Surly kids applying / attending UT

[South Austin 51633]

13 minutes ago, yoladu said:

Anyone have thoughts on families who live in Austin and have/had kids who attend UT, especially as an 18 y.o. Freshman.

I want my kid to make friends, have a typical college experience, and gain more independence, so you know, typically that would be dorms and a meal plan ($$$$),

but then again, they have a room/food at our home and a 15min bike ride to campus - could save a shitload of money.

 

Any opinions? What am i saying, it's Surly, of course there will be opinions.

Unless it's some huge financial hardship, I'd want my kid out of the house.  Sure, it's a 15-minute bike ride to campus, but his college experience will be so much richer by living in a dorm.  

[jimmyjazz 45192]

On 10/23/2023 at 1:32 PM, South Austin said:

I don't know why, but it's been sort of a weird feeling today thinking about how my baby girl got accepted to her first college.  

It's a thing.  I wanted my daughter to apply to Oregon, but she was set on going with Minnesota instead.  (Jeez, kid, you've been to Chicago in December, now think 30% worse.)  Fortunately, UT happened.

[jimmyjazz 45192]

22 minutes ago, yoladu said:

Anyone have thoughts on families who live in Austin and have/had kids who attend UT, especially as an 18 y.o. Freshman.

I want my kid to make friends, have a typical college experience, and gain more independence, so you know, typically that would be dorms and a meal plan ($$$$),

but then again, they have a room/food at our home and a 15min bike ride to campus - could save a shitload of money.

Both of mine live with multiple roommates in rentals right near campus.  I think it's vital.  I got my son the "Big Ticket" and he is all in on football games, and soon basketball and baseball.  It's the way he's wired, just like me.  He's having a blast.  I eagerly anticipate his first set of grades.  (Ugh.)

[freyguy 4239]

25 minutes ago, yoladu said:

Anyone have thoughts on families who live in Austin and have/had kids who attend UT, especially as an 18 y.o. Freshman.

I want my kid to make friends, have a typical college experience, and gain more independence, so you know, typically that would be dorms and a meal plan ($$$$),

but then again, they have a room/food at our home and a 15min bike ride to campus - could save a shitload of money.

 

Any opinions? What am i saying, it's Surly, of course there will be opinions.

 

My son is a freshman, he is in Jester right now.  We live in SW Austin.  I was adamant about him living on campus for his Freshman year.  It's up to him to find an apartment just off-campus next year.  Otherwise, back in the dorm you go.

Do not short change them living on their own.  It forces them to solve more of their problems on their own.  Plus, he's literally 15min from his classes.  Don't let MOPAC or I35 become a risk to them missing a class.

We've seen him about 2-3 times a month depending on things.  Mostly been driven by his band activities, cuz all his band mates are elsewhere.  Wouldn't change it for the world so far.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10002]

3 hours ago, yoladu said:

Anyone have thoughts on families who live in Austin and have/had kids who attend UT, especially as an 18 y.o. Freshman.

I want my kid to make friends, have a typical college experience, and gain more independence, so you know, typically that would be dorms and a meal plan ($$$$),

but then again, they have a room/food at our home and a 15min bike ride to campus - could save a shitload of money.

 

Any opinions? What am i saying, it's Surly, of course there will be opinions.

 

agreeing with others, I'll even go as far as to say for majority of kids it's at least as important as "school" itself. This is the time to take steps to separate from parents / home stability.  I also recommend to friends setting up system depending on how you are helping or are paying for school to only make a single non-school deposit for them to cover everything else, much like a monthly salary. Don't pay any of their bills (rent, entertainment, food, gas, etc) except the direct to school type payments, make then manage and pay them.  It still amazes me how many don't have any clue what anything --- and I mean anything actually costs.

[CooterBrown 17735]

If I've raised a kid that wants to live at home, I probably failed at preparing them for adulthood.

 

[HookEm 2432]

On 10/26/2023 at 2:49 PM, Nice Guy Eddie said:

ridiculous that UT has not kept up in growing the campus. Now with online classroom options, the enrollment should be growing at a fast pace. Instead UT wants to put a gate around the university so the professors can pat themselves on the back for educating the few.

UT has forgotten their charter.

I guess I disagree with this.  It just isn't feasible for UT to keep up with the growth in Texas.  Having 100,000 kids enrolled with half the classes being online is garbage. My son is a freshman at UT and has an online Calculus class and it is a terrible learning environment.  That isn't what we are paying for.

I would MUCH rather the UT System pick a another school and REALLY invest in it.  Make UT-SA a top-tier school with a top-tier academic and athletic program. A school that can compete directly with A&M and Tech. Or take the steps to convert UT-Dallas or UT-Arlington from commuter schools to universities with some school spirit.

Right now Texas and A&M are basically the only major Texas university options if you want a respected academics, major athletics and in-state cost.  I keep waiting for Texas Tech to get to that level, but I'm not sure it will ever happen.

[Dennis Taylor 18607]

13 minutes ago, HookEm said:

I guess I disagree with this.  It just isn't feasible for UT to keep up with the growth in Texas.  Having 100,000 kids enrolled with half the classes being online is garbage. My son is a freshman at UT and has an online Calculus class and it is a terrible learning environment.  That isn't what we are paying for.

I would MUCH rather the UT System pick a another school and REALLY invest in it.  Make UT-SA a top-tier school with a top-tier academic and athletic program. A school that can compete directly with A&M and Tech. Or take the steps to convert UT-Dallas or UT-Arlington from commuter schools to universities with some school spirit.

Right now Texas and A&M are basically the only major Texas university options if you want a respected academics, major athletics and in-state cost.  I keep waiting for Texas Tech to get to that level, but I'm not sure it will ever happen.

I agree with the hatred of online classes. My youngest is a sophomore and still this fall has 2 online classes and I think it's bullshit.  It's not a real college experience because they're basically just watching videos the prof//TA/ whoever uploaded probably 2+ years ago and they're still charging for them. It's lazy and cheap . 

[Texas Jeff 1918]

Anyone have thoughts on families who live in Austin and have/had kids who attend UT, especially as an 18 y.o. Freshman.
I want my kid to make friends, have a typical college experience, and gain more independence, so you know, typically that would be dorms and a meal plan ($$$$),
but then again, they have a room/food at our home and a 15min bike ride to campus - could save a shitload of money.
 
Any opinions? What am i saying, it's Surly, of course there will be opinions.
 

If you can afford it, have them live near campus or in a dorm. You are getting a great deal on tuition at a top school, you have no transportation costs to school, and the dorm isn’t that expensive.

It isn’t free but it’s pretty darn cheap as college goes. They have to deal with other people and solve problems that they would not have to do living in your house.

[dcbc 14254]

DCBC, Jr. the Firstith was auto-admitted to Liberal Arts and got his History major in December.  Yesterday, he was declined the Plan 2 admission.  But today, he was admitted to Liberal Arts Honors.  He officially is Austin bound.  Proud of this Kiddo!  I never would have gotten into UT these days.

[Beantown Express 2.0 6513]

My kid was just accepted today to UT Austin, Moody School of Communication Advertising Major.  He is excited about this but I am kind of worried about an advertising degree.  Am I about to throw away a bunch of money on a useless degree or is a degree in advertising actually a good thing.  It seems at least it is like 70% female to male ratio in advertising so he has got that going for him I guess.  His first choice was Marketing/ Business School but he did not get in so this was his second choice. At least he is not following his old man’s path and getting a history degree from UT.

[jimmyjazz 45192]

Heads up:  I'm not sure if I'm getting the full picture, I'll need to make some calls, but my daughter is struggling to declare a "minor".  She says it's a requirement to graduate.  Problem is, she is on the road a lot, and according to her McCombs is most amenable to online course options.  I'm not at all sure that's true, but it is clear she doesn't want a business minor and this is stressing her out, along with a desire to graduate in 4 years while touring North America.  I told her to slow it down, it's OK if it takes her 4.5 or 5 years to graduate, but this whole minor requirement is messing things up.  Anyone know more detail about it?

[Tex48 830]

26 minutes ago, dcbc said:

DCBC, Jr. the Firstith was auto-admitted to Liberal Arts and got his History major in December.  Yesterday, he was declined the Plan 2 admission.  But today, he was admitted to Liberal Arts Honors.  He officially is Austin bound.  Proud of this Kiddo!  I never would have gotten into UT these days.

If your kid does LAH, I recommend looking at the Honors Dorms if he’s considering living on campus. They were some of the cheapest on campus back in 2017. I lived in Blanton. I had a blast living there. My roommate was Liberal Arts Honors and I was engineering honors. 

[dcbc 14254]

7 minutes ago, Tex48 said:

If your kid does LAH, I recommend looking at the Honors Dorms if he’s considering living on campus. They were some of the cheapest on campus back in 2017. I lived in Blanton. I had a blast living there. My roommate was Liberal Arts Honors and I was engineering honors. 

Oh, on it.  It was the carrot to get him to apply.  

[Leeroy Jenkins 2338]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

DCBC, Jr. the Firstith was auto-admitted to Liberal Arts and got his History major in December.  Yesterday, he was declined the Plan 2 admission.  But today, he was admitted to Liberal Arts Honors.  He officially is Austin bound.  Proud of this Kiddo!  I never would have gotten into UT these days.

The LAH program is good.  My daughter is graduating in May (a year early) and she has enjoyed the classes and the overall smaller class sizes.  Next up Law School.  She has a chance at UT but more than likely will end up at A&M.  

[dcbc 14254]

3 minutes ago, Leeroy Jenkins said:

The LAH program is good.  My daughter is graduating in May (a year early) and she has enjoyed the classes and the overall smaller class sizes.  Next up Law School.  She has a chance at UT but more than likely will end up at A&M.  

As a UT L/A grad with a non-UT law degree, I assure you/her there is life beyond UT if your don't hit its Grad Schools.

[Hook1997 5241]

Idk where this goes, but my buddies wife was telling last summer me about how their is getting academic scholarships offers from the likes of Yale, Harvard, Brown ect and how it might even be cheaper for her to go to an ivy league vs in state….  I leave and haven’t seen them since last summer, then I see them post an acceptance sign to atm….   Grant it mom graduated from there but since then she has broke hs records for points and rebounds.  (3A but still). I haven’t called him yet but I’m thinking can yall really pass a full ride guarantee, athletic and academic to an Ivy League or Stanford or something over atm?  (She’s accepted to UT also).  

Edited February 2 by Hook1997

[Tex48 830]

20 minutes ago, Hook1997 said:

Idk where this goes, but my buddies wife was telling last summer me about how their is getting academic scholarships offers from the likes of Yale, Harvard, Brown ect and how it might even be cheaper for her to go to an ivy league vs in state….  I leave and haven’t seen them since last summer, then I see them post an acceptance sign to atm….   Grant it mom graduated from there but since then she has broke hs records for points and rebounds.  (3A but still). I haven’t called him yet but I’m thinking can yall really pass a full ride guarantee, athletic and academic to an Ivy League or Stanford or something over atm?  (She’s accepted to UT also).  

Buddies wife is full of shit. Ivy’s don’t give academic or athletic scholarships…they do give very generous financial aid though based on financial need. If you are out of their income thresholds, you can end up paying $70k+ a year for your kid to go to an Ivy even if they’re playing athletics. My guess is the parents saw the sticker shock on the Ivy’s and sent their kid elsewhere or her grades were not great and daughter got turned down. One of my buddies was recruited to play O-Line at MIT (a little bit different) and was told he needed to score a 34 ACT or above and he would get in. He scored a 34 but the school still turned him down anyway.

Edited February 2 by Tex48

[South Austin 51633]

6 hours ago, dcbc said:

I never would have gotten into UT these days.

Same here. UT Law is a maybe under today’s standards and much smaller class size, but I turned it on like a champ in undergrad, so the odds would be decent. Still, my underachieving high school self would’ve had to start at one of the other UT’s and hope to transfer to Austin in today’s world.

Congrats to your kid. You gotta be proud as hell.

[dcbc 14254]

2 hours ago, South Austin said:

Same here. UT Law is a maybe under today’s standards and much smaller class size, but I turned it on like a champ in undergrad, so the odds would be decent. Still, my underachieving high school self would’ve had to start at one of the other UT’s and hope to transfer to Austin in today’s world.

Congrats to your kid. You gotta be proud as hell.

Much appreciated, and I am super proud. 

[Beantown Express 2.0 6513]

The whole, "I would have never gotten into UT these days" is interesting and I wonder how many on here think they would get in today.  I would have zero fucking chance of getting in yet back in the day I got into the Business School from out of state.  My kid who didn't get in the busines school has a "resume" of being top 2% in  his 6A high school, never getting anything but an A his entire life (mostly like 97s to 100s), all the extracurriculars like qualifying for DECA state multiple times, being picked for that Boys State program and winning office at it, national honor society, student government, Varsity golf team 3 straight years and he still couldn't sniff the business school.  I get every kid has the same great qualifications but it is interesting what kind of kids don't get into UT schools like business/engineering/etc...

I on the other hand had like a 3.7 GPA in high school with plenty of non-A grades, mediocre SAT score and was in the Latin Club and they admitted my dumb ass.

[South Austin 51633]

1 minute ago, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

My kid who didn't get in the busines school has a "resume" of being top 2% in  his 6A high school, never getting anything but an A his entire life (mostly like 97s to 100s), all the extracurriculars like qualifying for DECA state multiple times, being picked for that Boys State program and winning office at it, national honor society, student government, Varsity golf team 3 straight years and he still couldn't sniff the business school.  

I’ve heard too many stories like this over the years, and a growing part of me is starting to strongly dislike the strict Top 6% (no matter the quality of your high school and course load) and SAT-optional admission process. I get there were some problems with the prior admission system, but I’m not sure the current system is the best solution.

[Mrs Whiggins 13049]

9 hours ago, Beantown Express 2.0 said:

My kid was just accepted today to UT Austin, Moody School of Communication Advertising Major.  He is excited about this but I am kind of worried about an advertising degree.  Am I about to throw away a bunch of money on a useless degree or is a degree in advertising actually a good thing.  It seems at least it is like 70% female to male ratio in advertising so he has got that going for him I guess.  His first choice was Marketing/ Business School but he did not get in so this was his second choice. At least he is not following his old man’s path and getting a history degree from UT.

Relax.

A university education, especially at UT, is designed to provide a student with whatever life presents. I cannot express this enough. I understand your point, but the talk about 'useless' degrees is counterproductive. But enough about that. IIRC, the UT Advertising program is ranked nationally and if you examine the course requirements (degree plan) it requires courses in a wide breadth of areas. It also requires business courses, including some marketing courses I *think*. Again, the skills learned in college (or learned previously and honed in college) are not just about acquiring breadth and depth of knowledge, but how to think and then think some more and assess what exactly one learned throughout that experience. Alas, our underdeveloped brains and maturity often mean we don't appreciate those learning experiences until far after we leave. You know this, but it bears repeating. If he's excited about it, that is a huge hurdle right there.

 

As an aside, I have neighbors from that 'other' school and they also talk about 'useless' degrees. Never mind that a high percentage of students who major and then graduate with degrees in engineering end up in another field (like one of my neighbors). Finding a degree plan that is flexible and well rounded can serve students who think they want to go down one path and suddenly find themselves lost and uninterested.

Best of luck to your student!

 

[dcbc 14254]

1 hour ago, South Austin said:

I’ve heard too many stories like this over the years, and a growing part of me is starting to strongly dislike the strict Top 6% (no matter the quality of your high school and course load) and SAT-optional admission process. I get there were some problems with the prior admission system, but I’m not sure the current system is the best solution.

Top 5% as of next year, but I digress.  It's far from a good rule, but it's the playing field we have now (even though the goal posts are getting narrower and harder to hit every couple of years).  An important distinction is that top x% only gets you into the university, i.e., liberal arts.  Business, engineering, computer science, natural sciences, etc. are a whole 'nother level of brutal.  This works out well for my older son since he is liberal arts focused anyway (nothing wrong with a History Major and, frankly, this world could use more people who study history; but again, I digress).  My younger son is more math and science focused and will have a tougher road to admission at UT in his field of interest (outside of L/A) )

Obviously, another down-side of the Top x% rule is that UT admits students who are not academically prepared to succeed at UT.  This is where CAP comes in to admit students who demonstrate academic success at a college level to fill the spaces that open up when some students don't make it past the first year in Austin.

Again, far from perfect, but there's some logic there when you consider CAP.

Edited February 2 by dcbc

[Mr. Drummond 2161]

Shit i was so lazy and under performing in high school, i had to do a summer session to qualify for fall enrollment in 1985.    I dont think i could have gotten into Texas State now. 

[South Austin 51633]

27 minutes ago, dcbc said:

My younger son is more math and science focused and will have a tough road to admission at UT.

Same.  My seventh-grader is a great student and has a skill and enthusiasm for math that his old man never had.  He thinks he wants to study chemistry or biology in college, and right now he really wants to go to UT, with no real interest anywhere else (yeah, I know, he's in 7th grade, and a lot can change in a few years).  I'm not going to dissuade him from chasing his goal, and will tell him along the way he needs to study his ass off, join clubs, play whatever sports he can, volunteer, etc.  But I'm also going to make sure he has other options and doesn't put all of his heart in the Longhorn basket. 

[dcbc 14254]

6 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Same.  My seventh-grader is a great student and has a skill and enthusiasm for math that his old man never had.  He thinks he wants to study chemistry or biology in college, and right now he really wants to go to UT, with no real interest anywhere else (yeah, I know, he's in 7th grade, and a lot can change in a few years).  I'm not going to dissuade him from chasing his goal, and will tell him along the way he needs to study his ass off, join clubs, play whatever sports he can, volunteer, etc.  But I'm also going to make sure he has other options and doesn't put all of his heart in the Longhorn basket. 

 

Both of my kids are dyed in the wool Longhorns.  But the younger one, who is a very good student and whose mother is all about encouraging the extra-curricular resume building told me flat out, I'll work my tail off to get into UT and if not, I'll go kick ass at Tech.  I think I've told enough aggy jokes to have influenced this decision-making process.  But it also seems it's time to have a frank discussion with him about Raider Rash.

 

In the end, I only want what's the best fit for each of them as long as it's not aggy

Edited February 2 by dcbc

[Mrs Whiggins 13049]

I'm an advocate for the top % rules. Is it great? No, but without it, this uni plus A&M could easily become taxpayer supported SMU type universities if it were eliminated. So many students from wealthy suburbs that have access to quality education, opportunities, academic support outside the classroom (test prep, etc) and honestly, family wealth IS undeniably one of the biggest predictors of success in college.

The idea that taxpayer supported state universities were to educate their young citizens who would then go on to be productive leaders and taxpayers was a noble one from the beginning, but looking back at how access to that was restricted, at least the current system attempts to address that. Students from certain backgrounds often have the means and the ability to obtain higher education anywhere, even out of state or private. Less so for other students. As has been mentioned multiple times, the State and citizenry kicked the can down the road for elevating other system schools to alleviate the stresses placed upon the "Flagship" campuses to the tune of 63K+ applieds to UT-Aus in 2023. 19K were admitted and of those, I think around 9K ish were enrolled. Realistically a student from anywhere in the state who qualifies can apply and be admitted via this rule. Is that so bad? Sure it's a numbers game and not all of those students will attend. Some have grand opportunities elsewhere, some flat out cannot afford it, some are tied to their locality and the distance to Austin too far, some know the chasm is too wide for success.

 

For 2023, 64% of enrolled students were top 10% qualifiers. Of the current undergraduate population on campus, over 9,000 students are first generation. May they go forth and change the world.

[South Austin 51633]

2 minutes ago, dcbc said:

But the younger one, who is a very good student and whose mother is all about encouraging the extra-curricular resume building told me flat out, I'll work my tail off to get into UT and if not, I'll go kick ass at Tech. 

That's a great attitude, and I'll have no problem if my guy ends up at Tech, especially since I'm going to be paying nonresident tuition for Thing No. 1 starting this Fall.

[dcbc 14254]

Just now, South Austin said:

That's a great attitude, and I'll have no problem if my guy ends up at Tech, especially since I'm going to be paying nonresident tuition for Thing No. 1 starting this Fall.

I may have missed it, but did she decide?  It was Oregon or Washington, right? 

 

Scholarships are plentiful for high achievers at Tech.  I wouldn't complain one bit if that's where he decides is the best fit for him.

Edited February 2 by dcbc

[South Austin 51633]

3 minutes ago, dcbc said:

I may have missed it, but did she decide?  It was Oregon or Washington, right?

No decision yet, and she won't hear from UDub until March.  She got into Oregon, and its honors college, and got some very generous merit-based aid that makes the bill so much more bearable.  UDub is more stingy with aid for nonresidents, and I've prepared her for that.

[Mrs Whiggins 13049]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

... since I'm going to be paying nonresident tuition for Thing No. 1 starting this Fall.

it's a bit of a shame that unis figured out this was a cash cow and tightened up the rules on residency. Back in the day when one could obtain a DL, voter registration, and a part time job after a certain time had passed it was actually a potential benefit to the State--the reason being that students who went to that trouble often ended up staying in state permanently and contributed to the work force and paid taxes, etc. Overall not sure that the data support that any longer because those avenues are gone. As long as a certain % of state taxes subsidize tuition, I can see an institution's argument because of the investment, but somewhere back when the tuition deregulation discussions were happening, it's too bad that of all the agendas, not one truly discussed positive outcomes when investing in the citizenry.

So yeah. Sucks.

[South Austin 51633]

Eh, I get that state universities want to take care of their own and have tightened up the residency requirements. 

My gripe is that tuition, for residents and nonresidents no matter where you are, is getting ridiculous, and I can see why a substantial portion of the applicant pool is saying, "Fuck that, I'm going to find and start a career right out of high school instead of paying huge amounts for courses I'll never need in my life." 

And because there's a dip in applicants (mostly male applicants these days, for a variety of reasons), universities are hiking tuition to make up for the shortfall. 

A fun little cycle for all of us.

[Bateshorn 9596]

11 minutes ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

it's a bit of a shame that unis figured out this was a cash cow and tightened up the rules on residency. Back in the day when one could obtain a DL, voter registration, and a part time job after a certain time had passed it was actually a potential benefit to the State--the reason being that students who went to that trouble often ended up staying in state permanently and contributed to the work force and paid taxes, etc. Overall not sure that the data support that any longer because those avenues are gone. As long as a certain % of state taxes subsidize tuition, I can see an institution's argument because of the investment, but somewhere back when the tuition deregulation discussions were happening, it's too bad that of all the agendas, not one truly discussed positive outcomes when investing in the citizenry.

So yeah. Sucks.

Depends on the school.  Texas and Florida are notorious for encouraging in state students and being very hard on out of state applicants.  Other schools, like Wisconsin, charge full freight for all out of staters, because they are a seller school and don't need to offer aid to get out of state attendees, but they still prefer instate kids as a mission.  

Maryland on the OTOH, lives and dies off of full freight NJ kids (as does Penn State), so they tend to be very fucking choosey about their instate acceptances.  If you are a middling student from central NJ, getting into College Park is a breeze.  If you are a high achiever from Montegomery County, Maryland, it's fucking brutal getting a yes from Maryland. They need that out of state money.   For somewhere like Oregon, they literally can't get enough in state bodies to fill up UO and OSU, so they have to entice California, Texas, and Colorado kids with financial aid packages. 

Edited February 2 by Bateshorn

[dcbc 14254]

8 minutes ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

it's a bit of a shame that unis figured out this was a cash cow and tightened up the rules on residency. Back in the day when one could obtain a DL, voter registration, and a part time job after a certain time had passed it was actually a potential benefit to the State--the reason being that students who went to that trouble often ended up staying in state permanently and contributed to the work force and paid taxes, etc. Overall not sure that the data support that any longer because those avenues are gone. As long as a certain % of state taxes subsidize tuition, I can see an institution's argument because of the investment, but somewhere back when the tuition deregulation discussions were happening, it's too bad that of all the agendas, not one truly discussed positive outcomes when investing in the citizenry.

So yeah. Sucks.

A lot of kids in Texas's eastern block go to Arky because they will offer $$ to match their in-state tuition without calling it in-state tuition.

[Bateshorn 9596]

4 minutes ago, dcbc said:

A lot of kids in Texas's eastern block go to Arky because they will offer $$ to match their in-state tuition without calling it in-state tuition.

Yup.  Kentucky offered Boy 1 guaranteed instate for 5 years, but they framed it around a merit offer. 

On the East Coast, it's hard to overstate how much New Jersey's lack of viable in state options past rutgers drives admissions and tuition prices.  New Jersey kids form the core of most of the East Coast public and private school revenue. 

Edited February 2 by Bateshorn

[South Austin 51633]

2 minutes ago, dcbc said:

A lot of kids in Texas's eastern block go to Arky because they will offer $$ to match their in-state tuition without calling it in-state tuition.

Yes, but I've heard that Arkansas is cutting back on the reciprocity/tuition breaks for nonresidents.  Probably because they've been getting so many nonresident students and need the higher nonresident tuition. 

[Bateshorn 9596]

2 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Yes, but I've heard that Arkansas is cutting back on the reciprocity/tuition breaks for nonresidents.  Probably because they've been getting so many nonresident students and need the higher nonresident tuition. 

It's all blow off from the impossible tight standards for UT (and A&M to a lesser degree).  There is just an avalanche of fairly well off, fairly smart Texas kids that want to go to the Main Public State School, and if they can't get into Austin, they are going to look at Fayettville, Tuscaloosa, Oxford, etc instead of UT-D, Tech, UTSA, Houston. 

[South Austin 51633]

4 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

Maryland on the OTOH, lives and dies off of full freight NJ kids (as does Penn State), so they tend to be very fucking choosey about their instate acceptances.  If you are a middling student from central NJ, getting into College Park is a breeze.  If you are a high achiever from Montegomery County, Maryland, it's fucking brutal getting a yes from Maryland. They need that out of state money. 

I read that University of Washington started taking that approach several years ago, and in a short amount of time it became so much more difficult for a Washington resident to get admitted.

Here's the article (from back in 2011), and I'm not surprised if more state universities find themselves in this position:

Quote

Soon after the University of Washington’s acceptance letters for undergraduate admission went out in the mail last month, the rumors started flying at local high schools.

High-school seniors with top test scores didn’t get in.

Students who got into more prestigious schools were wait-listed at the UW.

Valedictorians with straight-A’s were denied admission, while out-of-state students with lower grades were accepted.

Turns out all those rumors are true.

A series of worsening revenue forecasts and a $5 billion state budget shortfall have made it even more likely that the Legislature will again slash higher-education funding this year. So in February, top academic leaders at the UW made a painful decision to cut the number of Washington students the school will admit this fall to its main Seattle campus and increase the number of nonresident students, who pay nearly three times as much in tuition and fees.

https://uwimpact.org/seattle-times-why-straight-as-may-not-get-you-into-uw-this-year/

[Bateshorn 9596]

2 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I read that University of Washington started taking that approach several years ago, and in a short amount of time it became so much more difficult for a Washington resident to get admitted.

Here's the article (from back in 2011), and I'm not surprised if more state universities find themselves in this position:

https://uwimpact.org/seattle-times-why-straight-as-may-not-get-you-into-uw-this-year/

As my wife and I joked when watching the two UW-UO games (and the Colorado game):  That's a lot of Rich California kids who didn't get into their first choice UC school. 

Edited February 2 by Bateshorn

[Bateshorn 9596]

3 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I read that University of Washington started taking that approach several years ago, and in a short amount of time it became so much more difficult for a Washington resident to get admitted.

Here's the article (from back in 2011), and I'm not surprised if more state universities find themselves in this position:

https://uwimpact.org/seattle-times-why-straight-as-may-not-get-you-into-uw-this-year/

It reminds me of Boy #1's admission's counselor: "Maryland is not a safety school.  Have a back up option if that's your first choice, because I have kids crying in my office every March when they get rejected and haven't considered another 4 year school."

[dcbc 14254]

6 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

It reminds me of Boy #1's admission's counselor: "Maryland is not a safety school.  Have a back up option if that's your first choice, because I have kids crying in my office every March when they get rejected and haven't considered another 4 year school."

Last night, we attended a Senior Night at the high school.  Lots of skits and musical numbers---a prom fundraiser.  My wife and I left early because we'd had enough, which is how we found out before my son that he'd gotten into LAH before he did.  But what we missed was the Student Council president, who was M/C'ing the event finding out in real time on his phone that he didn't get into McCombs and having to hold it together in front of everyone.  That must have been tough to say the least.  My son said the kid really was fighting back the tears.

Edited February 2 by dcbc

[CTC2 2656]

On 11/6/2023 at 10:38 AM, yoladu said:

Anyone have thoughts on families who live in Austin and have/had kids who attend UT, especially as an 18 y.o. Freshman.

I want my kid to make friends, have a typical college experience, and gain more independence, so you know, typically that would be dorms and a meal plan ($$$$),

but then again, they have a room/food at our home and a 15min bike ride to campus - could save a shitload of money.

 

Any opinions? What am i saying, it's Surly, of course there will be opinions.

 

I let my kids live in West Campus. They are graduating in May. Our house is 20 min from campus. It was better for them that they were independent and not living at home. 
Quite frankly, I didn’t want to take away the whole college experience by making them live at home. It would have made it far less enjoyable for them. 

[Leeroy Jenkins 2338]

29 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

Depends on the school.  Texas and Florida are notorious for encouraging in state students and being very hard on out of state applicants.  Other schools, like Wisconsin, charge full freight for all out of staters, because they are a seller school and don't need to offer aid to get out of state attendees, but they still prefer instate kids as a mission.  

Maryland on the OTOH, lives and dies off of full freight NJ kids (as does Penn State), so they tend to be very fucking choosey about their instate acceptances.  If you are a middling student from central NJ, getting into College Park is a breeze.  If you are a high achiever from Montegomery County, Maryland, it's fucking brutal getting a yes from Maryland. They need that out of state money.   For somewhere like Oregon, they literally can't get enough in state bodies to fill up UO and OSU, so they have to entice California, Texas, and Colorado kids with financial aid packages. 

The dumb big hair NJ sluts who didn't get in to Maryland used to arrive in packs at Salisbury University.  

[SimonBolivar 10677]

21 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

It's all blow off from the impossible tight standards for UT (and A&M to a lesser degree).  There is just an avalanche of fairly well off, fairly smart Texas kids that want to go to the Main Public State School, and if they can't get into Austin, they are going to look at Fayettville, Tuscaloosa, Oxford, etc instead of UT-D, Tech, UTSA, Houston. 

I keep on waiting for UH to take the leap. They have the benefit of the big ass city, flagship of the system, and are ranked higher in USNews than Arkansas, Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, LSU, and Oklahoma State. They just have to get more kids to live on campus and get rid of that commuter vibe (which they are I think), but it'll take time.

[Saint Tacky 1609]

Good news. Bad news. Youngest was accepted to The University yesterday but received the "denial" option. That is to go to school at a "UT System University" for 30 credit hours, maintain a 3.2 GPA, and get guaranteed admission to Austin in Fall 2025.  Unfortunately, my kid already has so many dual credits from AP courses in high school, that there are not likely enough courses available for them to knock out the 30-hour requirement.

Losing guaranteed admission for following a more academically challenging path in high school. What a country.

[orange dream 1215]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

 

 I'll work my tail off to get into UT and if not, I'll go kick ass at Tech.

 

Sounds like he ( and some other Surly spawn) is taking the right approach. Wherever they end up, do your best, have fun, and then go be a self sufficient, good citizen!!

Edited February 2 by orange dream

[Jerry Callo 8630]

22 minutes ago, Saint Tacky said:

Good news. Bad news. Youngest was accepted to The University yesterday but received the "denial" option. That is to go to school at a "UT System University" for 30 credit hours, maintain a 3.2 GPA, and get guaranteed admission to Austin in Fall 2025.  Unfortunately, my kid already has so many dual credits from AP courses in high school, that there are not likely enough courses available for them to knock out the 30-hour requirement.

Losing guaranteed admission for following a more academically challenging path in high school. What a country.

You might check out the approved course list.  My oldest did the CAP through UTSA.  She took one class for which she already had AP credit.  

The most important issue with the CAP is the student is only guaranteed admission into the school of liberal arts.  If that is what they were planning anyway, great.  Otherwise, CAP might not be the best option.  My youngest got the CAP offer but wanted to study biology with the eventual plan of physical therapy.  CAP would have done her no good.  She's happy studying biology at Texas State.

[Saint Tacky 1609]

7 minutes ago, Jerry Callo said:

My youngest got the CAP offer but wanted to study biology

Biology. Ditto! We'll look into it counting AP credits and course availability, but I'm 100% certain that Liberal Arts isn't where she wants to land or risk being stuck. She's got burnt orange glasses on right now and as much as I want another Texas Ex around the house, it's not my first choice (or decision). thanks. 

[yoladu 4045]

1 hour ago, dcbc said:

Last night, we attended a Senior Night at the high school.  Lots of skits and musical numbers---a prom fundraiser.  My wife and I left early because we'd had enough, which is how we found out before my son that he'd gotten into LAH before he did.  But what we missed was the Student Council president, who was M/C'ing the event finding out in real time on his phone that he didn't get into McCombs and having to hold it together in front of everyone.  That must have been tough to say the least.  My son said the kid really was fighting back the tears.

LAH?