<p>Hiya folks!Off late I have been thinking how hard is UT Austin to get into?I am applying to cockrell school of engineering.I also read somewhere that they also look for the EC’s.What does it take to get in?</p>
<p>Browse this link, it might tell you some things you’re looking for. [University</a> of Texas at Austin Overview - CollegeData College Profile](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=788]University”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg01_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=788)
That should tell you the acceptance rate and what kind of SAT scores the average admitted student has, so you know what kind of score you should aim for.</p>
<p>UT Austin is fairly competitive and has a good reputation for engineering, but honestly that’s as much as I know about it. As for ECs, they will be looked at no matter which college in the US you apply to.</p>
<p>But I was under this impression that public unis don’t need ECs.If what you said is true then is the admission going to be tough?</p>
<p>Every university in the US asks for extra-curriculars. Some might give them a little less importance, but the fact is that education in the US is holistic and so are admissions. Meaning that adcoms want to see beyond applicants’s grades and into their lives and personalities while accepting them. One way they do this is by looking at extra curriculars. A student with an above average percentage but good ECs is considered better than a top-ranked student with a perfect GPA but next to no ECs.</p>
<p>That said, opportunities for extra-curricular activities in India are nowhere near as abundant as they are in the US, plus most students/parents seem to think they’re a waste of time and so don’t take part. So do not compare your ECs to those of any US students. The colleges will not compare you not with US students but with students from the same background as you, i.e., other Indian applicants. I’m sure there must be some sort of activity you’ve taken part in. Olympiads and science fairs count. Even if you have a hobby like collecting stamps you can convert it into a good EC. If you really have absolutely nothing, it’s still not too late to join a club/student council/take up some sort of activity.</p>
<p>Admissions need not be tough. If you’re concerned, try using websites like CollegeBoard and Cappex that look at your stats and ECs and tell you how likely you are to get in to a school. But I wouldn’t set too much store on them because the most important part of your app is the essay. Even if you have nothing else, a unique essay that is an insight into your personality will really help.</p>
<p>What is important -UT Texas, </p>
<p><a href=“BigFuture College Search”>BigFuture College Search;
<p>"This college rated the relative importance of these academic and non-academic factors in their admission decisions.</p>
<p>Very Important</p>
<p>Class Rank
Rigor of secondary school record</p>
<p>Important</p>
<p>Application Essay
Extracurricular Activities
Standardized Test Scores
Talent/Ability
Volunteer Work
Work Experience</p>
<p>Considered</p>
<p>Character/Personal Qualities
First generation college student
Level of Applicant’s Interest
Racial/Ethnic Status
Recommendations
State Residency"</p>
<p>@khione thanks for the elaborate response! There’s much more to think upon now.</p>
<p>@anialways I am from CBSE board (science stream) , is that considered rigorous?</p>
<p>Yes I think it is rigorous, especially from the point of view of the pressure to perform well in the 11th and 12th grade. And that is because everyone is not just preparing for the Board exam but what comes after that, ie. the competitive exams which as I understand are one of the toughest.</p>
<p>And even if you leave entrance exams out of the equation, just look at cut-offs for admissions here in India at the college level. So for this reason and not necessarily for the curriculum or rote style of learning, I would have to say it is rigorous.</p>
<p>When colleges refer to the rigor of your high school course, they usually mean the difficulty of the subjects you’ve chosen. This obviously is more applicable in the US because students can choose each of their own classes, unlike here in India where there are only a couple of streams to choose from (normally; maybe your school is different). I agree with anialways that the science stream is very rigorous (so glad to be done with it, haha). Academically, CBSE is one of the toughest around, though it’s lacking in other aspects.</p>
<p>hey ! I just finished my 12th in a CBSE based school. I found it good, though not the most rigorous.</p>
<p>Rigor at CBSE is partly a function of the school – especially at the 11th level – and I don’t mean the marks that you get (or don’t get) at 11th. </p>
<p>It’s possible to do 12th CBSE science with no rigor, focusing only on, say, the JEE (although the 20 percentile rule is eroding this point). </p>
<p>It is also possible to do 12th CBSE science with a lot of rigor, and do so-so in the boards (e.g. > 80% i.e. in the top 20 percentile but < 92%). It would still be considered rigorous, and the fact that one did not get a 92% is not a crazy thing. </p>
<p>Also to note that your 12th Mark Sheet has a section on general studies.</p>
<p>Having said that, the toughest combination in 12th CBSE seems to be Language, Ph, Ch, Ma, Bio.
Many students opt for easy option as the 5th subject leaving them to nail (typically) the PCM.</p>
<p>@quiverfox hey ! Long time no see man…Can I ask what’s your score? Which school have you finally picked up?</p>
<p>@antialias yeah I have got P C M Eng C.S and I think that’s pretty rigorous too.</p>
<p>I was just wondering is taking IELTS in place of TOEFL sensible ? Would it be safe ?</p>
<p>hey ! Busy with my grand vacation 
… I got a 95% in the boards and sort of ended up with Berkeley :)</p>
<p>Berkeley is sweet! Congrats for the result.
Where else did you get in?</p>
<p>Uchicago, UIUC , UCSD UCI and all the indian places … Nationally affiliated :P</p>
<p>Haha!Did you take the JEE?
Also ,is taking IELTS in place of TOEFL safe ?whaddya say?</p>
<p>Cockrell is pretty hard to get into as an out-of-state or international student. Which kind of engineering are you thinking about? That makes a difference. Biomedical and architectural engineering are the most competitive.</p>
<p>@mainelonghorn I’d apply to computer engineering.Could you shed some more light on this matter.</p>
<p>Yeah IITs too…</p>
<p>Great.</p>
<p>Also,which one should I go for IELTS or TOEFL? I might apply to other countries as well (apart from the US).</p>