members are thrilled with the direction UT is heading.
@kesari if u are referring to the Univeristy of California when u cite UC u r providing false information. The UC relies on a VERY holistic review. scores are part of it but there are a plenty of kids with 1000 SAT and 3.0 gpas who are admitted to UCLA because of hardships or special talents. essays are as important as test scores. And they too take too many OOS applicants-something like 25% when there are thousands of qualified CA kids rejected. it is what it is ??♀️
@Meadow530 Same! If our son gets into Rice, it will be a very difficult decision bc I believe that the engineering school at UT is more highly regarded… He feels like he’d fit in better at Rice.
@UTWannabe23 Thank you!
Did anyone get an email to log into MyStatus 2 hours ago but nothing changed?
I got an email to log into MyStatus, but I cannot find any changes in my portal. I’ve already received acceptance in December so I’m a bit confused…
Wow, this thread has turned ugly. I dont understand the people that think a demonstrated high school career that has placed a student in the top 6% of their class is not as valid as someone who may have had one great day of standardized testing. Also, UT is very up front about the holistic application. If an applicant didn’t put as much emphasis on the essays becase they scored a 1500 on the SAT, that’s on them. Also, as many people as there are posting info in this thread, it’s still a tiny sliver of the actual applicant pool. Maybe some people should pump the brakes on what they think they “know” about the process.
@Sushi121212 Check your “Honors” tab. it was a subtle change on ours that went from “we are reviewing your application” to “we are still reviewing your application”. If you click the details arrow it will tell you that they are still reviewing and decision will be delayed up until March 1. Hope that helps.
@TXdad1425 as an auto admit this year I would like to add to your statement. I am salutatorian of a class of 73 students. I have a low ACT compared to others in this thread (29). However, it is the highest score in my class. I come from one of the poorest counties in Texas where our opportunities and resources are limited. The top 10% (or in UT’s case 6%) is such an important law for us at smaller schools. The top 10% law has driven extreme competition within my class. The fact that we have a chance at getting into a place like UT keeps us working. Just because we don’t have the same opportunities doesn’t mean we don’t have the same potential.
Honors activity happened today for Liberal Arts Honors-- denied admission from LAH but accepted Plan II mid-January. Interesting how that works, but I have heard that the two programs, which are inherently different in structure and purpose, self-select students. Rather “rare-ish” for students to be accepted to both.
@mills6 - Look at the threads for Purdue, Michigan, GT, etc… While not Auto Admit schools they routinely turn away perfect stats kids. Especially for the competitive majors like CS, Engineering, Business. Again, this is not unique to UT. Believe me, I know it’s tough when your kid is on the rejection or wait list side. Been there, done that!
Rice can’t hold a candle to UT. If you have the choice between the two, Rice is a no brainer.
@Hainesj - well said and way to go!
@T20hopeful2023 your message is confusing; can you clarify? Background: my DS is into Cockrell ECE with scholarship but pining for Rice…
Was rejected by Liberal Arts Honors but the thing is my application for the university is still under review - lol very confused about the whole process oh well
@ssh71107 what major did you apply for in LA?