CU Boulder vs UT Austin vs CSM?

EngPII
Mon, 07 Aug 2017 01:08:06 +0000

You’ll have some good visits at these three schools which I know well. My S1 was very interested early on in Mines and I am an active alumnus of CU Boulder…and now with my son at UT in dual-degree Cockrell (engineering) and Plan II Honors (liberal arts), I have come to know UT academics fairly well.

You didn’t mention your HS class rank. Unlike CSM and CU Boulder, the key to in-state admissions at UT is your HS class rank, not GPA. If you are in the Top 7% in HS class rank at time of admission, you receive automatic admission to UT, though not necessarily your major or college. If you ARE in the Top 7% in class rank, Jackson Geosciences at UT–globally at the top of its field like CSM-- could be hard to beat with a $10k yearly in-state tuition vs 4X the cost at CSM or CU Boulder. Texas is all about Geosciences, as America’s premier energy-funded flagship and eye-popping $25B endowment. Wait till you see that LEEDS-certified new Jackson College building. Holy smokes.

70% of incoming Freshmen at UT have to come from the 7% rule. If you are NOT in the top 7% of your Texas HS class rank, it is much harder to get into UT than either CSM or CU, regardless of your GPA and test scores. You would have to go through Holistic Review just to get into UT, with no guarantee you will be accepted to your major/college. 10% of freshman admissions at UT are generally reserved for OOS and International students for diversity purposes. So only maximum 20% of incoming Freshman at UT come from in-state Holistic Admissions.

Bottom line, if you are in the Top 7%, UT is a no-brainer. If not, you have outstanding options. Congratulations on how you plan for your future. You will be a very successful (as well as poly-lingual!) young professional.