Hi!
I am an Early College High School student in my Senior year, and I too applied to U.T Austin. I also have a completed Academic Core, so well over 30 credits. I am in a similar situation, because my college GPA is fairly decent.
This is what I learned during the application process,
My rank is bad, and my first 2 years of high school were a really tough time for me. Even thought I have a decent SAT score (1930) I wanted to avoid the regular admissions process because of my poor rank. (35/80)
So, here is the good news and bad news. My counselor said I could have applied as a transfer, and another college representative said I could do the same. (Not that it wasn’t a U.T rep.) But there are downsides. You are eligible for far less scholarships than you would be if you applied as a first time Freshman. You need to examine your situation and ponder whether or not you need that additional financial aid.
I went ahead and bit the bullet and applied as a first time freshman. If I get accepted, then I’ll be able to attend because I’ll likely have financial aid supporting me. If I applied as a transfer, I might not be able to attend even if I did get accepted. There are pros and cons to both.
CAP is offered to all in state applicants. But again, I’ve heard financial aid is pretty sucky if you take the CAP route. I considered it myself, but again, my family’s financial issue prevents it.
Best of luck to the both of us!