**URGENT** is second major in school of undergraduate studies a good choice???

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
1

I am applying to the UT Austin for chemical engineering but am unsure that I will get in. My rank was one spot away from being in the top 8% and my extracurriculars are great, but my ACT score is only a 29 (30 in math). In the likely case that I am not accepted to my first major, is choosing the school of undergraduate studies the best way for me to increase my chances of acceptance?

2

I don’t know whether or not that will increase your chances of getting into UT. But what I can say is that if you don’t get into chemical engineering, it is hard to transfer into chemical engineering. This fall, the lowest cumulative GPA of anyone they accepted was 3.66. It is a lot easier to get accepted into Chemical Engineering out of high school than it is when you already are at UT. If you are set on wanting to do chemical engineering and don’t get in, it will be a very big risk to come here in the school of undergraduate studies hoping to be able to transfer.

http://www.engr.utexas.edu/undergraduate/admissions/changeofmajor

3

@SadHippo What classes would I be taking during a first year at the school of undergraduate studies? Maintaining a 3.66+ GPA doesn’t seem awfully hard to do depending on the classes I would take. I was accepted into the University of Minnesota’s ChE program (ranked 5th just behind UT at 4th), do you think it is worth the extra 13k a year to go there?

4

You can click on “View requirements for all UT Austin Students” in that page. You need 28 credit hours completed at UT. They want you to complete Engineering Physics 1 and M 408D or M 408M which is basically calculus 3 proficiency (can take in the two semester M 408C + M 408D track or three semester M 408K + M 408L + M 408M track). Most people don’t get a 3.66 GPA. And that is only the minimum that was accepted (no necessarily all 3.66’s were accepted and who knows what they’ll accept next time). On the right side bar of that page is contact information if you have more questions. Whether or not Minnesota s worth it depends on your financial situation and how set you are on Chemical Engineering. Students change their major a lot. Especially in Engineering.

5

Not trying to discourage you, but my son was top 1% of a class of 900+ with a 33 ACT (35 math) and didn’t get Chem Eng. Definitely have a solid backup plan.