What don't you like about UT Austin?

Colleges and Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
41

<p>Formidable, ALL Texas residents who cannot be admitted to UT under Regular or Summer admisssion are CAPped.</p>

<p>Each and every one. UT does not send out any rejection letters, they send out CAP letters.</p>

<p>And the CAP period is one year. If you have a 3.2 and have surpassed college algebra, you are accepted. Otherwise you must apply for transfer admission.</p>

<p>UT hasn't cut off the student body numbers significantly. The number has dropped from just over 50k to just under 50k. The main reason more CAP letters are being sent out is because more and more kids are applying (the Vince Young effect). Plus the percentage of students admitted as top ten students is rising, and this year will be about 3/4 of total admitted students. The academic standards for admission are thus HIGHER than they've ever been. You have to be in the top 10% to qualify for 3/4 of the spots, and the others you need a high rank, good board scores, and good essays and ECs to get them.</p>

<p>A&M has the Blinn Team but the standards needed for admission to TAMU are a little lower. I believe A&M accepts about 2/3, while UT accepts just under half.</p>

42

<p>The fact that Austin is more urban so UT should have more blacks is just absurd. Austin's population is much more Hispanic than black.</p>

<p>And UT's black student population isn't that large (about 5%). A&M's is about 3%. The main factor is that UT's population is only 55% white, while around 20% Asian and around 20% Latino. A&M is about 75% Caucasian, 10% Latino, and 12% Others (mostly Asians).</p>

<p>So while A&M and UT don't have significantly larger black populations, the student body as a whole is more diverse at UT than at TAMU.</p>

43

<p>Actually top quarter and 1250 describes the average applicant to UT who isn't in the top ten percent. UT's admit rate for Texans outside the top ten percent is about 25%. So yes, UT does turn away kids who are top quarter and have 1250s in droves.</p>

<p>1250 is the median SAT for admitted students, BUT 70% of them are top ten, who have an average SAT of just less than 1200 I believe. I'm pretty sure the average admitted student outside the top ten has a 1300 or so SAT score. And usually they are 10-15%.</p>

<p>Face it: UT is more selective than A&M. The student bodies are similarly matched, but UT has more of the higher achieving HS students, while TAMU takes more students from the middle. This is just an academic comparison, though. Many might actually prefer that A&M isn't so deluged by top ten students.</p>

44

<p>I'm not too sure about either school's green friendliness.</p>

<p>However it's becoming really clear that this has been hijacked to be more about A&M than about UT. Who cares whether A&M is segregated or racist. It isn't relevant here.</p>

<p>Simply, UT's for some, it's not for others, and that's that.</p>

45

<p>
[quote]
And UT's black student population isn't that large (about 5%). A&M's is about 3%. The main factor is that UT's population is only 55% white, while around 20% Asian and around 20% Latino. A&M is about 75% Caucasian, 10% Latino, and 12% Others (mostly Asians).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Not sure where you’re getting your numbers, they are way off. Here are the correct figures:</p>

<pre><code> A&M/ UT

</code></pre>

<p>Black 1,266 3.0%/ 1,841 3.9%
Hispanic 4,640 11.0%/ 7,073 15.1%
Asian 1,609 3.8%/ 6,869 14.6%
American Indian 216 0.5%/ 222 0.5%
International 3,383 8.0%/ 4,203 9.0%
Unknown/Other 177 0.4%/ 345 0.7% </p>

<p>Source:
OISP</a> - Reports
UT</a> Austin - Office of Information Management and Analysis </p>

<p>
[quote]
So while A&M and UT don't have significantly larger black populations, the student body as a whole is more diverse at UT than at TAMU.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>But not by much. The only real big difference is in the percentages of Asian students, of which UT has significantly more. A&M is catching up to UT in the number of Hispanic students, and may possibly eclipse it here in the next several years. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Actually top quarter and 1250 describes the average applicant to UT who isn't in the top ten percent. UT's admit rate for Texans outside the top ten percent is about 25%. So yes, UT does turn away kids who are top quarter and have 1250s in droves.</p>

<p>1250 is the median SAT for admitted students, BUT 70% of them are top ten, who have an average SAT of just less than 1200 I believe. I'm pretty sure the average admitted student outside the top ten has a 1300 or so SAT score. And usually they are 10-15%.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>What is your source for all these stats? Do you have figures for enrolled students, or just admitted? </p>

<p>
[quote]
Face it: UT is more selective than A&M. The student bodies are similarly matched, but UT has more of the higher achieving HS students, while TAMU takes more students from the middle. This is just an academic comparison, though. Many might actually prefer that A&M isn't so deluged by top ten students.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I never said UT wasn’t more selective than A&M, but you are talking about UT as if it were some sort of US News top 25 university. </p>

<p>btw, deluged??? Thanks for the laugh. :)</p>

46

<p>
[quote]
However it's becoming really clear that this has been hijacked to be more about A&M than about UT. Who cares whether A&M is segregated or racist. It isn't relevant here.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I agree that it isn’t relevant, which is why I’m not sure why it was ever brought up in the first place. But someone did, and their less than fair comments needed to be responded to. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Simply, UT's for some, it's not for others, and that's that.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well put.</p>

47

<p>My numbers aren't way off. I noticed you didn't bother to include the White numbers...why is this? One thing you are forgetting...the Foreign student count doesn't segregate by ethnicity. UT's international student population is largely Asian, with another large contigent of Latin American students, which is why those numbers seem lower in the numbers you provided than they actually are. I don't know about A&M's international enrollment, but I seriously doubt it's as Asian as UT's. And Asians are at least 40% of UT's minority population. To say that "oh we're catching them in every minority except the most numerous" doesn't say very much at all. And as a Latino, I can say that almost all of the Latinos I know would prefer to go to UT than to A&M.</p>

<p>UT's top ten reports state the numbers for all admitted students, while the Princeton Review info states the info for all applicants. </p>

<p>And I don't set much store in US News ranks. The entire poll is biased towards small, undergraduate focused institutions with gigantic private endowments (Ivies), and they rely highly on numbers which the state legislature, rather than UT, controls. The faculty resource rank, particularly class size, is affected by funding and staff numbers. UT will never top that rank. Retention is another thing they can't control. UT must admit some top ten kids, who might not be ready for UT and drop out. Also, class registration difficulties, the practice of taking only 12 hours, and the cost can be prohibitive to graduating in 6 years. Top ten admission won't allow UT to be particularly selective--if they cut entering class sizes, then only top ten kids will be admitted and the rate will be 100%. If they jack them up, then they will still have a larger acceptance rate. Financial resources will also hurt UT, as they simply don't have the ammount of money as an Ivy. Plus UT spends a lot on sports, which aren't considered in the poll. The UT system has a lot of money, but it gets spread out among all the schools. And they are also reliant on funding from the legislature. UT also doesn't have a lot of alumni giving by percentage because of the lack of any organized campaign to get all alumni to just give something, as well as the fact that they have so many alumni. The peer assessment number is 25% of the total. UT's 4.0 should place them in the low 20s-high 30s of the numbers in the US news, rather than low 40s. </p>

<p>UT is one of the best public schools in the country, hands down. It's in the same league as Berkeley, UCLA, Virginia, UNC, Wisconsin, and Michigan. It definitely isn't an Ivy, but it has a much different focus and intent and they really shouldn't be grouped together.</p>

48

<p>
[quote]
My numbers aren't way off.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I don’t know what to tell you. According to the University of Texas Office of Information Management and Analysis and the Texas A&M Office of Institutional Studies and Planning, they are. </p>

<p>
[quote]
I noticed you didn't bother to include the White numbers...why is this?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Because we were discussing the diversity of each student body, and the last time I checked Whites were not considered a minority. Those wanting the White numbers need only do the math. </p>

<p>
[quote]
One thing you are forgetting...the Foreign student count doesn't segregate by ethnicity. UT's international student population is largely Asian, with another large contigent of Latin American students, which is why those numbers seem lower in the numbers you provided than they actually are. I don't know about A&M's international enrollment, but I seriously doubt it's as Asian as UT's.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Interesting thought. If you had to guess though, what do you think the ethnic breakdown of A&M’s international student population would be? </p>

<p>
[quote]
And Asians are at least 40% of UT's minority population. To say that "oh we're catching them in every minority except the most numerous" doesn't say very much at all.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I’m going out on a limb here, but my guess is that A&M is probably more interested in increasing enrollment of minority groups who are actually underrepresented at colleges and universities given their percentages in the general population. </p>

<p>
[quote]
And as a Latino, I can say that almost all of the Latinos I know would prefer to go to UT than to A&M.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>And almost all of the Latinos I know would (and do) prefer A&M, but what does that prove? Nothing. </p>

<p>
[quote]
And I don't set much store in US News ranks. The entire poll is biased towards small, undergraduate focused institutions with gigantic private endowments (Ivies), and they rely highly on numbers which the state legislature, rather than UT, controls. The faculty resource rank, particularly class size, is affected by funding and staff numbers. UT will never top that rank. Retention is another thing they can't control. UT must admit some top ten kids, who might not be ready for UT and drop out. Also, class registration difficulties, the practice of taking only 12 hours, and the cost can be prohibitive to graduating in 6 years. Top ten admission won't allow UT to be particularly selective--if they cut entering class sizes, then only top ten kids will be admitted and the rate will be 100%. If they jack them up, then they will still have a larger acceptance rate. Financial resources will also hurt UT, as they simply don't have the ammount of money as an Ivy. Plus UT spends a lot on sports, which aren't considered in the poll. The UT system has a lot of money, but it gets spread out among all the schools. And they are also reliant on funding from the legislature. UT also doesn't have a lot of alumni giving by percentage because of the lack of any organized campaign to get all alumni to just give something, as well as the fact that they have so many alumni. The peer assessment number is 25% of the total. UT's 4.0 should place them in the low 20s-high 30s of the numbers in the US news, rather than low 40s.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The validity of the US News rankings has been debated ad nauseam here on CC, so I’m not going to continue that here. But to use financial resources as some sort of excuse is laughable. UT has the 4th largest endowment in the country, and if you think the lion share of that isn’t directed towards the Austin campus, you are kidding yourself. And btw, I think the good folks at The University of Texas at Austin Development Office and Texas Exes might disagree with your statement that UT lacks “any organized campaign to get all alumni to just give something”. </p>

<p>
[quote]
UT is one of the best public schools in the country, hands down. It's in the same league as Berkeley, UCLA, Virginia, UNC, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>UT is indeed an outstanding public school, but it is quite a leap to say that UT (at least at the undergraduate level) is in the same league as those schools, save Wisconsin.</p>

49

<p>xtra:</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply, appreciate it...:)</p>

50

<p>Simply, UT's for some, it's not for others, and that's that.</p>

<p>X2</p>

51

<p>kwyml, no college campus is immune to a few racist morons. Even UT//</p>

<p>I agree, that's why I opened 2 threads to learn about the pros & cons of UT.</p>

<p>//kwyml, just out of curiosity, what was your daughter’s take on Aggie Replant (Texas Aggie Replant | Home)? Or the Environmental Issue Committee (Environmental Issues Committee - Texas A&M University? //</p>

<p>Since you seem to know so much about A&M, why do students still do their bonfire unofficially even after the tragedy? It's also hard for me to understand the virtue of burning away several thousand logs of wood just to make a bonfire.</p>

<p>//Also, is (was) your daughter concerned about campus racism reported by the media at UT and virtually every other school around the country, or just at A&M?//</p>

<p>Everyone should be aware of the existence of racism everywhere, especially on campuses & adjacent areas that are under consideration.</p>

52

<p>//Racism reported by the media? The media is more interested in coming up with stories with enough shock value to sell advertisements. There in the business for a profit, not exactly to tell the exact truth. The whole purpose of a college education is to be able to analyze things on your own without taking what the media says at face value. I haven't found A&M to be any more racist (whatever that means) than UT. I've seen just as many white faces at UT.//</p>

<p>The media did not create the video clips, the A&M students did. The shock value came entirely from the video. Accusation of racism was further collaborated by a professor who teaches there. Please don't tell me the media made up the A&M video & drafted a script for the A&M professor to trash the school.</p>

<p>//There's a big difference between feeling safe and being safe. A black man is much safer in a white neighborhood than a white man is in a black neighborhood. That's a fact no matter where you go in America and there's no way you can dispute it; the crime data and demographics are on my side.//</p>

<p>And the fact is...if you're not a black person, you should not speak on their behalf because you simply do not know how they feel. I've heard plenty of news accounts about black people being harassed by white cops in a predominantly white neighborhood. In those cases they are obviously not feeling safe.</p>

53

<p>//I agree that it isn’t relevant, which is why I’m not sure why it was ever brought up in the first place. But someone did, and their less than fair comments needed to be responded to.//</p>

<p>Along the same line, calling people "delusional", "idiot", or saying other people's comments are "BS" have no place in a civilized conversation, do you agree that they should be responded to?</p>

54

<p>//And you're forgetting the fact that the Irish were treated just as badly. Go read up some history books if you don't believe me. //</p>

<p>Please enlighten me, how were the Irish treated just as badly as blacks? were they chained & sold into slavery to the highest bidders ? Did their offsprings become the properties of their owners? </p>

<p>//A good friend of mine is Irish on both sides of the family and did he commit crimes because his ancestors were treated badly? Nope. He got a college degree, worked like anyone else, and put his daughter through college.//</p>

<p>How does that add to your arguments that: "Fact of the matter is that a black person can go to just about any white neighborhood in the United States and still feel relatively good about his safety. On the other hand, a white person can go to any black neighborhood in the United States and has to be on his guard to keep from getting mugged or killed. So I think it's the other way around. Per FBI statistics and per capita, blacks commit more violent crimes against whites than vice versa. So what race are most of the racists coming from? Not the whites.// ?</p>

<p>You talked about crime stats as the basis for your conclusion that blacks are more racist, so by your very own yardstick, those hundreds of years of brutal crimes (slavery) committed against the blacks prove that whites are more racist, don't you think?</p>

55

<p>What is your definition of way off? I'd say that 2% off isn't way off. The Caucasian population at UT is about 55%, and the caucasian population at TAMU is about 75%, regardless of how you want to twist the data to your advantage. I honestly have no clue about the ethnic background of TAMU's international students, nor do I really care. All I'm saying is that UT is more diverse than A&M, and will stay that way for the foreseeable future. There is NO way that the number of Hispanics at A&M will pass UT--UT is the number one school for Latinos by Hispanic magazine, and is in an environment much more welcoming to urban Latinos, who now constitute the vast majority of Texas' Hispanic population. The fact remains that Latinos now are around 40% of the Texas population, yet neither college is anywhere CLOSE to matching this number. My guess is also that a large number of the Asian students admitted to UT do so under top ten. There is no explanation otherwise for such a large number in comparison to the statewide demographics. UT doesn't recruit Asians, they just come. UT targets its recruitment at students from low socioeconomic backgrounds (they can't use race since Hopwood). I don't know nor particularly care about TAMU's policy.</p>

<p>My point about alumni giving was that Texas isn't concerned that every alum gives at least some gift. Texas gets lots of whopping gifts each year. However, that hurts in the US News rank. And I'm fairly certain that UTs endowment is split based on the numbers of students at each school, but I could be mistaken. It's a top 5 endowment, but with the HUGE number of students compared to other schools at similar levels (UT system and Princeton both have about $15 mil. Princeton has 6k students, the UT system has at least 200k).</p>

<p>You're welcome to your own opinion about UTs rank and peer schools. I would say Berkeley is better, but Texas is at the same level as the rest. To each his own.</p>

56

<p>kwyml: you're welcome. and these topics are way off the topic of the original thread, which was what don't you like about UT???</p>

57

<p>
[quote]
I agree, that's why I opened 2 threads to learn about the pros & cons of UT.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yet instead of talking about racism at UT (which would have been in line with the purpose of the thread), you chose to confirm another posters ignorant remarks about A&M by posting an article about racism at A&M from ABC News. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Since you seem to know so much about A&M, why do students still do their bonfire unofficially even after the tragedy?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Because some people just can’t let something die, I don’t know. I think it should have ended in 1999. </p>

<p>
[quote]
It's also hard for me to understand the virtue of burning away several thousand logs of wood just to make a bonfire.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I agree with your sentiment, but a few things to note… The logs required for bonfire actually numbered in the hundreds, not thousands. And I can’t speak for every year, but I do know that many times the trees that were cut down were from land that was going to be cleared anyway. Regardless, it was because of the exact concern that you have expressed that Replant was started in 1990 as an effort to replace (and then some) the trees that were used in Bonfire. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Everyone should be aware of the existence of racism everywhere, especially on campuses & adjacent areas that are under consideration.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Agreed, so maybe next time you will keep this perspective in mind when you post. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Along the same line, calling people "delusional", "idiot", or saying other people's comments are "BS" have no place in a civilized conversation, do you agree that they should be responded to?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>kwyml, I sure hope you’re not asserting that I wrote those things, because anyone who has actually taken the time to read my posts would know that I have never used any of those terms directed at another poster.</p>

58

<p>
[quote]
What is your definition of way off? I'd say that 2% off isn't way off.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>loneranger, in post #42 you rambled off some percentages (none of them sourced) that differ from the official stats provided by UT and A&M. For example, you stated that UT is around 20% Asian, when it is actually closer to 15%. You stated that UT is around 20% Latino, when it is actually closer to 15%. Etc. You have provided no sources for any of the stats you have posted, are you just guessing? I will be swayed to believe you if you can simply give me the hard source of where you are getting this information. Until that time, I have to consider your numbers “way off”, because they are when you compare them with the actual data from the universities themselves. </p>

<p>
[quote]
The Caucasian population at UT is about 55%, and the caucasian population at TAMU is about 75%, regardless of how you want to twist the data to your advantage.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>How on Earth am I twisting the data? I am providing you with the ACTUAL numbers from UT and A&M. You, on the other hand, are either guessing or are citing figures from a source that I am not aware of. </p>

<p>
[quote]
I honestly have no clue about the ethnic background of TAMU's international students, nor do I really care.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yet you seemed to care in your prior post. I was genuinely interested in your thoughts, but oh well. </p>

<p>
[quote]
All I'm saying is that UT is more diverse than A&M, and will stay that way for the foreseeable future.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No argument here. My point is that the difference (minus Asians) is not as great as you are making it out to be.</p>

<p>
[quote]
There is NO way that the number of Hispanics at A&M will pass UT--UT is the number one school for Latinos by Hispanic magazine, and is in an environment much more welcoming to urban Latinos, who now constitute the vast majority of Texas' Hispanic population.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>With an upcoming campus planned in San Antonio and the recent naming of Elsa Murano as President of the College Station campus, don’t be surprised if this gets shaken up in the next several years. </p>

<p>
[quote]
It's a top 5 endowment, but with the HUGE number of students compared to other schools at similar levels (UT system and Princeton both have about $15 mil. Princeton has 6k students, the UT system has at least 200k).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Comparing UT to Princeton is ridiculous. But to put things in perspective, think about this: UT’s endowment is roughly equal to the University of California System and the University of Michigan campuses COMBINED. The University of California System alone (which includes multiple highly ranked universities) has over 190,000 students, the same amount as the University of Texas System. There really isn’t any way around it, when it comes to endowment, UT is the envy of public schools everywhere.</p>

59

<p>Oh for God's sake can you two quit nitpicking about the racial percentages at the school? </p>

<p>The opening post was about what you don't like about UT, and it was posted by a parent who is trying to decide if UT is a good fit for her daughter. She didn't ask anything about A&M or it would be on the A&M board.</p>

<p>Can we get back to the topic? The answers would probably be most helpful if they were posted by people who had some relation to UT (kyler - I'm assuming that is your name because of the stadium at A&M, so your allegiences are with that school, maybe your mom went to Texas and that is why you are so familiar with it, but it seems like you are just trying to be a pain in the rear to UT people, can you just please stop!!!!) loneranger, no sense in arguing with him, you seem to know tons about Texas, and people appreciate your posts, but nitpicking is irritating, so back to your great posts with good info re: UT.</p>

<p>Sorry to rant, but I keep getting these emails with the arguments and it is RIDICULOUS!</p>

60

<p>
[quote]
The opening post was about what you don't like about UT, and it was posted by a parent who is trying to decide if UT is a good fit for her daughter. She didn't ask anything about A&M or it would be on the A&M board.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I know she didn’t ask anything about A&M, which is why it is odd that A&M was ever brought up in the first place. I sure wasn’t the first person in this thread to mention A&M, so maybe your post should be directed at whomever did. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Can we get back to the topic? The answers would probably be most helpful if they were posted by people who had some relation to UT (kyler - I'm assuming that is your name because of the stadium at A&M, so your allegiences are with that school, maybe your mom went to Texas and that is why you are so familiar with it, but it seems like you are just trying to be a pain in the rear to UT people, can you just please stop!!!!)

[/quote]
</p>

<p>ag54, I’m not making assumptions about you or other posters and I would appreciate the same in return. If I was really trying to be a pain in the rear to UT people then you would see me on these boards constantly bashing UT every chance I got. Yet you don’t see me constantly basing UT on these boards because I have no desire to do that. If you were to actually read my past posts you would know that I respect UT and think it is an outstanding university. But when A&M is used as a punching bag to somehow make UT look better, then I feel compelled to respond. If you knew anything about me (which you don’t) you would know that I am pretty fair and objective when it comes to talking about UT and A&M. I have always admitted that UT is a superior university by almost any measure, but as someone who applied and was accepted to both universities, I know the differences between the two schools are not as great as many here on CC would like to believe.</p>