Surly kids applying / attending UT

[SuingToGetAMessageBoard? 3,861]

Quote

More comparisons on new SAT scores versus critical reading and math scores on the old SAT:

• A new 1200 corresponds to an old 1130.
• A new 1300 corresponds to an old 1230.
• A new 1400 corresponds to an old 1340.
• A new 1500 corresponds to an old 1460.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/05/11/why-your-new-sat-score-is-not-as-strong-as-you-think-it-is/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6974fe941f95

[jimmyjazz 45,893]

19 minutes ago, ZB'Tejas said:

Old... I heard they changed. So is this no longer on a 1600 point scale?

Same scale, but you need to correct an old score to bring it in line with the modern test.  I seem to recall it's something like 70 points.

EDIT:  what Suing said.  Looks like 40-70 points depending on relative performance.

Edited April 17, 2019 by jimmyjazz

[Dennis Taylor 18,811]

On 4/12/2019 at 10:59 AM, Machinator said:

The top 10% rule guarantees you admission into UT, but not any specific major.

it has been whittled to top 6% now...

Quote

Automatic Admission Decisions

Texas law offers eligible applicants automatic admission to public colleges and universities. Automatic admission to UT Austin is available to top 6% freshman applicants from Texas high schools for summer/fall 2019 and spring 2020. 

https://admissions.utexas.edu/apply/decisions

[Tailgate 3,021]

Youngest wanted to visit USC so we are going this weekend.

Pray for me.

I am not sure I can try any harder to push her to stay in ATX and join the Horns. I still have some time and luckily one of her best friends is leaning Texas at the moment.

Edited April 17, 2019 by Tailgate

[crash_davis 23,103]

46 minutes ago, Tailgate said:

Youngest wanted to visit USC so we are going this weekend.

Pray for me.

I am not sure I can try any harder to push her to stay in ATX and join the Horns. I still have some time and luckily one of her best friends is leaning Texas at the moment.

USC is expensive even after scholarships.

[Longhorn94 2,448]

48 minutes ago, Tailgate said:

Youngest wanted to visit USC so we are going this weekend.

Pray for me.

I am not sure I can try any harder to push her to stay in ATX and join the Horns. I still have some time and luckily one of her best friends is leaning Texas at the moment.

my advice is not to push to stay in ATX. the more you push, the more it will feel that UT is your idea instead of hers. present her with all the information and let her make an informed, mature decision. 

[crash_davis 23,103]

1 hour ago, Tailgate said:

Youngest wanted to visit USC so we are going this weekend.

Pray for me.

I am not sure I can try any harder to push her to stay in ATX and join the Horns. I still have some time and luckily one of her best friends is leaning Texas at the moment.

I had the same issue. Luckily for me, my daughter got into Plan II which made the choice a no brainier. I told her that's probably the best deal in America, Plan II with in state tuition. I told her that I would not pay for a more expensive lower quality education to USC. If not for plan II I don't know if I'd been able to keep her at UT.

[Llano Estacado 1,257]

it has been whittled to top 6% now...

My kids are so screwed.

[Tailgate 3,021]

5 hours ago, Longhorn94 said:

my advice is not to push to stay in ATX. the more you push, the more it will feel that UT is your idea instead of hers. present her with all the information and let her make an informed, mature decision. 

Agree...I want them to be inspired by their choice not mine...which is why I’ve stayed a step back...but USC?...geeeeeezus on many levels....maybe she’ll lean towards the schools in the north east we’ve seen...who knows...but to your point...she is going to choose and is a lucky girl to be able to.

[bonnieblue 542]

For those of you who have a smart kiddo already in at UT (or one of the other Texas public schools) and can demonstrate some sort of need (although that's a pretty loose definition), you should look into the Terry Foundation scholarships. Full ride + stipend, instant network of high achievers (I think Will Hurd is an alum) etc. Great foundation.

[stupidgringo 66]

My daughter is an elite level competitive cheerleader*. Cheer has always driven her college choice, and she'll be trying out at Alabama in early May. Alabama has been first choice for quite a while, and although she's got a great shot at making Alabama cheer, she's not interested in going if she doesn't make the team. Plan B has always been another cheer-driven choice like Louisville**, Ole Miss, or Texas Tech. That is until yesterday when she told her mom that if she doesn't make Alabama cheer, she wants to go to ACC for a year and then transfer into Texas.

She's a good (not great like some of your kids) student, approximately top 25% at Austin Bowie with a 1290 on her SAT, so Texas has never been part of the conversation. I told her mom that she'd be better off at UT Dallas or UTSA instead of ACC. Am I right? What's the best strategy to set up a transfer opportunity?

* No pics.

**Yes, I remember Blacklab's old avatar.

Edited April 18, 2019 by stupidgringo

[marriedup 72]

Regarding the ACC to UT route.  Not sure how familiar you are with the process, but if you don't get into UT, they are offering the ability to go to a UT system school, meet a certain grade threshold (I think its 3.0) and then are auto admitted into UT their sophomore  year. This basically puts any transfer student that doesn't choose this program in line behind the ones that do, no matter what their grades are.   Hearing that transferring into UT in second year now if you don't do the CAP program is harder than getting in the first time. 

[gsoda3 3,251]

3.0 at a partner school with an auto admit to UT sounds disproportionately easy.  how are they able to do that for the same class which a year earlier had such high standards?  do that many kids drop out in their first year?

[Longhorn94 2,448]

4 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

3.0 at a partner school with an auto admit to UT sounds disproportionately easy.  how are they able to do that for the same class which a year earlier had such high standards?  do that many kids drop out in their first year?

not many kids do it and the ones that do, most just end up staying at the partner school. if they do follow through, they are admitted into COLA and have a difficult time getting in to any other major. 

Edited April 18, 2019 by Longhorn94

[marriedup 72]

found the link https://admissions.utexas.edu/enroll/cap/prospective-students/faqs

its a 3.2 to transfer back to UT- Austin.  Auto admit to COLA, but can apply to other colleges.

If you request a major outside those guaranteed in the College of Liberal Arts, you’ll need to submit additional items—including two essays, a résumé, official transcripts of any college work you've completed, and any additional items required by the major you selected—to UT Austin by March 1.

Lucking my kid  got in this year without this program, but it would be a great option if she didnt. My other kid has no shot of getting in right away, but I'll be hitting the CAP option for him for sure.

[stupidgringo 66]

Thanks, marriedup. That’s great information. I had looked but didn’t find that on the admissions site  

Unfortunately, it’s too late for her to apply to UT for the fall, which eliminates CAP as an option. 

It looks like if she doesn’t go to Alabama, she’ll end up applying as a transfer. I’m assuming that going to the best school possible and making the best grades she can would be the best strategy. Would being at a UT system school help? I appreciate any tips or experiences any of you may have had with the transfer process. 

[tx 3 putt 76,880]

what's stopping the UT CS dept from expanding / growing ?

 

[Guest Lobo]

Faculty.  Facilities.  Finances.  Where do you want to start?  They're actually starting a really interesting joint degree next year with McCombs that'll change the face of both programs for the better...catapulting both of them even higher in their respective rankings.  

[Bullneck 19,073]

On 11/2/2018 at 5:03 PM, Sbbruin said:

My 15 yo has never gotten anything but an A since 3rd grade.  And he's at a pretty rigorous prep school.  My 12 y.o. daughter was tracking for a D in one class and a C- in another until we caught it.  But she has ADD and works really slowly.  Oh well, one out of 2 ain't bad.  Just got to get her into somewhere where she can marry rich.

That sums up the Bullneck household.  Bullneck, Jr. is probably HADES bound.  On the other hand, I told my B average daughter it was just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor man and she said, "That's just common sense."

Edited April 19, 2019 by Bullneck

[Bullneck 19,073]

On 4/17/2019 at 4:10 PM, Llano Estacado said:

 

My kids are so screwed.

 

I hear there's a way to get your kids into highly competitive schools these days (wink, wink).  How much is it worth to you?

[Nueces River Rat 5,538]

23 hours ago, marriedup said:

Regarding the ACC to UT route.  Not sure how familiar you are with the process, but if you don't get into UT, they are offering the ability to go to a UT system school, meet a certain grade threshold (I think its 3.0) and then are auto admitted into UT their sophomore  year. This basically puts any transfer student that doesn't choose this program in line behind the ones that do, no matter what their grades are.   Hearing that transferring into UT in second year now if you don't do the CAP program is harder than getting in the first time. 

My son got offered the CAP.  Despite high test scores and coming in just outside the top 10% in his class  ( I think he was 38 out of 310), he got denied unconditional.  But he got offered the CAP.   So he went to UTSA, but decided to stay there and hopefully he'll be done next Spring.   He ended up getting a good part time job which was a good driver in him staying put on top of being able to start classes that were relevant to his degree program much earlier (thanks to high school dual credits)  than if we would have done the one academic year at UTSA and then moved to Austin.   And to tell you all the honest truth from the parents point of view, it's been a tad easier on our check book and it's nice to have him within  two hours and some change away vs three plus and having to battle I-35 traffic  both ways  for him to come down or for us to make the trip up. 

He is looking to go to McComb to get his MBA if he can get in.  Whether that be right after undergrad or within a few years is to be determined.  He wants to be in one of the major metro areas, like Austin, Houston, or DFW  and if that's the case and he gets a nice gig with an employer who will help him pay for it ( but has to put in some work for a few years to earn it)  that will be preferable.   And he can take advantage of the evening (Austin)  or weekend MBAs the school offers in DFW or Houston.  I think he'd prefer to go straight to Austin and he's already laying  the groundwork to do so.   

Edited April 19, 2019 by Nueces River Rat

[TwiceHorn 31,440]

I wonder if CS has a high attrition rate other than fail-out?  EE has always been a popular major, but regardless of how academically qualified a student is, electrical engineering is just not going to be "for" everyone.  It takes some particular aptitudes and interests beyond the "academic fantasies" of a high school student.  Same is true of the other engineerings and very likely CS as well.

I get that UT is no longer the "fail-out" school that it once was.  But I would guess that probably a third of the 2/3 attrition in the College of Engineering was simply "I hate this, this isn't what I thought it was going to be."

I don't think they have ever really expanded EE a bunch to meet demand, because they know the demand is artificially high.

[Asithappens 974]

14 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I wonder if CS has a high attrition rate other than fail-out?  EE has always been a popular major, but regardless of how academically qualified a student is, electrical engineering is just not going to be "for" everyone.  It takes some particular aptitudes and interests beyond the "academic fantasies" of a high school student.  Same is true of the other engineerings and very likely CS as well.

I get that UT is no longer the "fail-out" school that it once was.  But I would guess that probably a third of the 2/3 attrition in the College of Engineering was simply "I hate this, this isn't what I thought it was going to be."

I don't think they have ever really expanded EE a bunch to meet demand, because they know the demand is artificially high.

I don't think any college/university does the "fail out" thing anymore. 

[Beau Vine 54,209]

On 4/17/2019 at 8:05 PM, bonnieblue said:

For those of you who have a smart kiddo already in at UT (or one of the other Texas public schools) and can demonstrate some sort of need (although that's a pretty loose definition), you should look into the Terry Foundation scholarships. Full ride + stipend, instant network of high achievers (I think Will Hurd is an alum) etc. Great foundation.

Nobody's poor in thishere chatroom.

[Guest Lobo]

^
that brings up a good point (the Terry deal).  We did a study a few years ago with the Stamps Foundation and Pew and there's still something in the 8-figure range of unused scholarship money in this country.  Particularly when you look at the endowment side and how most/many of them (F&E) have upped their withdrawal rate from 4 to 4.5 or 5% in recent years.  May not last awhile, but you're talking about in many cases 20% extra money going out to scholars each year but applications and awardees remaining about level even though there's a marked extra amount to be deployed.  But you don't get what you don't ask for.  

Edited April 19, 2019 by Lobo

[TXSG8R 3,362]

So learn me on the parking passes at UT. The plan is for my son to get a dorm near the student center. Are the R passes worth fighting for? Are they so congested that a C winds up being just as useful?

[RiceOwl 74]

On 4/19/2019 at 8:48 AM, Nueces River Rat said:

My son got offered the CAP.  Despite high test scores and coming in just outside the top 10% in his class  ( I think he was 38 out of 310), he got denied unconditional.  But he got offered the CAP.   So he went to UTSA, but decided to stay there and hopefully he'll be done next Spring.   He ended up getting a good part time job which was a good driver in him staying put on top of being able to start classes that were relevant to his degree program much earlier (thanks to high school dual credits)  than if we would have done the one academic year at UTSA and then moved to Austin.   And to tell you all the honest truth from the parents point of view, it's been a tad easier on our check book and it's nice to have him within  two hours and some change away vs three plus and having to battle I-35 traffic  both ways  for him to come down or for us to make the trip up. 

He is looking to go to McComb to get his MBA if he can get in.  Whether that be right after undergrad or within a few years is to be determined.  He wants to be in one of the major metro areas, like Austin, Houston, or DFW  and if that's the case and he gets a nice gig with an employer who will help him pay for it ( but has to put in some work for a few years to earn it)  that will be preferable.   And he can take advantage of the evening (Austin)  or weekend MBAs the school offers in DFW or Houston.  I think he'd prefer to go straight to Austin and he's already laying  the groundwork to do so.   

It’s pretty much impossible to get into McCombs straight out of undergrad.

[jimmyjazz 45,893]

To hell with parking passes . . . what's the password to finding all this unused scholarship money?  If I convert to Islam will it help?

[F250 28,764]

Did anyone here buy into the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan when it was still available?

 

[mchookem 16,324]

7 hours ago, F250 said:

Did anyone here buy into the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan when it was still available?

 

is that the same as Texas Tomorrow Fund? got it for my niece in 2002, just before the tuition deregulation, she was a few months old...

4 years paid in full for $28,000, boo-yah. great timing 😁

she's a junior this year. great student, although probably not top 10% (Anderson HS). we're visiting everywhere. 

but of course, she likes Southwestern and Trinity 🙄 and she took some match survey in her college prep seminar... and gotdamn Colorado State was top of her list lolol 

Edited April 22, 2019 by mchookem

[naija 2,854]

Haven’t read the entire thread but I’ve seen UT-Dallas mentioned a couple of times. Full disclosure; went to UT-Dallas over UT-Austin and Stanford. Was coming directly from Nigeria and UT-Dallas offered more financially over the latter two and to be honest, at that point, didn’t really know the difference in two before I actually got to the US. Was offered the chance to finish at UT-Austin with a better financial package than the initial admission but stayed at UT-Dallas and ended up with a negligible amount in terms of student loans. That last sentence has probably been more important in my life as the years have gone by than whether the diploma ended up with an A or D.

 

If your kid is going to UT-Dallas, don’t fret. It’s a great place academically. Socially, when I was there, wasn’t much to do and the campus was sparse, but I’ve been by a couple of times and it’s is leap and bounds beyond what we had. Going to UT-Dallas didn’t keep me from getting into medical school, and good ones at that: ended up at Northwestern with one year paid off. Didn’t keep my sister from getting into Harvard, WashU, UCSF, Yale etc for medical school either. And the school’s reputation has only gotten better since then. Some of my friends then got into Harvard Law, Penn Law and Berkeley Law.

 

I can understand the frustrations at doing well and not getting into the school of your choice: we both wanted UT-Southwestern for medical school but despite finishing summa cum laude with a 4.0 (her) and magma cum laude with a 3.8x (me), neither one of us got that as we weren’t in-state students. Face your work, do your best and it will work out in the end (for the most part).

 

tldr: UT-Dallas, great for academics, social life getting better. The toughest part is being a T-shirt fan of Texas Athletics but can’t have it all. Dated review from dated alum.

 

[Guest Lobo]

In February, we spent a couple of days at UT-Dallas getting a very in-depth tour and meeting with leadership, etc.  They are on a very impressive track.  Our little group was stunned.  The facilities on that campus are quite new and state-of-the-art (particularly if you're in the sciences).  They are laser focused on emerging as the next AAU/Tier I school in this state.  And in the meantime, they are raising insane amounts philanthropically, government grant, and private sector partnerships.  The only thing that I will think will hold it back is that it is very isolated up there by the turnpike north of even Richardson proper.  And as stated above, there isn't much of a campus "vibe" or sense of community.  But that can change with proper planning and design of the dorms, etc.  I was there when it was placed on emerging track in terms of PUF/AUF, System support, legislative relationships, etc.  And to see it come this far in a decade is damn impressive.  If I were a Texas Tech, U of Houston, and yes---even A&M---I would be very worried.  You're quickly becoming regional universities for kids who want to stay close to home...UT-Dallas is our next national player.  

[gsoda3 3,251]

good info about UTD, thanks naija and lobo.

[DDD Dad 14,331]

The last of my 3 Longhorn kids graduates next month, and then has one more year for his MPA.  Looking forward to the anticipated pay raise.

Edited April 22, 2019 by DDD Dad

[jimmyjazz 45,893]

Good to know about UT-D.  As a parent it's hard to keep up, and it's trivially easy to maintain old biases that in many cases are no longer relevant.  

[TXSG8R 3,362]

No help on the parking stuff?  I guess Ill go fuck myself then.

[Bigpoppapump 529]

On 4/19/2019 at 9:14 AM, TwiceHorn said:

I wonder if CS has a high attrition rate other than fail-out?  EE has always been a popular major, but regardless of how academically qualified a student is, electrical engineering is just not going to be "for" everyone.  It takes some particular aptitudes and interests beyond the "academic fantasies" of a high school student.  Same is true of the other engineerings and very likely CS as well.

I get that UT is no longer the "fail-out" school that it once was.  But I would guess that probably a third of the 2/3 attrition in the College of Engineering was simply "I hate this, this isn't what I thought it was going to be."

I don't think they have ever really expanded EE a bunch to meet demand, because they know the demand is artificially high.

If it's the same as it was in the mid 2000s, you aren't actually in CS until you apply your sophomore year after completing some weedout classes, you're kind of pre-CS.  I think it was a philosophy class that was the pre-CS one where tons of people bailed?  Then there are like 3 more weedout classes in the major itself.

[Guest Lobo]

As for parking pass tips—-get your child a blue VIP pass.  Obviously you can’t park in handicapped or F99 which is for deans and directors but that’s only a handful of spots. You can park in any other campus spot, also works for free parking in any campus garage, and some athletics venues.  It’s nice to roll up 50’ from your seats five minutes before game time from what I hear.  

[TXSG8R 3,362]

18 minutes ago, Lobo said:

As for parking pass tips—-get your child a blue VIP pass.  Obviously you can’t park in handicapped or F99 which is for deans and directors but that’s only a handful of spots. You can park in any other campus spot, also works for free parking in any campus garage, and some athletics venues.  It’s nice to roll up 50’ from your seats five minutes before game time from what I hear.  

Is that blue VIP something not affiliated with UT?  Only stuff I see are different letter permits.

https://parking.utexas.edu/parking/student-parking

 

[Guest Lobo]

You can’t buy them.  But if you can get one, they are highly convenient. 

[Dennis Taylor 18,811]

if they live on or near campus they don't need a car. walk/bike/scooter/bus/uber/ friends with a car  

Edited April 22, 2019 by Dennis Taylor

[Nueces River Rat 5,538]

15 hours ago, RiceOwl said:

It’s pretty much impossible to get into McCombs straight out of undergrad.

That's what I figured.  

[DDD Dad 14,331]

My oldest had a parking pass his last year or so.  He lived east of 35 north of Dean Keeton though.  I think his pass was for the lots outside the stadium, so not particularly convenient other than to get onto campus.  The other two stayed in west campus and never got/needed a pass.

Edited April 22, 2019 by DDD Dad

[TXSG8R 3,362]

My wife wants him to have a car so he can come home on the occasional weekend without us having to go get him.  Our hope is he rarely, if ever, actually uses his car, but we want it there.  I can see it for you guys right there in town with UT though.  It wouldn't make any sense to have a car sit there on/near campus.  

[Longhorn94 2,448]

53 minutes ago, TXSG8R said:

My wife wants him to have a car so he can come home on the occasional weekend without us having to go get him.  Our hope is he rarely, if ever, actually uses his car, but we want it there.  I can see it for you guys right there in town with UT though.  It wouldn't make any sense to have a car sit there on/near campus.  

our kids have had permits while they lived on campus. the permit allowed them to keep their cars in a garage when not being used. i dont remember what type of permit but i know what it costs! lol

[TXSG8R 3,362]

3 minutes ago, Longhorn94 said:

our kids have had permits while they lived on campus. the permit allowed them to keep their cars in a garage when not being used. i dont remember what type of permit but i know what it costs! lol

Yea, from what I've read, the R permit is supposed to get an (almost) guaranteed spot in a specific garage, where the C permit is more generic "you'll get a spot somewhere on campus".  I guess I'm trying to understand if the garages have specified C and R spots, or if its all first-come, first-served.  If that's the case the C permit sounds like the better deal?  Or do they manage that electronically, the garage knows how many R slots are sold for it and only allows X number of C permits into the garage up to that limit?  

[Dennis Taylor 18,811]

1 hour ago, TXSG8R said:

My wife wants him to have a car so he can come home on the occasional weekend without us having to go get him.  Our hope is he rarely, if ever, actually uses his car, but we want it there.  I can see it for you guys right there in town with UT though.  It wouldn't make any sense to have a car sit there on/near campus.  

are you familiar with this thread?  https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/index.php?/topic/104-wives-and-the-stupid-shit-they-saydo/

if he has a car, it will go one of two ways:

 if he finds a parking spot, he will never want to move the car  

or

he will be stuck driving all his friends around and all the problems that come with  

Also my son's friend got his truck stolen last year from some lot near Disch Falk    

 

[DDD Dad 14,331]

None of mine had a car there their first year. Was just a rule we imposed. A good one. Especially if they pledge a fraternity.

After that they had cars but parked them at their apartment or rent house. No on campus stickers.

[jimmyjazz 45,893]

I lived in Jester for one semester.  I put 50 miles on my car during that time, and probably 10 of it was moving it out of the lot to off campus locations for home football games.

[phdhorn 6,224]

22 hours ago, TXSG8R said:

So learn me on the parking passes at UT. The plan is for my son to get a dorm near the student center. Are the R passes worth fighting for? Are they so congested that a C winds up being just as useful?

Different garages charge slightly different rates.  I think the average is about $400-$500 per year.  

My kid got a permit at the new East Garage (by Disch-Falk).  It was a bargain, about 1/2 of the other garages.  But it's out there.  However I liked it because it would force him to use his car sparingly.  Worked out okay for a semester.

Next year he's getting back from his Dallas Co-op and the parking at his condo is $100/month (most of the West Campus places are $50 at least per month, average about $100).  So he's putting in for the lottery for the San Antonio Garage, definitely cheaper at about $40/month (doing the rough math).  If he doesn't get that, he'll get where he can or we'll just fork over the $ for parking.

My answer is "should they have a car" is, generally yes.  It makes their lives a lot easier.  Of course they can survive without it but part of the deal is they can get out of campus and de-stress if need be.  I was carless (sort of) as a Master's Student and didn't like it.. .felt "cramped in."  Maybe freshmen can survive but as the kids get older, their lives get to be more "adult" and by senior time, they have to run around and do stuff (interviews, getting ready to get out, etc.).  Just my opinion.

The car is worth it as I see it.