As this fall may not be an on campus experience and tour specific situation - the idea of taking a gap year is really valid.
It’s also going to be very common.
I would prep diligently with the extra time you will have and take another standardized test. Also, find a volunteer opportunity that is meaningful for you. Perhaps somehow related to marine science, animal welfare or water conservation.
Revisit this whole process again. You won’t be alone. It will be more competitive next year imho.
That means that you are outside of the automatic admit range. UT Austin fills about 3/4 of its class from automatic admits. You would be competing against all of the Texas residents who just missed the top 6%, as well as all out-of-state and international students (including those with ranks better top 6%).
GPA is not relevant, since they use rank instead of GPA. Also, be careful about comparing your weighted GPA to a GPA that may be unweighted, or weighted differently.
The 48.5% overall in-state admission rate is not relevant. The admission rate is 100% for top 6% rank automatic admit applicants, but only 19.5% for other in-state applicants (the group you would have been in), according to https://admissions.utexas.edu/explore/freshman-profile .
If you take a gap year and apply next year, consider UT Austin to be a reach, not a safety.
Another option for a fully-funded residential campus education, travel, and marine science (if you have the temperament and athleticism for it) could be the Merchant Marine Academy. The application process for the class of 2025 begins on May 1st. The curriculum includes a Sea Year that takes you all over the world.
@ucbalumnus your statistics mixed with opinions seem grim even for me.
If 75% of UT class was 6% of their high school, average SAT score wouldn’t be that low and acceptance wouldn’t be that high ??♀️
It may not be a “safety school” for me if I applied earlier, but I wouldn’t consider it a “reach” school by any means.
Just my thoughts.
Doesn’t matter. I’m graduating soon that ship has sailed. I’m thinking of what to do now.
@Petal12 - There are a LOT of high schools in TX and being in the top 6% of you class does not necessarily mean high GPA or test scores in all of them.
@Petal12: I sent you a PM. There may be an option.
P.S. Are you able to pay room & board or are you in absolute need of a “full ride” financial aid / scholarship award ? (“Full Ride” = tuition, fees, room & board as opposed to a “full tuition award”)
Are there no colleges with rolling admission in Texas? Here there are a lot of regional schools you can apply to right up until practically the start of the semester.
I am so sorry to hear about your situation. I wish you had gotten more help along the way from someone knowledgeable about the admissions process. I know a lot of students like you who did not focus enough on true safeties and were surprised and disappointed when results came out.
It’s hard to compare yourself to the stats the schools publish. Remember that those stats also include athletes (some of which may be admitted for reasons other than their stellar stats) and people with lower stats but amazing hooks. Even when you fall within the averages for a school there are tons of students who are not admitted who also fall within those averages. I think many students and their families make the mistake of assuming that if their numbers are within the typical averages for a school that they will likely be admitted and that’s just not true. While you have a change to be admitted, it’s not a sure thing. Schools get WAY more good applicants that they have spots. A true safety is one where you are far above the average and really are guaranteed admission. You should apply to a couple of those.
I see you as having 2 options:
Good luck to you!
I’m afraid you don’t understand the whole process.
But that’s OK.
We can help.
IMPORTANT:
“This ship” has NOT sailed.
You CAN apply as a freshman even after graduation.
What APs, IBs, AICE, or dual enrollment classes have you taken?
What major are you interested in?
@cshell2 There are plenty of Texas Universities that are still taking applications, and that offer rolling admission. I don’t know how many of them offer free tuition based on income, though. Many scholarship deadlines are long past. Offering strong advice on ‘what now’ might be difficult without understanding some of the questions that @Petal12 hasn’t answered yet. Having a better understanding of the overall academic profile would help contributors to hone in on realistic possibilities, and not wasting time on options that don’t make sense.
@Petal12 can you answer the following questions? You may have to ask your high school counselor for some definitive answers. For Texas public colleges and universities, the answers are paramount for understanding where you might stand for enrollment, aid, and timing (potentially up to a full-ride at some schools).
What is your class rank? (example: 20/200)
What is your unweighted GPA on a 4 point scale?
If you’re graduating from a Texas public school, will you graduate with the “Distinguished Level of Achievement” distinction?
What’s the breakdown of your SAT score? (example: EBRW 760, Math 620)
Did you take IB/AP/Dual-Enrollment classes - Have you already earned college credits?
What were your highest math and science classes (since you’re looking for STEM major)?
Have you taken (at least) 1 full year of computer science?
Did you complete the FAFSA? If so, what is your EFC?
I live in TX, too. Sorry to break it to you, but if you are not in the top 6% of your class, it is not likely for you to get in next year, nor was it a sure thing this year. Are you open to private schools? If so, look at St. Ed’s in Austin. They are taking apps until 6/1. A lot of kids who don’t make the cut at UT go there and end up having a better experience there than they would have at UT. Then you can go to UT for grad school. ?
@nomatter I’ll get back to answering those questions later today. I have a lot of work to finish up still for school.
I’m earning an IB diploma btw.
I’m double-stressed ?
@Petal12 I know it sounds kind of unbelievable how much of a difference it makes for UT admissions if you’re not in the top 6 percent of your class, but @ucbalumnus really knows their stuff and their opinion is really valuable. Just saying because it’s hard when you come onto a board like this to know if the person who’s giving an opinion knows what they’re talking about.
^^ This. UT Austin is not a safety for anyone, unless you’re an auto admit requesting a non-honors & non-impacted major in COLA… AND you don’t need any form of financial aid. UT Austin practices holistic admissions, so an SAT score (high/low/middle of the road) isn’t going to get you in or keep you out. Neither is a GPA. Top 6.1+% students with near perfect standardized test scores get rejected all the time. There are a LOT of top 6%ers, so there is not a lot of room left for non top 6%ers, and the admission standard isn’t “admit if their SAT score is above our average”.
The cumulative strength of application - the sum total of your academic attributes (rigor, grades, test scores, core fulfillment, etc…), class standing, demonstration of excellence and leadership, community engagement, passion, fit, and the ability to convey all of that (really well) with strong writing skills (essays and resume), and supporting recommendations is the best way to purse admission to UT Austin. And pretty much any other school whose admission rate is less than coin flip odds.
Edited to add: This isn’t strictly for the OP either. It’s good information shared from @ucbalumnus and others, because I think a lot of overworked and overburdened high school counselors have neglected to convey to parents and students, realistic expectations for admissions to UT Austin and TAMU, here in Texas.
IB is good, because it’s maximum rigor; and it means your GPA is a strong one. What is it unweighted (where the highest possible, if every single grade has been an A, is 4.0?)
What SLs and HLs?
What did you do for CAS?
What topic is your EE about?
What’s your EFC?
What can your parents afford to pay (or, what are they willing to pay)?
Lots of colleges are still accepting applications with financial aid, so we can help you find places that match your interests and your budget.
call the admin office at UT. You might be suprised.
Have you looked into starting out at UTA, UTD, UTSA, or any other UT-system school? https://www.utsystem.edu/institutions
I believe there’s a program that allows you to transfer to UT Austin after freshman year if you start at one of their other system campuses (your major may not be guaranteed):
https://admissions.utexas.edu/enroll/cap
You can have an on campus, dormitory experience at one of those campuses too. It’s not what you envisioned, but it might ultimately get you where you want to be.
Plus, to reiterate another post, why not TAMU Galveston for marine science?
If you do end up taking a gap year, and if you live near an aquarium or a zoo, I would suggest contacting them to see what kind of volunteer postitions they have available. Tell them you are taking a gap year and that your intended majpr is Marine Science. They may be able to place you in a volunteer position that would give you some experience to add to your applications.
@Culbreath : this student wasn’t CAP’ed, they didn’t apply on time.
@Petal12 : can you answer the questions (EFC especially, but also APs etc)? We can help you get to college with a scholarship but we need info to help you.
If you really can’t afford a full year off, know there are that lots of desperate schools out there this summer, just not at the top-most level. UT_Austin isn’t hurting for apps, but many, many other schools are. Someone mentioned St Ed’s above, for example, and there are countless others frightened for their very existence that might happily embrace you and your top decile rank, IB transcript. So take another look for extended app deadlines at schools a step or two down from where you were looking before, call some financial aid offices with your NPC data in hand and have them run the numbers for you. You’d be completely out of luck in most years, but the covid-19 mess might leave a couple windows open for you if you’re agile and not too picky.