<p>I agree. I have never said that UT-Austin isn’t a good school. Like I mentioned, its business and engineering programs are among the best in the nation. The city is a wonderful cultural center, full of live entertainment and quirky events. I personally know people with fantastic stats who are also choosing to attend, forgoing all other options, and I have no doubt that they will love it there.</p>
<p>On the other hand, UT-Austin being a Texan student’s backup school should not be surprising, nor cause for imagined slights against its quality of education. It has automatic admission for the top 7% of the Class of 2014, so naturally, many top-achieving students will take advantage of that safety net while pursuing “reach” schools elsewhere. Our valedictorian happened to believe that her stats qualified her for an Ivy, which isn’t wrong, but she didn’t thumb her nose at UT when it became her only offer of admission. I might add that she’s now flourishing there, and is close to receiving a degree in aerospace engineering.</p>
<p>As for a student turning down Harvard for UT, it’s not the first time a situation like that has arisen. It’s rare, yes, but it happens, and it’s a respectable choice.</p>