Suggest what students can do to be in top 10% (West: high school, university)

[godagoda]

what is the point of the top 10%? to get into TX public universities? you need top 6% for UT.

regardless of your reasons you are not guaranteed your majors one way or another. If this is about building your college profile, you should pick up something you love doing, put every free minute on it and get as far in that field as possible.

Colleges want a diverse student body, people that stand out. Find something that makes you shine.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

I do agree that the current system is taking too many students using the top x% system. For UT Austin I believe it was between 70-80%, and with 10% set aside for international and out of state applicants that leaves those not in the top x% competing for only around 10% of the spots. I am not sure 50% is the right number but the current number is set too high.

It does seem though the other besides UT do look at students outside of the top 10%, and accept those students if they have the test scores. I don't believe that is unfair against the kids in the high achieving suburban districts that the other poster was writing about.

Although it is an improvement over the way it was getting prior to the 10% law. As President Powers said, "It is the University of Texas, not the University of 20 suburban school districts in DFW, Houston, San Antonio and Austin."

[Mr. Football]

UT and A&M have become obscenely wealthy due to an archaic funding scheme that established the "The Permanent University Fund". Back in 1876, vast lands in West Texas were set aside for the benefit of a university of the first class in Texas. This was back when more people lived in Mississippi than Texas. Fast forward and massive oil reserves were discovered on these lands and the PUF became much more valuable, showering UT and A&M with immense funding that dwarfs most other institutions around the country and keeps growing. Meanwhile, Texas population has exploded, yet our higher education system and the number of high quality nationally renowned universities is limited due to the archaic funding mechanism that benefits just two major universities (and their systems). Texas isn't Mississippi, quit funding Texas higher education as if only 2 schools exist. Split the PUF equitably across all Public Universities or give the Texas Tech and UH Systems, the extra 1/3 share of the PUF that UT enjoys (UT gets 2/3, A&M gets 1/3).Tech and UH are clearly on the verge of becoming great national universities (if not already). Others are not far behind. We need more great options across this great state.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

Is UT Austin the only one that does this 'admission by major' or do all schools have that? That kind of makes the auto admit a hoax if you're restricted to certain majors. I understand the engineering school might have different criteria than the liberal arts school but doing so by major is new to me.

A&M does the same thing. An auto-admit alone isn't going to get a kid into any better program at either school.

And it's not just engineering can you imagine the carnage if A&M or UT allowed any auto admit who wanted into math, physics, statistics, chemistry, any life science, architecture, geology, computational linguistics, computer science, etc. etc. It'd be a bloodbath of washouts and each school's prestige programs would lose standing immediately.

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by EDS_

A&M does the same thing. An auto-admit alone isn't going to get a kid into any better program at either school.

And it's not just engineering can you imagine the carnage if A&M or UT allowed any auto admit who wanted into math, physics, statistics, chemistry, any life science, architecture, geology, computational linguistics, computer science, etc. etc. It'd be a bloodbath of washouts and each school's prestige programs would lose standing immediately.

Most smaller private colleges and universities let students pick their majors in the sophomore year after trying a few classes do they not? This applying to your major business sound more like the European system. Granted kids at that age still don't really know what they want but at least they know better than high school seniors.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

Most smaller private colleges and universities let students pick their majors in the sophomore year after trying a few classes do they not? This applying to your major business sound more like the European system. Granted kids at that age still don't really know what they want but at least they know better than high school seniors.

Across many STEM areas especially and some other areas too required classes start day one much variance will often result in extra semesters.

[mkwensky]

Originally Posted by EDS_

Across many STEM areas especially and some other areas too required classes start day one much variance will often result in extra semesters.

There are prerequisites for all majors and for most engineering ones you need 4 semesters to cover them. However there are many overlaps and you can still go in multiple directions by the time to pick majors if you plan your course selection right. A premed for example can usually go into biology, chemistry or most of the engineering majors if they want even if they haven't decided which when they got in.

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by mkwensky

There are prerequisites for all majors and for most engineering ones you need 4 semesters to cover them. However there are many overlaps and you can still go in multiple directions by the time to pick majors if you plan your course selection right. A premed for example can usually go into biology, chemistry or most of the engineering majors if they want even if they haven't decided which when they got in.

Of course there is overlap including university wide requirements like English, history, a social science component etc. The point is a kid studying engineering (insert many other STEM degree paths) at UT or A&M must follow a tightly defined class progression including rigid prerequisites that begin day one or s/he will be out of order and will require otherwise unnecessary hours to complete his/her degree.

Someone who studies say sociology for two years would be way behind if they switched to engineering.

[rabbit33]

Umm...

Study hard and seek tutoring for what you are having trouble with?

[ChristieP]

Originally Posted by Raider Scott

Psst...you can still make an amazing living and land good jobs if you did not go to A&M or UT.

Why everyone in this state gets laser-focused on those two schools and barely looks anywhere else is beyond me.

I work with several Aggies and Longhorns and they are no smarter than I am. In the end...it is the graduate, not the school name on the diploma, that will determine your projection in life.

Angelo State worked great for me! I got one of their Carr Scholarships that paid most of my tuition, and I loved the smaller classes and professors that actually knew my name. In and out in 4 years, and I managed to land a good job on my own after moving back to the DFW area. My heart will always be in West Texas after my 4 years at ASU!