10% rule and school strategy (Austin, West: homes, private schools, colleges)

[Ldoubled]

I've never given Univ of Texas much thought but when we found out we might move here, it seemed like an added bonus to have a big uni right here. My oldest is going into 7th grade, it'd be nice for my kids to have the choice to go to a close school.

Then I read about the 10% rule, where a kid in the top 10% of any school automatically gets admitted to a state school. This year, something like 80% of UT's in-state admissions will be taken by this rule, leaving the 11% and lower, the non-ranking schools' graduates and the homeschooled kids to duke it out for the remaining 20% of spots.

Do you send your kids to a "lesser" school, hoping that it has a lower ranking because of the kids and not the teachers? Do you move out to the country for senior year? Do you find the best district you can and hope for the best (maybe have Harvard as a backup)? My kids are smart but I'm not sure I can count on them to get all A's all four years. I expect a high B to be thrown in there from time to time.

Any chance this rule will change in the next 6 years? 80% is awfully high.

[centralaustinite]

i want the best education I can find and afford for my kids, period! Small classes, great teachers, able peers. I want them to be stimulated and engaged by learning in high school and if that means that they don't attend public school or don't end up in the top ten percent, so be it. Learning is the key. Does that mean that they have to go to Westlake, Anderson, Austin, or Westwood high? I don't think so. A smaller, more diverse high school like McCallum say in AISD might work better. But much depends on the child and their needs. Focus on the kid, focus on the educational experience, and don't worry about making the top 10%.

(I came to UT for graduate school and taught my share of UT classes, I used to say that I was grateful that I didn't have to swim in the sea of 50,000 students when I was 18! At the same time, I would also encounter groups of 15 students or so students in my classes who all attended the same high school -- terrified of branching out into such a huge place, they made it through freshman year by keeping very close to their high school friends. I guess I would just be careful in what you wish for)

[marylee54]

Geat Real!

You play the hand you're dealt---education and learning are NOT the same thing, she's asking about getting into college, not about learning for the sake of learning, that's the name of the game! Yes, I know how its "supposed" to be, and I also know how it is.

[compSciGuy]

I went to UT-Austin before the top 10% rule. I know parents then that would place their students in bad schools so they could shine. Most of those students were the weaker ones in college and weren't competitive with the others. People in the bottom 50% of competitive high schools would run circles around top 2% or 3%, including valedictorians, etc. You need to judge what would be the value of the UT-Austin degree, versus the value of having your children learn how to compete. As time goes on, the degrees importance will wane, but people will always need to be competing (to get jobs, promotions, etc.). Sooner or later, things may catch up.

[achtungpv]

99.99% of all college graduates didn't go to UT and they are surviving just fine. Let your kids decide where they go to school. They're the ones that have to live with the decision not you. Hell, in a few years your kid may want get as far away from you as possible.

[traceyr13]

As someone who worked at UT as an advisor last year, attended as a graduate student, is an educator by trade (returning to my high school roots), and a parent of 3, here's my take.

First, I feel that the 10% rule will be overturned in the next several years. I'm not sure if it will be by the time your 7th grade child is applying, but I do believe that by the time my oldest is ready for college (he's going into 3rd grade) it will be over-turned. Administrators, professors, and the president are strongly opposed to it, as it has NOT significantly met its goal (that of increasing diversity) and is instead really limiting admissions in its quest to attract a diverse, multi-talented, student body. While I worked there, I know the president gave a passionate speech before the Texas legislature pleading with them to recognize this.

Regardless, it is my own personal belief as an educator AND parent that education should be approached without the "college game" mentality. I worked for several years as a school counselor at the #1 high school in Rhode Island, and became very discouraged at how parents put their kids under so much stress to get accepted in certain schools, paying hundreds of dollars for private college advisors, asking me which sport or activity would look "best" for college apps (instead of going with what the student actually loved or wanted to do), etc.

It is my intention to always stress to my children to try their hardest, take the most challenging courses they can, and apply and hopefully go to colleges that are best for their intended major and where they want to go/what opportunities it provides them. While I understand the financial impact of attending a school in state, I don't quite understand the dominant Texas mentality that I have encountered where it's "either" UTexas or Texas A&M that the majority of kids strive for. Maybe it's my many years in New England, where so many of my students applied to schools all over the country, and the local schools weren't any more popular or appealing than schools in several states.

I will encourage my kids to look at colleges all over the country, and if they want to go to UT or A&M or another state school, hopefully the 10% rule won't be an impediment.

Just my .02 (since you asked!)

[chickenfry]

For the class of 2011, all students must have taken 4 years of math, 4 years of science (referred to as "4x4"). This is going to change things dramatically because obviously kids with math/science gifts will likely be filling more of the top ten percent at each school (if you are required to take 4 years of your best courses vs a kid who does well in geography/history/english).
I agree that the 10% will be changed in the next legislative session.

[jidranth]

Originally Posted by Ldoubled

My kids are smart but I'm not sure I can count on them to get all A's all four years. I expect a high B to be thrown in there from time to time.

Any chance this rule will change in the next 6 years? 80% is awfully high.

I graduated from a Texas High school, in a college town (the "other" college). I did not get all As (though it was mostly As). I even got 1 C (the only C in my entire school career, I was crushed). I graduated 5th in my class (sniff. Slipped down from 4th probably cause of that C).

So being in the top 10% may not be quite as difficult as you think.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by traceyr13

As someone who worked at UT as an advisor last year, attended as a graduate student, is an educator by trade (returning to my high school roots), and a parent of 3, here's my take.

First, I feel that the 10% rule will be overturned in the next several years. I'm not sure if it will be by the time your 7th grade child is applying, but I do believe that by the time my oldest is ready for college (he's going into 3rd grade) it will be over-turned. Administrators, professors, and the president are strongly opposed to it, as it has NOT significantly met its goal (that of increasing diversity) and is instead really limiting admissions in its quest to attract a diverse, multi-talented, student body. While I worked there, I know the president gave a passionate speech before the Texas legislature pleading with them to recognize this.

Regardless, it is my own personal belief as an educator AND parent that education should be approached without the "college game" mentality. I worked for several years as a school counselor at the #1 high school in Rhode Island, and became very discouraged at how parents put their kids under so much stress to get accepted in certain schools, paying hundreds of dollars for private college advisors, asking me which sport or activity would look "best" for college apps (instead of going with what the student actually loved or wanted to do), etc.

It is my intention to always stress to my children to try their hardest, take the most challenging courses they can, and apply and hopefully go to colleges that are best for their intended major and where they want to go/what opportunities it provides them. While I understand the financial impact of attending a school in state, I don't quite understand the dominant Texas mentality that I have encountered where it's "either" UTexas or Texas A&M that the majority of kids strive for. Maybe it's my many years in New England, where so many of my students applied to schools all over the country, and the local schools weren't any more popular or appealing than schools in several states.

I will encourage my kids to look at colleges all over the country, and if they want to go to UT or A&M or another state school, hopefully the 10% rule won't be an impediment.

Just my .02 (since you asked!)

I agree with this 500%

[Dr.Mom]

"Then I read about the 10% rule, where a kid in the top 10% of any school automatically gets admitted to a state school."


Does this rule apply to private schools as well, or solely to public schools?