I am currently a sophomore in high school. I’m a 16 year old, white female and am from Austin. With my sister going to UT, my family being here, and many other personal reasons, I have to get into UT Austin. I’m currently in the top 16% of my class out of 607 students(with more AP classes and my work ethic, I think I can rise a few more spots). I have a 3.8 unweighted GPA out of a 4.0. All of my classes have been AP with the exception of my history courses. I haven’t taken the SAT or ACT yet, but my PSAT score was in the top 30 in my class which qualified me to join a PSAT team at my school. If my score for my junior year of taking the test is the same, and if the point system stays the same (I know they will both most likely change), then I was in the running to be a national merit semifinalist. With clubs at school, I’m in varsity track and soccer, student council, DECA, HOSA, French club, and NHS. Volunteering out of school I have worked with Mobile Loafs and Fishes at a homeless community in downtown Austin, worked in a cadaver lab, have an internship at a hospital through my medical class next year, helped pass out school supplies to kids in poverty in Austin, and have worked at a animal shelter in Williamson county. Outside of school I play club soccer, kickbox, and barrel race. Jobs i have had are coaching a youth soccer team, and working at the YMCA. I can get, as of now, 8 letters of reccomendation with two of them being the vice chanselor of UT systems and the man who runs the plan II program at UT Austin. I have hopes of going into UT’s natural sciences program and choosing the path of being a cardiovascular doctor(things might change but I know I want to get into this school at UT). I hope all of this can help me get into the natural sciences school at UT Austin, but I was curious as to what y’all thought of my chances, and advice to give for when I apply and what I can do these next two years to help “up@ my chances of getting accepted. Thanks!
You will likely be a holistic review case as you will not be an autoadmit. That being said, your activities, leadership, work experience and essays along with a really strong test score, will help you the most. UT wants to see that your extracurriculars support your academic goals so if its CNS and premed, keep doing all of that science, med stuff. I don’t think I would send 8 recs…just send 2-3 from people that know you. I have heard that admissions does not appreciate getting so many recs. And spend some serious time on writing essays in your voice that let them get to know you. I can’t think of anything else that will up your chances other than improving your rank. Prove to Ut that you have the academic chops (which I think you are) and show them that you know what you want to do with a UT degree via your activities. And write the best darn essays you
Thank you! I know im only going into junior year and all this stress can be crazy sometimes, but I really appreciate this and any help I can get.
I think your smart to start thinking about it this summer…jr year goes by fast and then you resume/grades etc are what they are for filling out the apps. But try to have fun too and maybe find some good backups - you will thrive in other places too.