Those stats are misleading. Yes, some non auto admits get in, but that group includes many of the division 1 athletes Texas seeks, of which there are many, as well as other groups sought to balance that class. I have watched UT admissions for many years, and based on what is happening in Houston I would say it is an unlikely admission to engineering, and no more than 50/50 to liberal arts. Frankly,I don’t think the essays or resumes are even read.
@franknd Thank you very much for the helpful link to UT’s website.
This provides a pretty good idea of what it takes for a non auto-admit in-state student. At best, a 19.5% chance, but probably closer to 15% after you subtract athletes, big donors, etc.
My DS20 will apply, but we know it’s a long shot.
Middle 50% SAT Score:
Texas Students Not Automatically Admitted: 1210 – 1420
Freshman Admission Rate
In-state Not automatically admitted: 19.5%
My oldest daughter just went through this process last year, I was just curious what was going on here about UT. She did not get in, top 10% of her very,very competitive HS. And neither did anybody else from her HS who was not in the top 6%. One of the friends was in the top 6.72% of the class, and that still didn’t get her in.
The only kids I heard of getting in outside of the top 6% were from a magnet HS that is in the district had some non-auto admit acceptances. So maybe if you are a very attractive student on paper (AP exams, internships, volunteering, travel, etc.) plus high SAT/ACT scores of course, that might be another way to get in.
I am still a little miffed because my daughter’s friend who attended the next HS down the road got in. She was in the top 6%, but her stats were not nearly what my daughter’s were. Different set of kids, different outcome. So if we moved across the highway and my daughter went to that HS, she could have stayed in Texas.
The OOS stats get skewed because so many admits don’t matriculate as there is no magic money. I think most OOS applicants could consider the application fee a donation. The OOS admit to UT could have some nice options to choose from, some of which won’t cost 60K a year.
@Sybylla I agree. Also if you put down the $50 housing deposit after applying, that is also a donation to UT! No auto-merit money from UT. OOS what is it $37k+ a year just for tuition. Housing is a joke, they are severely short on housing. My D23 is happy w/ her choice, but it could have been much easier if she was able to just go to UT.
Exactly. But it also suggests to me that if you’re a 1400 and, say, top 10% (but not top 6%), you have a good chance of making the cut. Now, again, whether it would be to first choice of major is a different story. The rest is anecdotal and unreliable inasmuch as nobody, aside from someone in admissions, has complete information, e.g. what someone else’s SAT scores really were, what their grades really were, who got in but went elsewhere and didn’t talk about getting in to UT, etc, etc.
I’m going to throw one other piece of info into the mix. While UT and A&M admissions aren’t the same, they aren’t totally unrelated by virtue of both being Texas flagships and governed by the same legislature. UT is a tougher nut to crack, no doubt. Nevertheless, consider that top 25% and 1360 (with minimum 620-M and 660-EBRW) gets one an automatic “academic” admit into A&M (although in fairness that is changing after this year). Given that, it seems to me rather likely that if you adjust those numbers upward, there is likely some grade/SAT combination that puts one in very strong shape for a UT admit. Now what that combo is, who knows? And they aren’t saying. But I’d be surprised if it didn’t informally exist.
@jellybean5 I have a lot of extracurriculars but I don’t know if it is enough. I’ve been part of the robotics club in my school all 4 years and have gotten several important leadership positions and winning titles, such as world champions and states champions all four years. I also have gotten at least 200 hours of volunteering throughout high school and have been a part of numerous honor societies. I also attended a summer biomedical engineering program but unfortunately, I could not receive an internship. along with this, I also had two jobs. I am also a black belt and American karate. This is a simple summary of my ECs, is this enough to stand out to the UT admission staff?
@Gojags14 I’ll assume you live in Texas. You sound like an awesome student. The only thing I would stress is to get a high SAT/ACT score. Like 1500+. I don’t know off hand what a corresponding ACT score would be, but you get it. Of course you should apply to UT but look for other schools that would welcome you and perhaps offer you some merit money. Good luck!
@jellybean5 It might be too late to retake my sat but I’m working hard on my essays and hopefully that can make a difference.
@franknd From your lips to God’s ears! My DS20 has 1420 SAT 
The numbers above would seem to agree with you, but there are so many anecdotes of rejected kids with very high SATs and tons of AP classes, that I don’t know what to think.
franknd, excellent post. I agree Gojas14 has a strong chance of admission. Gojas14, I suggest you reach out to a real expert like Kevin Martin and get his take. Top 9% with a 1490 (which is outstanding) and your strong EC’s should put you in good shape even for engineering. If you were OOS then I agree it would be much more of a challenge.
@MaineLonghorn Guess what? I got in. Thanks for doubting me 
Hook em!
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@roycroftmom I got in! Hook em horns! What I’ve learned is to not lose hope and to not let one part of your application bring you down
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Congratulations! I’m glad I was wrong.
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Happy for You! I am sure you will enjoy Austin
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Did you get your major?
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@Sybylla Yes I got into my first choice (Electrical and Computer Engineering).
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@MaineLonghorn Thank you! I didn’t mean to come off as harsh but your honest opinion really encouraged me to work harder on other parts of my application like my essay and resume
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Did you just get admitted?
@sybylla Yes around early April