OP, for next year’s admissions it will likely be achievable at a top-30 school, reachier at a top-20 school dependent on hook, and a super reach/lottery pick at a top-10 school regardless of scores.
UT Austin had an 18% acceptance rate for students not in the top 7%. UT is a reach no matter the ACT, especially for more competitive majors.
@DadTwoGirls, in Texas you must be top 7% in the high school for auto-admit. Everyone else gets holistic review, but 75% of freshman seats are filled via auto-admit so there aren’t exactly a lot of extra seats for those outside the top 7%. OP, if you’re going for any kind of competitive major (CS or any engineering major for instance) and you’re outside the top 7%, UT Austin is probably a reach. Check with your guidance counselor, check your school’s Naviance data. The GC should be able to tell you how your school’s applicants fare at UT Austin for your intended major. My son’s school is also a crazy competitive AP arms race Texas public school, but that doesn’t mean the students outside the top 7% are easily getting into competitive majors at UT. Just this year there was the story of the girl sitting at 7.5%, with sports, community service, leadership, STEM ECs, tons of APs (more than you actually), fine test scores, etc, who was applying for an engineering major and didn’t get into UT at all. She wasn’t the only one rejected but it really is getting that difficult to get into UT if you’re not auto-admit. Of course if you’re going for a less popular major that isn’t as limited as engineering or CS you probably have a very good chance at UT. Definitely discuss with your GC or college & career counselor.
@traveler98 so would I have a fairly solid shot at something like the college of liberal arts with scores of 1450 and 33 (and that other etc. stuff)?
@oakland818, probably so but don’t take my word for it. Definitely speak with your GC to understand how your school specifically does with UT admissions, and whether he/she thinks you have a reasonable chance. Definitely not a safety for you or anyone else outside top 7%, but for liberal arts maybe a match or high match. You’ll want some safeties lined up for sure. Are you in the top 10%? That would make you auto-admit everywhere besides UT, though A&M does have competitive majors as well (engineering for sure, I don’t know what else though).
@oakland818 You’d really be better served looking at those college common data results and a few of the results threads. No one here can tell you with such little info. I can tell you I know students with a a 33 ACT who got scholarship money to USC and I know students with a 33 who did not get into USC at all and I know one with a 32 or 33 - can’t recall precisely - who recently got a spring admit. You simply can’t target schools with that little info.
But certainly, if you don’t have any big holes in your application, can get great recs, can write a few focused essays that convey some depth to your intelect, curiosity, ambition or character (or hopefully all of the above) a 33/1450 will get you in some “great” schools, esp. if you aren’t looking at more competitive programs like USC CA or UT engineering.
I would suggest you look at the money situation and maybe why you are selecting the schools you are looking at. I can’t tell from your list how you are picking schools.
The chart I see concords a 33 to a 1500.
Keep in mind that doesn’t mean these are equivalent. It is just comparing percentiles. But a 33 paints you in a higher light than a 1450.
Look it up if you don’t believe me
Look at the UT results threads from this year. They are very sobering. If you are from a public school and outside the 7% it is tough. Many kids outside the 7% with a 33 that got in got CAP or did not get the major they wanted. You should be competitive for USC, NYU, and BC. USC has an early application cut off for scholarship $.