@EraseEgo “They may be taking time for manual review to be inclusive” - This is exactly what we understood from talking to our area UT admissions counselor who said that due to sheer volume the applications are holistically reviewed manually in batches for majors decisions and that many simply haven’t been looked at yet. She actually said she wished that all the decisions came out together at one time rather than in waves like this as it can appear very discouraging to students who don’t hear back early and can lead to assumptions of one student being better than another. Whether you hear in January by the February 1st deadline for priority decisions or before, you are not a higher or a lesser candidate.
Not sure about other schools, but if you look at past data from UT acceptances, it does not indicated that those accepted early were the highest performing students. There is no reasoning or pattern that anybody on this forum has been able to decipher so far.
Regarding cost, the inverse is also true. I know of high performing kids who decide to go OOS because UT gave them no money (because of too many applicants) while they can get full ride with other engineering programs elsewhere.
IMHO, the admission process in Texas is not working for a lot of families due to the top 10% law that has caused a log jams at the named universities like UT and A&M and we are losing a lots of great kids to other states. Until that is fixed, will continue to see this on CC for years to come.
@mikeinsugarland “There is no reasoning or pattern that anybody on this forum has been able to decipher so far.” Agreed - it makes total sense that the applications are literally reviewed randomly in batches.
@suzley15 They get hit with a tidal wave of applications that last week of October because everybody is trying to make the priority deadline. It makes sense that the super strong applicants that applied by early October have heard in the fist couple of waves, but equally attractive students who waited until the end of October have not. It IS true that some people who did wait until close to November 1 have already heard but it could be because their application was complete first (counselor report in, LOR’s received, test scores received, etc.) or they just ended up in the file of an admissions officer who works very quickly and efficiently. So yes, just because an applicant hasn’t heard by now, doesn’t mean anything about their chances of getting in. A lot has to do with timing of the application being complete. We talked to admissions back in September because we were trying to get an idea of how my son would be ranked since he’s not ranked and would be coming in under holistic review. She point blank said the earlier you get that application in, the better for your peace of mind because if you wait, you could have a longer wait and please do it by the priority deadline. To me that suggests that even though UT claims that the priority deadline does’t make a difference, I think it might for holistic review students. But the truth is I don’t know that for sure, it’s just my inference.
If a students has really high standardized test scores and has an extremely high rank and has leadership and ECs that directly connected to the major of choice, people can relax knowing that they are likely to get in to their major if they are an auto admit. There is no need to compare to other students who have already gotten in. It doesn’t really matter. The major isn’t going “fill up” So many admits end up choosing to go elsewhere that they factor that in.
The admissions process isn’t designed to work for families. It’s designed to work for the university. And, without regard to how anyone feels about the top 10% statute, it’s been in place for decades, and UT is a highly regarded, well-positioned, coveted university (hence the 50k+ applications) due to the performance of those Top 6-10%ers, and the admitted holistic admits.
A lot of fantastic kids will be admitted to UT, and attend. A lot of fantastic kids will be admitted to UT and opt for other universities. A lot of fantastic kids will be rejected from UT and will attend other universities. ← This is how college admissions works at every university that doesn’t have ‘open admissions/enrollment’. All the kids will thrive.
It may not be apparent to those outside of the UT Admissions, but there is nothing random about it. UT hasn’t broken it’s promise, nor provided ‘reasoning and patterns’ that it subsequently balked on. Patterns for admission are what parents and students come up with to try to decipher and predict based on limited outsider information.
UT says this–
“When will I receive my admission decision? If you complete your application by the priority deadline (November 1), you will receive an admission notification by February 1, 2020. This notification may be a final admission decision or a decision deferral to March 1, 2020.”
IF you have heard or will hear before 2/1 or 3/1 AWESOME! Congrats! A happy surprise! If you’re still waiting, UT is working behind the scenes to get you a decision by the date that they promised. And, they absolutely will! You’re not more or less wanted if you got a favorable decision in September vs. February.
It can be fun to try to predict the waves, and predict the “whos”. I like to see all of the delighted kids accepted, and root for all of the ones waiting. But, don’t let the requirement to wait (possibly until the 2/1 decision date) turn you bitter. I know it’s hard, but they really do have a definitive process, and a decision will arrive by the time they said it will.
I used to look at ut and tx schools differently until my son became interested. I was quite surprised when I saw the last ranking. If you haven’t seen it, you should take a look. In addition to cost, ut engineering is ranked higher than all except one school you mentioned. A&M is not that far from ut either. I think it makes good sense when someone esp texan chooses ut over the rest.
@icedmachiato Yep we did … actually, MIT and Cornell ranked higher than UT for engineering. For computer science, it is a little different since those schools (besides MIT) are not known for CS - even Rice.
My son has also applied to UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech and Michigan since he want to see what kind of assistance he might get for OOS. Slim chances that he will be accepted to any of them, and even slimmer chances going due to costs.
So we are back to UT and A&M most likely … Hopefully some good news will come in mid-January.
@nomatter Well, it is supposed to but didn’t turned out that way… and contrary to what is stated, it is not working for the UT either. If it was why did the UT president want to change it and put a cap on # of auto-admits a few years back ? The 50K+ applications you mentioned is due mostly to the rule and in fact limited the # of outstanding in-state and OOS students from attending. The sheer top 10% number is the very reason why the law was amended back in 2009 so that UT won’t be overwhelm.
Admissions should be based on multiple criteria to determine whether an applicant is prepared and will most likely be successful in college. Instead we have a law that allow for admission based on just a single criteria - class ranking.
Just because a law has been in place for decades doesn’t mean it cannot be improved upon. It has been amended before and can be again.
@mikeinsugarland The admission threshold for top students has been dropping every few years. I think we’re at Top 6% now. Texas is a big state, with ever booming population growth. UT couldn’t possibly admit (even given yield considerations) the sheer number of Top 10%ers who might actually enroll. And, of course UT wants more control, and more holistic admissions. The Top 10% rule only exists because of the unlevel playing field in education. While there are undoubtedly flaws, it’s probably one of the most blind ways to ensure equal access.
Still, I don’t even remotely see how it ‘isn’t working’. It’s literally been at work for a couple of decades, and the vast majority of UT admits and graduates (in that time frame) fall into that category. UT has risen in the ‘prestige’ ranks, has a huge endowment, and has a high success rate (retention and graduation). Perhaps, the most compelling evidence is the sheer number of prospective students who want to join that body of top x% admits that have made UT what it is today-- My kid and your kid included. 
The only real ‘problem’ (if you want to call it that) is that UT, like every other university, only has a finite amount of space. Every great kid who might thrive there, isn’t going to get a ‘yes’. The more difficult it becomes, the more prospective students who want to attain it, so it becomes a self-perpetuating endeavor. The lower the admission rate, the more prestige-y it feels = more apps.
Admission (via the Top 10% rule) has never been based on a single criteria (e.g. class rank), it’s an over-simplification and myth that keeps getting perpetuated. To qualify for Top 10% admission students have to actually demonstrate college readiness, and a likelihood of success by not only achieving a GPA high enough to break into the Top 10%, but also the graduating with the Distinguished Level of Achievement under the Foundation High School Program, and meeting (at a minimum) the College Board’s College Readiness Benchmarks. Every top 10%er, no matter where they’re from, wealthy suburban school, poor inner city school, limited resource rural school, elite private school… Every single one of them had to, at least, meet that threshold. I’m proud of them all. They worked hard, and smart, and they made the best of whatever hand they were dealt. They are college ready, and they represent the the University of Texas in large numbers, and have for a very long time. If that isn’t success, I don’t know what is.
Was anyone admitted to an honors program so far?
@college2019123 my kid was accepted to Plan II last month.
@nomatter Of course, it’s their house and they set their rules. I personally never like the x% auto admit and the advantages they give first generation. They have their reasons to do it; however, they are public schools and supported by tax payers. Flat x% across tx, imo, is certainly not fair/right. It’s certainly designed to work for the university and not parents, but without us, the tax payers, they would not be where they are now.
I’ve been involved in many of my son’s activities that involve kids from different isd’s. I can tell you it’s not uncommon to see one, that was accepted to ut through this route, drop out the following years because s/he couldn’t handle.
I applaud ut for its decision to switch to 6%. IMO they knew top 10% rule would reduce/eliminate the chances for some (more) qualified students. Like a&m, they go through holistic reviews for certain majors. This will ensure all potential candidates get reviewed. They look at everything not just numbers.
All in all, tx public schools treat their residents very well, a lot better than uc for instance.
It certainly favors some more than others for sure. Best luck to you and your son. I’m sure a&m’s news will come soon.
@icedmachiato I’ve seen kids of every socioeconomic status, race, religion, and creed both succeed, and drop out of college for a myriad of reasons. The “Top 10% Can’t Hack it Myth” is just that… a myth. UT has a very high success rate for both retention and graduation, above the national average. The vast majority of kids who dematriculate have unmet financial need/challenges. There is literally nothing about proving your mettle, over the course of years, and rising to the top of your class, that would inherently make someone ‘less able’ to succeed. Being from a less advantaged school/district and/or home doesn’t make one less intelligent.
UT admits 90% Texas residents. Every 9th grader in Texas has a blank slate opportunity to earn automatic admission, or to gain admission holistically. Every student (whether they gain auto admission or not) has several years to build an academic and extracurricular resume that will persuade UT to admit them, and admit them to a major of their choosing. Many wonderful and successful students may not get in. That doesn’t mean that UT has got it wrong. It means that it’s a highly coveted school/program, and that it draws from a very large pool of academically and socially talented prospects. 90% in-state Texans-- That certainly seems to be honoring the taxpayers.
This might not be the correct forum, and if that’s the case and you are aware of a better thread/forum to pose this question, please let me know.
My son is an automatic admit. He applied to mechanical engineering and we still have not heard anything on that front. He applied in time for early action. I thought he’d be a shoe-in, but am now realizing that’s probably not the case. He has only applied to top engineering schools. He heard from A&M almost as soon as he applied, and he is in for engineering there. On Friday he was deferred for Illinois. Now, frankly, of the other top engineering schools he has applied to, I thought Illinois was one that he would definitely get in, but since he is deferred at Illinois and hasn’t heard anything from UT regarding major, I’m beginning to worry!
He has made the comment to me that if he does not get into engineering at UT that he will probably go anyway and try to transfer in. I have heard this is very difficult to do, but his work ethic is off the charts and I feel like if anyone has a shot at this, he does. So, how hard is it to get into engineering if you are an auto admit who doesn’t get engineering right away? I’d love to hear from students who have done this or attempted it. My other concern with trying to go this difficult route is how can he get into classes that will show he is capable of doing the engineering work if he is merely an “undeclared” major?
I have heard it is difficult, but my husband’s undergraduate degree is aerospace engineering from Michigan and he has also told me that there is a TON of attrition from engineering in freshman year, so that seems to suggest to me that a lot of freshman engineering majors will decide by the end of 1st semester or 1st year that they don’t want to do engineering after all and many spots would open up for others (my son). Maybe that’s not the case anymore, but he seems to be very confident (based on his undergraduate engineering experience at a great school) that a lot of kids can’t cut it or decide the don’t want to, so spaces will naturally open up. Does anyone have information about that?
Finally, his 1st semester of senior year just ended and he has a 100 for the semester in both AP Physics 2 and AP Calculus. Is there any way to provide his updated transcript with his senior year 1st semester grades? Would they even accept such a submission? Would it help? Does it matter?
I know this is a lot. TIA
Are the engineering rankings for undergrad or grad school?
Any new admits for today?
@TexasEx1998 Hang in there. Our HS just had several students hear in Friday’s wave. One applied 8/2, one on 10/1 and one on 10/28… and i understand several others. All different schools. There is not apparent rhyme or reason from this side of operation. But if your son is an Auto Admit, and he’s a great student as you described then you will just need to wait. NExt waves may not happen until early January. But UT does let everyone who applied by the 11/1 Priority date have an answer by 2/1 and regular by 3/1. Not hearing by December 16th does not reflect whether he will get in or whether he is not highly qualified… it just means that they haven’t gotten to his stack of applications yet.
Its super tough to wait, but your son sounds like exactly like what UT wants!
any insight is helpful…
Review admit
My son is like top 11% in a very small class. He is number 14 or 15 out of 133.
GPA is 4.10
SAT- 1410 (730/eng and 680/math)
Student body president
Lead actor for three year in all school plays and musicals
President of Robotics club
NHS
International Thespian Society
AP and Honors classes (in everything he could)
Applied for Engineering!!!
@Texasex1998, there is absolutely no reason to think he wouldn’t be a shoe-in at UT as well. Most decisions come in the big waves in January and February, so not hearing early means absolutely nothing about the results!
If your student got into engineering at A&M, I wouldn’t worry, in the slightest. He’s well qualified! 
@Boogie818 Your student sounds like a great engineering candidate as well, and a great student over all. Is he in-state? I think that if he wrote great essays, he has a really good shot.
Is he planning to continue with theater at UT as well? He sounds like he’d be a great addition to the UT community.