Surly kids applying / attending UT

[Guest]

apply for every scholly known to man and put actual effort into SAT's/ACT's and most schools have some academic awards available.

IT helps, if ever so slightly.

[Beau Vine 54209]

22 minutes ago, SuckitKevin said:

My daughter graduates this year and is an auto admit but like you, her personality tells me she’d do better at a smaller school. She really wants to go to Trinity but might end up at Southwestern or TLU. Trinity is expensive as shit.

Only the dumb kids play full price at Trinity.  In fact, they're very upfront about it -- go to their website and they have a grid that shows with this GPA and this SAT, here's the minimum scholarship they'll offer.

[Beau Vine 54209]

Double-post.

So I'll take the opportunity to say that if your kid is interested in engineering, I could not be happier with the experience my daughter has had at Colorado School of Mines.  

It's so good that I've completely gotten over her turning down a full scholarship to Trinity.

Edited November 3, 2018 by Beau Vine

[mchookem 16322]

niece is a junior, taking her to visit UT School of Fine Arts in the spring. she's at a top-tier competitive AISD school, she'll probably end up top 15-28% but has excelled at art, has the pedigree (state competitions, NAHS, etc) and has pushed herself with English and science AP courses. 

i looked into it, and UTSFA has 'holistic' admissions, portfolio and essay are the key. she wants to give it a shot. my heart would swell. 

of course, i'm also taking her to atm 😒 i'm paying but i'm trying to be objective. i suspect she's going to hate it anyway 😁

will also visit UTD and probably UH next fall. she actually has no idea yet what she wants to do. we'll see...

[tx 3 putt 76875]

59 minutes ago, SuckitKevin said:

Trinity is expensive as shit.

having worked around several trinity grads, i can tell you it pumps out some high quality people 

[phdhorn 6224]

1 hour ago, tx 3 putt said:

PhD, what kind of ME is your son ? book nerd or social butterfly ?  I'm a ChemE that works as an ME, transitioned to the business side.

Definitely, absolutely the latter.  He is very social a good-looking kid (works out, blah blah), good with girls (how good, (I) don't ask, (he)don't tell), but a good moral kid.  Quick follow up to his co-op story:

He was in an interview with a firm that has offices in Ennis and Irving (maybe this gives it away, not really important).  Anyway, from what I can gather the sorta bigger cheeses are in Irving - this is where the "process flow" guys are, the Ennis people are more where the factory is, Irving is where the "briaintrust" is.  But both offices have high-minded engineers.

Anyway, the Big Cheese of Engineering comes down from Irving to Ennis to look over this year's crop, and my kid is in a room with about six other introverts (maybe a stereotype, but I've seen it a lot).  So my son's the only one asking questions, making comments.  So the Big Cheese sort of gets his eye on him.  So he asks a question which was "what was the time you had your biggest failure."  My kid answered with a genuine and very honest answer about a struggle he had in H.S.   The Big Cheese sits there for like 15 seconds, saying nothing, with this look on his face.  

So my kid thinks, 'uh-oh, did I say something that was awkward?  Too revealing?  Offensive even?"  Then the Big Cheese leans forward and said, "You know, I've been asking that question of every interview for ten years, and that was by far the best answer I ever got."  I think he was appreciating my son's honesty and his not being afraid to tell someone that he was far from perfect.

Anyway I told him after that day that I would bet the Big Cheese is going to grab and swing him over to Irving to be around his orbit.  And that's what happened, I think.  If you're gonna please someone, might as well be the Head of Engineering at Big Firm U.  So my kid is very psyched, not only because Big Cheese liked him, but because he feels that he's shown a vulnerability which tells this guy that he's a great potential employee, doesn't think his shit smells like perfume, and is teachable.  That's what I think anyway.

But I bring this up because my son's self-aware enough to know that he himself thinks he's much more of a "people person" and while there are naturally a few types at UT that are second to none at pure engineering academic competence, he already knows he wants to do more "people engineering" and project work.  He loves the idea of project development; he can be a materials guy, but he's much more an abstractionist - is favorite thing is to have an idea and watch it happen.  So he's really in good shape.

This is why I think he's much more of a social butterfly and that this is a good thing to have, even in "hard core, material" engineering.

 

Oh, last thing, on your "business side" his good friend is a business guy, a gadfly, a kind of loose thinker, the kind of guy who will fail 20 times but will succeed huge once or twice.  I told my kid stick with that guy, he's going to be a great influence on your and good for your well-being.  And that guy;s into finance.  So my son while "working but not officially in school" this spring and summer is going to study hard on the stock market.  He knows he wants to do something with finance and the workings of money.  He's not into pure money itself (greed) but in the processes surrounding money flow, creation, expense, etc.  In many ways, we are alike but in these ways, phd. jr. is 180° from dad.  And it's been fun to see.

Edited November 3, 2018 by phdhorn

[SimonBolivar 10957]

1 hour ago, SuckitKevin said:

My daughter graduates this year and is an auto admit but like you, her personality tells me she’d do better at a smaller school. She really wants to go to Trinity but might end up at Southwestern or TLU. Trinity is expensive as shit.

Is TLU as prestigious as Southwestern or Trinity? I always placed it near Howard Payne or McMurry.

[phdhorn 6224]

One more thing from my experience in reading this thread.  Of course everyone will have a different approach, and different outcome, from attending UT.  Some will find it great, others too big, some too uncaring if they fuck up (although there is always help), some a party place, whatever.

3 years ago I was kind of scared about my kid going to Texas.  This was because he was always very hard on himself and would tend to get into a nasty spiral where one failure might lead to another (part of what he shared with the Big Cheese above). I thought he should go to a smaller school, where he could be "nurtured" or whatever.  Making a very long story short, he got into UT (and there was MUCH rejoicing) which was always his first love, but I was still a little scared he would succumb to the big school, with tons of super, really fucking super smart people... he might start to feel very inferior, and set off a cycle which I've seen in his life that's let's just say not fun.

But here it is present day, and last summer he said something that once again knocked me out, because he has a gear that I don't think I really ever have had.  That gear is get yourself up off the mat and take another bunch of swings.  Anyway what he said to me was, "Dad I am so glad I'm at UT, precisely because it is so overwhelming with tons of brilliant people around me, many more than me.  You know why?  Because it pushes me to improve myself.  I can either work my ass off to improve or just let it all wash above me.  I want to struggle, grind, and grit my teeth."  

I was pretty much stunned at this.  He essentially said that he's in a giant sausage grinder at UT, but if he just throws himself into it, it's uncomfortable and at times menacing, but he also feels himself willing himself to push more than he ever thought he could.  I mean my god, it sounded like some movie script.  

But I can tell you that UT has been absolutely fucking tremendous in making my kid grow up from age 18 to now almost 20.  He is a much, much better young man simply by enduring the rigors of his major and by enjoying the social life and all that UT has to offer.  For him, it is the only place on earth, and I'm convinced of this, that he should have gone.  It has been nothing short of incredible to see the role that a college can play in a kid's life if he's lucky enough to hit what he needs from a college on the head.

UT is not for everybody, and for some it's not good, and it's not the person, it's the combo.  But for my kid, it's the only place he should be on earth right now, whether he graduates summa or drops out (god forbid, dad would have a coronary).  But man is it good for him, in ways that are far too numerous to put into even this long diatribe.

[F250 28764]

4 hours ago, RoundRobin said:

Went through this with our oldest last year. He was top 10% at a very competitive prep school, 1480 SAT, varsity XC and track. He got CAP. 

He’s a freshman at the Air Force Academy. 

 

4 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Yeah, I'm a big fan of UT but having to "fall back" to an Academy school doesn't exactly suck.

Yeah, this shot is getting crazy. I'm just lucky it wasn't like this 25 years ago.

[F250 28764]

We went through a lot of this stress last year with my oldest son. The kid finished in the top 10% in his school. He was offered several partial scholarships plus academic scholarships for some Southland Conference schools for baseball. Texas State also offered a partial scholarship as well. The boy's mind was set on UT. So college baseball was out of the question unless it was Pierce offering. Although, I'm sure he would have jumped at an offer from a number of Big 12 schools.

He got into the CAP program. Is currently a Freshman at UTSA. Computer Science major with a concentration in Cybersecurity on an Air Force scholarship. I'm not sure if he will end up at UT but this turned out to be a really great situation for my wallet.

 

 

 

[SimonBolivar 10957]

50 minutes ago, F250 said:

We went through a lot of this stress last year with my oldest son. The kid finished in the top 10% in his school. He was offered several partial scholarships plus academic scholarships for some Southland Conference schools for baseball. Texas State also offered a partial scholarship as well. The boy's mind was set on UT. So college baseball was out of the question unless it was Pierce offering. Although, I'm sure he would have jumped at an offer from a number of Big 12 schools.

He got into the CAP program. Is currently a Freshman at UTSA. Computer Science major with a concentration in Cybersecurity on an Air Force scholarship. I'm not sure if he will end up at UT but this turned out to be a really great situation for my wallet.

 

 

 

Did he ever think of walking on at UTSA or would that not be allowed with CAP? I guess not worth the time if you're transferring out.

[52-80 19147]

5 hours ago, phdhorn said:

One more thing from my experience in reading this thread.  Of course everyone will have a different approach, and different outcome, from attending UT.  Some will find it great, others too big, some too uncaring if they fuck up (although there is always help), some a party place, whatever.

3 years ago I was kind of scared about my kid going to Texas.  This was because he was always very hard on himself and would tend to get into a nasty spiral where one failure might lead to another (part of what he shared with the Big Cheese above). I thought he should go to a smaller school, where he could be "nurtured" or whatever.  Making a very long story short, he got into UT (and there was MUCH rejoicing) which was always his first love, but I was still a little scared he would succumb to the big school, with tons of super, really fucking super smart people... he might start to feel very inferior, and set off a cycle which I've seen in his life that's let's just say not fun.

But here it is present day, and last summer he said something that once again knocked me out, because he has a gear that I don't think I really ever have had.  That gear is get yourself up off the mat and take another bunch of swings.  Anyway what he said to me was, "Dad I am so glad I'm at UT, precisely because it is so overwhelming with tons of brilliant people around me, many more than me.  You know why?  Because it pushes me to improve myself.  I can either work my ass off to improve or just let it all wash above me.  I want to struggle, grind, and grit my teeth."  

I was pretty much stunned at this.  He essentially said that he's in a giant sausage grinder at UT, but if he just throws himself into it, it's uncomfortable and at times menacing, but he also feels himself willing himself to push more than he ever thought he could.  I mean my god, it sounded like some movie script.  

But I can tell you that UT has been absolutely fucking tremendous in making my kid grow up from age 18 to now almost 20.  He is a much, much better young man simply by enduring the rigors of his major and by enjoying the social life and all that UT has to offer.  For him, it is the only place on earth, and I'm convinced of this, that he should have gone.  It has been nothing short of incredible to see the role that a college can play in a kid's life if he's lucky enough to hit what he needs from a college on the head.

UT is not for everybody, and for some it's not good, and it's not the person, it's the combo.  But for my kid, it's the only place he should be on earth right now, whether he graduates summa or drops out (god forbid, dad would have a coronary).  But man is it good for him, in ways that are far too numerous to put into even this long diatribe.

The world needs grindrs too.

[jimmyjazz 45893]

9 hours ago, mchookem said:

i looked into it, and UTSFA has 'holistic' admissions, portfolio and essay are the key. she wants to give it a shot. my heart would swell. 

It's early, and my coffee hasn't kicked in.  Is UTSFA a thing or did you mean UTSA?  I assume you didn't mean SFA.

[Guest]

UTSFA...

[mchookem 16322]

UT School of Fine Arts...or College of Fine Arts technically? at Austin

whatever... she draws and shit 😁

point i was trying to make is Top 10% is not required, focus is on portfolio and essay for admission. 

[RDCanecutter 26401]

18 hours ago, Longhorn94 said:

Anyone else have a kid applying this now?

Not that I know of.

[SuckitKevin 920]

11 hours ago, Beau Vine said:

Only the dumb kids play full price at Trinity.  In fact, they're very upfront about it -- go to their website and they have a grid that shows with this GPA and this SAT, here's the minimum scholarship they'll offer.

I get that, but even with $25000 off, it’s still $33000 a yr and I’ve got two more kids to put through school. If she was my only one, it would be no problem.

[SuckitKevin 920]

10 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

Is TLU as prestigious as Southwestern or Trinity? I always placed it near Howard Payne or McMurry.

Believe it or not, TLU is ranked by some services as high as 3 in Texas, behind Trinity and Rice, but I’d rather see her at Southwestern myself. 

[jimmyjazz 45893]

50 minutes ago, mchookem said:

UT School of Fine Arts...or College of Fine Arts technically? at Austin

Oh.  That's encouraging, given that one of my daughter's choices for a double major is music.

[ztejas 43414]

12 hours ago, BurntEyes said:

USC? Pepperdine? Layola Marymount? UCSD? UCSB? University of Houston?

SMU will take her if she applies to one of the MRS degree schools.

[ztejas 43414]

12 hours ago, mchookem said:

niece is a junior, taking her to visit UT School of Fine Arts in the spring. she's at a top-tier competitive AISD school, she'll probably end up top 15-28% but has excelled at art, has the pedigree (state competitions, NAHS, etc) and has pushed herself with English and science AP courses. 

i looked into it, and UTSFA has 'holistic' admissions, portfolio and essay are the key. she wants to give it a shot. my heart would swell. 

of course, i'm also taking her to atm 😒 i'm paying but i'm trying to be objective. i suspect she's going to hate it anyway 😁

will also visit UTD and probably UH next fall. she actually has no idea yet what she wants to do. we'll see...

I would encourage her to apply to SMU. Badass fine arts program and they can be generous with scholarships. 

Meadows basically is it's own school. Completely different vibe than the Greek daddy's money douchebags that dominate Cox. 

[Rollo Tomassi 80]

I'm in a pretty good spot with my senior daughter. She's auto-admitted to Texas, so worst case she'LLP get to stay here. She's applied to Vandy, UVA, and UNC. SHe did the early application for Vandy, so that's where she'll go if admitted. She is getting her IB diploma from Anderson this year. I couldn't be prouder. 

[TXSG8R 3362]

My son got accepted, but he hasn’t been granted his major yet. Waiting to see how all of that shakes out, but I think he would rather be in his secondary choice at UT than in the engineering program at A&M. 

[ztejas 43414]

Wrong thread I'm dumb.

Edited November 3, 2018 by ztejas

[Longhorn94 2448]

Update: The girl was auto-admitted into Texas! Waiting on Plan II, Dean Scholars, etc. while working on apps for out-of-state schools. If the girl goes to Texas, I have a good feeling we will be 5 for 5 when all is said and done.

[gsoda3 3251]

i had no idea trinity was so highly thought of...

[futureman 22444]

On 11/2/2018 at 4:11 PM, Longhorn94 said:

your 12 yo will probably end up your superstar!

you think?  she sounds like a real moron. 

[RoundRobin 828]

1 hour ago, Longhorn94 said:

Update: The girl was auto-admitted into Texas! Waiting on Plan II, Dean Scholars, etc. while working on apps for out-of-state schools. If the girl goes to Texas, I have a good feeling we will be 5 for 5 when all is said and done.

Congrats!  I’ve got two more possible Longhorns at home and hope at least one of them will follow their old man. 

[Longhorn94 2448]

2 hours ago, RoundRobin said:

Congrats!  I’ve got two more possible Longhorns at home and hope at least one of them will follow their old man. 

Thank you! We are excited for her. Good luck with yours! Texas is hard to turn down.

[pacman 7355]

My oldest is a junior and absolutely in love with Rice. f me!

She likes the residential college aspect, small school, and wants to stay in Texas. She isn't much of a social butterfly.

She is way too hard on herself as of late, as a result. She's a grinder, not somebody who is naturally good at school though she picks up the STEM classes very well. Top 7% at the moment, so likely not auto admit at UT but UT may be too large anyway.

Has some chances on the athletics side, though not at the high level d1 schools.

Will be pre-med/life sciences and then get ready for the medical school grind.

My question, do any of you all know of other Texas schools that have the residential college concept, similar to Rice? 

[RoundRobin 828]

I’d have to say Trinity is a possible option. 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, RoundRobin said:

I’d have to say Trinity is a possible option. 

One river's as good as another...

[Not a cat 5652]

After reading this thread I'm glad I graduated high school in the 80s or I'd have been throwing tortillas in Lubbock. 

[NoRagrets 1125]

On 11/8/2018 at 4:52 PM, gsoda3 said:

i had no idea trinity was so highly thought of...

Trinity is superb. I say that having worked with many of their graduates.

[MissingInAction 25020]

Buddys wife is a Trinity grad and she is one of the most successfull people i know.

[HRSchenker 2268]

When did the law change to allow schools to change their threshold? I remember applying in 2007 and it was still top 10% but a colleague of mine said that UT is now at 6%. Is that true?

[chitwood 155]

It is true starting for class of 2019.

[F250 28764]

On 11/8/2018 at 8:30 PM, RoundRobin said:

I’d have to say Trinity is a possible option. 

My sister graduated from Trinity and went on to medical school at UTMB-Galveston. Trinity seemed very exclusive compared to any of the in state public schools, at least it did in the 90's.

 

[Longhorn94 2448]

53 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

When did the law change to allow schools to change their threshold? I remember applying in 2007 and it was still top 10% but a colleague of mine said that UT is now at 6%. Is that true?

Texas adjusts the percentage for auto-admits based on the projected number of HS grads / applicants compared to available spots in Freshman class. They announce it a year or two in advance. I think it was 6% last year and this year. Or maybe its 6% this year and next. 

[jeevsie 3733]

Oldest is in the middle of apps like the rest of yours.  UT is submitted for engineering school just like me.  He's going for biomed, though.  Yes, it's a stressful time trying to stay on them to finish everything up and get submitted.  All the while, the usual day to day stuff is still going on - classes, extracurriculars, hoco/girlfriend/friends time, family stuff.

Paranoid he only has two apps in.  One early action private school and UT.  Still have scholarship apps to continue with too.

[Longhorn94 2448]

3 hours ago, jeevsie said:

Oldest is in the middle of apps like the rest of yours.  UT is submitted for engineering school just like me.  He's going for biomed, though.  Yes, it's a stressful time trying to stay on them to finish everything up and get submitted.  All the while, the usual day to day stuff is still going on - classes, extracurriculars, hoco/girlfriend/friends time, family stuff.

Paranoid he only has two apps in.  One early action private school and UT.  Still have scholarship apps to continue with too.

Welcome to my hell...

[Beau Vine 54209]

6 hours ago, jeevsie said:

Oldest is in the middle of apps like the rest of yours.  UT is submitted for engineering school just like me.  He's going for biomed, though. 

Please tell me that his second choice on the application was not also an engineering major...

 

[jeevsie 3733]

1st choice BME, 2nd choice School of Natural Science.

He had an interview yesterday with an Ivy League school.  Local alum. I'm concerned he had to deal with a case of Bad Interviewer.  Didn't sound like he had a very engaging personality.  Kid had to work in his pre-planned info a couple of times.

[Spidey 3]

Two daughters.  Oldest is currently a Junior studying Mechanical Engineering at UT.

Youngest is applying now.  UT is her top school and she is also applying to Mechanical. 

Somebody stressed the essays on this thread and the old one.  During our campus tour for the oldest, they stressed it as well during the Engineering school session.  They simply stated getting in to Engineering is not automatic. The essay matters more than people think and every year valedictorians and salutatorians call the school trying to understand how they did not get into the school of Engineering.  Our family has invested many hours in these essays. 

She is applying to several backup schools.  UH, Lamar, UTD.  Possibly UNT, UTSA and Texas Tech.  Expect better scholarships and not sure what would be the best fit in that case.

We were going to drop an application for aTm, but the application was kind of creepy.  Lots of questions about why you want to be an aggie and what activities had you done on the campus.  I didn't say anything.  She looked at me and said they seem like a cult. Perceptive.

[The University 851]

y'all are making me stressed out, even though the oldest is only in 5th. i'm the whatevs parent, but the wife is a hardcore ocd valedictorian who could have graduated in two years. this is gonna be quite the ride.

[pacman 7355]

On 11/12/2018 at 1:48 PM, F250 said:

My sister graduated from Trinity and went on to medical school at UTMB-Galveston. Trinity seemed very exclusive compared to any of the in state public schools, at least it did in the 90's.

 

That would be a good route for mine. We are also considering the utd/utsw route. Of course, I suspect medical school admissions is a hell I will regret nore than undergrad.

Her early thought is mba/md to transition into the hospital admin side at some point.

Edited November 14, 2018 by pacman

[Teddyballgame 441]

My son is going through the process.  #3 in class out of 650 or so, but in kinda of shitty School.  1460 on SAT.  Pretty good extracurricular activities but not mind blowing..  only wants computer science nothing else.  His fall back plan right now is UT Dallas.  He said he’ll no to atm so I did something right

[DaysOff 7947]

UTSA has a program called FAME, I think. Basically admits you to med school as a high school senior. Spits you out 7 years later with your MD and a BS in biology. Cuts out a year of crap for those of you playing doctor around the house.

[Longhorn94 2448]

Following up on this, the girl chose TEXAS! We are so excited for her. She is 1 of 50 admitted into the Environmental Science program. We are 3 for 3 so far! 

[South Austin 52457]

Congrats!