Transferring To Another TX High School To Make It Into UT/Texas A&M (Dallas: loans, private school)

[padcrasher]

Originally Posted by pepper131

What is your kid interested in? UTD has excellent programs for engineering and sciences.

All three of them make good grades but their strong subjects are History, English, Social studies, not math.

I'm not seriously considering this. I'm just sort of thinking outside the box here. This gaming of the system would involve renting an apartment, complete with phone/electric service for two years in some particular HS's zone that I really wouldn't be living in. That right there, is getting to the point where it's just over the top...lol

[DoneWithDallas]

Honestly, isn't this kind of cheating the system? By transferring ISD's to get into the top percentile to get into a college when in reality that kid doesn't deserve to get in solely based on the fact that he/she got in only because they transferred to make them look better. That's setting them up for failure right off the bat.

If they're not going to A&M for enginnering of some sort, then A&M is just as useless if you ask me. I started at UT, took some time off and finished up at Texas Tech. My boyfriend and I are both Tech Alumni and there is a huge Tech presence in Texas as well. Don't count out the other schools. I got many job offers with my degree from Tech. Just because someone has a degree from a certain school doesn't guarantee them a better job.. or a job at all.

[Considering Coming Back]

Originally Posted by Big G

I'm familiar with one family who is trying this to avoid competing at PWSH. As it's playing out, Junior is highly resentful of being shuffled away from his friends, and is in danger of missing the top 7% (yep, that's the expected cutoff for UT) at, I think, Hillcrest.

It really isn't THAT easy to make the top at ANY school. And when half the class is dropping out, that leaves fewer top ten slots.

The comments about quality of education shouldn't be neglcted. I know of multiple kids in PISD who got into UT outside the auto-qualify. I think the OP is in Carroll ISD. His kid is probably best served there.

Not sure I agree with UT or TAMU or bust. TT is a decent school, and UTD is on fire these days- might eclipse TAMU in reputation 10 or 15 years down the line.

Hillcrest has 269 seniors. If they all graduate (they wont) Junior will need to be ranked 18th. I know those outside the system wont believe it, but there are more than 18 talented and hard working students at Hillcrest.

And to the social point, everyone I'm aware of transferring for TTP lost their old friend group without being able to build a new one. So you take a kid, put in their mind that if they don't get into UT/A&M they are a failure, and then make them social outcasts to boot. Not a recipe for long term success in life.

[padcrasher]

Originally Posted by DoneWithDallas

Honestly, isn't this kind of cheating the system? By transferring ISD's to get into the top percentile to get into a college when in reality that kid doesn't deserve to get in solely based on the fact that he/she got in only because they transferred to make them look better. That's setting them up for failure right off the bat.

That's not what is going on here. The top half of Southlake HS can make it at any University in the State.

But it would be cheating.

But I think the "system" is unjust. And I'm perfectly fine with civil disobedience just as long as those fined/caught understand the penalties.

[padcrasher]

Originally Posted by DoneWithDallas

Honestly, isn't this kind of cheating the system? By transferring ISD's to get into the top percentile to get into a college when in reality that kid doesn't deserve to get in solely based on the fact that he/she got in only because they transferred to make them look better. That's setting them up for failure right off the bat.

If they're not going to A&M for enginnering of some sort, then A&M is just as useless if you ask me. I started at UT, took some time off and finished up at Texas Tech. My boyfriend and I are both Tech Alumni and there is a huge Tech presence in Texas as well. Don't count out the other schools. I got many job offers with my degree from Tech. Just because someone has a degree from a certain school doesn't guarantee them a better job.. or a job at all.

You can use that argument with any level of school. Tech? Why not Midwestern in Wichita Falls? Midwestern? Why not Irving Diesel Tech?

I don't make the claim the University is the be all, and end all. I just want my kid to go to great school I had fond memories of, AND get a marginal, for what's it's worth, bump on his resume.

[hoffdano]

There are some errors in this thread.

A&M still admits all in the top 10%. It is not 8% or any other number. A&M has not been stressed by the 10% rule as much as UT. Admission though does not guarantee admission into a specific college or degree program.

Top 10% Admits

UT's automatic admission is "top 8%" for fall of 2013, "top 7%" for fall of 2014, and TBD for later years. UT will full 75% of its freshman class through automatic admission.

Automatic Admission | Be a Longhorn

If a child is not hell bent on being on campus their freshmen year, it is not too difficult to get into UT or A&M through enrollment at UTSA or Blinn College. I know several out of the top 10% that do this. The A&M program enrolls them at Blinn, with one class taught at A&M. After a successful first year they transfer to A&M for their sophomore year. The UTSA path is very established.

Financial aid for A&M or UT is very difficult to get if you don't have a clear financial need. Academic money is not so hard to get from Trinity, TCU, Baylor, or even SMU.

[DoneWithDallas]

Originally Posted by padcrasher

You can use that argument with any level of school. Tech? Why not Midwestern in Wichita Falls? Midwestern? Why not Irving Diesel Tech?

I don't make the claim the University is the be all, and end all. I just want my kid to go to great school I had fond memories of, AND get a marginal, for what's it's worth, bump on his resume.

Tech has a bigger name than Midwestern, Texas State, ETBU and such.
It certainly does not rank up there with UT academically, as I've attended both. Why don't you ask your kid where they want to go? What's great to you might not be great to them. Let them make their own fond memories. I'm thankful my parents allowed me to. Whatever school they go to will not get them the job regardless of the hypothetical bump or not.

You think getting into college is cut throat? Wait until they enter the job hunt.

[txgolfer130]

Originally Posted by padcrasher

Considering A Comeback

I don't really disagree with that, but this is the artificial system the State has put in place (their means to make the student body more diverse) and it doesn't give the schools leeway to take those factors into consideration when it comes to UT/Texas A&M. I'm really stuck. I get free tuition at State schools for one of my kids because of my veteran status, but the only two schools worth a damn in Texas IMHO are these two flagship schools. Otherwise it's very expensive private schools on my dime.

While I agree that Texas (and depending upon your career path-A&M) are great, but I wouldn't look past SMU, Rice either. TCU, Baylor, Houston & Tech would be very dependent upon major & what one wanted to do for a career.

[Lakewooder]

W.T. White, Hillcrest and Woodrow are some of comprehensives Dallas high schools with the appropriate AP and IB (Woodrow only) courses, but it's not as easy to crack the top 8% as some might have you believe...I don't have figures for the percentage but we have a 'top ten graduates' dinner every year where the previous top ten dines with the new top ten. Since we usually have around 250-300 graduates, it would be top 3 to 5%. Most of them are not going to UT or A&M, they go out of state and/or private. We have more going to UT than A&M and some are in Plan II Honors.

To earn an IB Diploma at Woodrow, you would have to go for the full Junior and Senior year. That's good for a minimum 24 college credit hours in Texas, and some schools accept IB grads at higher rates.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

^^^Im not sure people are talking about Wilson or Hillcrest when taking this approach. One of the guys (in the article I read) was sending his kid to Molina as opposed to Plano West. Talk about culture shock!