Hello everyone,
I have aspired to attend the University of Texas at Austin all my life… I got rejected last year as a high school senior with a 3.5 gpa. However, this year i am attending ACC (Austin Community College) and I would like to take the path with the benefit of the doubt:
I would like to attend ACC for one year (about ~28-30 semester hours) and transfer to UT undecided major. I already know I want to major in Computer Science but I know being it is the hardest to get to admitted to UT rather than switching majors, so why not just get admitted to Undecided then after a year or so transfer to your attended major?
I would like to get your thoughts and if this is a completely acceptable route?
Thanks,
Chris
Intended*
Applying undecided and then trying for internal transfer into CS is perfectly fine.
Disclaimer: I don’t attend UT or have much familiarity with CS admissions, so the rest of this post is based off what I’ve read on reddit:
Realize that internal transfer admissions into CS are EXTREMELY competitive, as, according to current UT students, the program seems to be overcrowded and underfunded. If you really want to go to UT, you can major in Mathematics and learn to code on your own.
Thank you for the realistic input. If this is true, then i feel like the first year might be a bit risky. I would only like to major in computer science and if i don’t get accepted then go to another college. However, if i do not get accepted i feel as if the year i attended as undecided then much time was possibly wasted because of the whole intent to get into the computer science department at UT.
How tight are your finances?
I’d say go to UT undecided, try to transfer to CS, and have a backup plan in case that doesn’t work out.
You could, for example, apply to UT-Dallas, TAMU, Cornell, and so on.
Finances aren’t my concern, but my grades/being admitted to the CS department is. Thus far as my first semester, im juggling at about 3 A’s and one B. Knowing that it is so competitive to do an internal transfer then i might just initially apply to the CS department rather than undecided.
Fair enough.
Although UTD does sound like a good option, it requires 42 semester hours, and i intend to transfer after my first 2 semesters 
UTD, UT Austin, and TAMU are all excellent choices. You can apply to all three this year.
Absolutely, however what is your opinion on UTSA? Specifically Computer Science for all these schools.
It’s an up and coming university within a rather exciting city.
I read that it is extremely hard to get in to CS. In fact, there was a freeze last year and even internals with 4.0 didn’t get in. I have also read that admissions are looking at transfer applications more closely now - looking at your credits and whether they are in line with the majors you selected. They are trying to stop the “I’m just going to get in anyway I can, and then do an internal transfer later” attitude.
Hello! That seems like a good plan. I transferred to UT undecided though, and did not get into my desired major. Make sure you have a backup plan of what you would like to major in when you are accepted. Or, you can try applying to your desired major externally. You can always chose undecided as your backup. (When you apply to transfer to UT, you can pick two majors, your first can be CS, your second can be undecided).
Good luck! Keep your GPA high and take as many science/math courses as you can at ACC.
I know you stated that you want to major in Computer Science, but how do you feel about Cyber Security? Our program at UTSA is ranked number one in the nation currently, and since UTSA is trying to become a tier one university, there are a bunch of opportunities to do undergraduate research if you’re interested in that.