Is UT Austin Right For You?

Summary: University of Texas at Austin is a Top 10-ranked public university with world-class undergraduate programs in business, engineering, computers and science, excellent research opportunities, in one of the best cities in America, all at a fraction of the cost of a private university.

Why UT Austin?

UT Austin is one of the most popular and applied-to universities in the country (ranked #16 for total first-year applications), and deservedly so. For in-state residents, it offers an extremely affordable education with many top-notch academic programs. Plus, it’s located in the sunny, lively city of Austin, Texas, which is a mecca for tech entrepreneurs, outdoor music, good food, and a variety of entertainment options, and is known for being far more progressive than the rest of Texas.

How good are the academics?

Based on US News & World Report’s 2023 rankings, UT Austin ranks as the #1 university in Texas, the #10 public university in the US, and the #38 university overall. It’s also ranked in the Top 5 for undergraduate research opportunities among all public universities. How hard is it to get in? It depends whether or not you’re applying in-state as a Texas resident or out-of-state. For the Class of 2027, it had a 41% in-state acceptance rate for both freshmen applicants and transfer students. But it had a 14% acceptance for out-of-state students, which puts it on-par with other highly competitive schools such as Boston College, UC Davis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Boston University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Case Western, and Northeastern.

Specialty schools

While the liberal arts education you can get at UT Austin’s College of Liberal Arts is quite good (if you want to study something like History, Government, Economics, or Psychology, for example) UT Austin really excels with its specialty schools. When you apply to UT Austin, you have to select which undergraduate college within the university you want to apply to, and there are 13 different schools to choose from.

Some of these colleges, like the McCombs School of Business, the Cockrell School of Engineering, and the College of National Science are exceptional, but they’re also extremely competitive to get into, with acceptance rates below 20% even for in-state residents. And note that while changing your major within a school is relatively easy (depending on the major), trying to transfer from one school to another is notoriously difficult.

Getting in…

The first thing to know about applying to UT Austin is that state law mandates that 90% of its students come from Texas. That means that Texas applicants have a huge advantage in the admissions process. In fact, only 5% of undergraduates come from out-of-state, and 5% of undergraduates are international.

The second thing to know is that state law requires that UT Austin has to automatically admit all Texas high school students who rank in the top 6% of their graduating class. These “auto-admits” make up a whopping 75% of the student body at UT Austin. But even though they’re guaranteed admission, they’re not guaranteed their first-choice school, or even their first-choice major. The result is that many “auto-admits” who don’t get into the business school or engineering school decide instead to enroll at another university where they can study what they want.

If you’re a Texas resident applying to UT Austin, and you’re not ranked in the top 6% of your class (in other words, you’re not an auto-admit), you should know that your true acceptance rate is probably closer to 10%.

Finally, even though 90% of students from UT Austin come from Texas, it’s quite an ethnically diverse campus. In the Fall of 2023, the student population was 33% White, 25% Hispanic, 22% Asian, and 5% Black. This is not a perfect balance, but it’s a better mix than you find at many state schools.

Why “Fit to Major” is the key to admissions…

Whether or not you get admitted to the school you want, or approved for the major you want, all comes down to how well your high school courses, SAT/ACT scores, awards and extracurriculars demonstrate that you’re a “good fit” for that school and major. If you haven’t demonstrated a proven track record of success in that area, there’s a good chance you’re not getting in. Therefore, it’s essential that you use your time in high school to demonstrate interest and proficiency in the academic subject you want to pursue at UT. Waiting until college to pursue your passion might work at some colleges that give you more freedom and flexibility, but not at UT Austin.

Honors programs

One of the best features of UT Austin is that it offers a variety of exclusive honors programs for high-achieving students. The reason you apply to an honors program is that it gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a small, tight-knit community of like-minded students who all gain special access to the best that the university has to offer. You get treated to the smallest classes, the best professors, custom-made courses, tons of individualized one-on-one attention from faculty, the most coveted internships and research opportunities, and even special “honors housing” smack-dab in the middle of campus if you want it. Essentially, you’re treated like a king or queen for four years, and in return, you produce world-class scholarship and go on to change the world (at least that’s the hope).

When you apply to UT Austin, you simply check a box to indicate which honors program(s) you wish to be considered for. There’s no downside; if you don’t get accepted to the honors program, it won’t impact the rest of your application. But you typically have to provide extra materials with your application, such as an extended resume, letters of recommendation, and additional essays. Bear in mind, however, that the honors programs are reserved for the most focused and ambitious students. If you’re not really that sure what you want to study, or just want to be left alone, they’re not for you.

Some of the best honors programs…

The Canfield Business Honors Program (BHP) (16% acceptance rate) is for undergraduates applying to the McCombs Schools of Business. Unlike the standard McCombs curriculum, students in the BHP participate in an advanced curriculum modeled after case-based MBA programs. Plus you build life-long bonds with some of the best business students at UT Austin, many of whom will likely be in a position to offer you a high-paying job one day.

Plan II Honors (22% acceptance rate) is for students at the College of Liberal Arts. This is for high-achieving students who actually want to major in “Liberal Arts,” which means they participate in an advanced cross-disciplinary approach to critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical writing across a wide variety of disciplines. They say it’s like getting the “quality of an Ivy League education” at a large, state school.

Finally, the College of Natural Science offers three highly selective honors programs that each admit only about 50 students every year, which means they probably have an acceptance rate of only 5-10% (there’s no clear data). Dean’s Scholars is for STEM students who want to focus on advanced research. Polymathic Scholars is for “curiosity driven individuals” who want to forge their own academic path and study topics that intersect one or more disciplines. And Health Science Scholars Program (HSS) is for students who are devoted to their careers in medicine and public service.

Big changes in the admissions policy…

Be aware that you can now apply to UT Austin using the Common App. For many years, students had to use a separate portal called Apply Texas, which meant you had to duplicate all your efforts. Apply Texas is still available, but most students just use the Common App (unless they exceed the Common App’s 20-school limit.) And starting in the Fall of 2024, UT Austin is “test-required,” meaning that all first-year applicants must submit either their SAT or ACT score.

UT Austin also has new application deadlines starting in Fall 2024. There’s a new Early Action option with a deadline of October 15, and a Regular Decision option with a deadline of December 1. Both of those dates are early by national standards. And since Early Action is a new option, we have no idea how much applying early will improve your odds of admission. In the past, applying earlier in the admission cycle improved your chances of securing financial aid, getting student housing, and getting into special programs. So it’s probably worth submitting your application sooner rather than later.