Just found out that top 10% doesn't apply to UT (and only UT) anymore. It's now top 8% for 75% of admitted students, and the other 25% can be picked by the school as they see fit. Did y'all know that? Again, only applies to UT.
That's fine. One of the things the state of Texas does not get enough credit for is having a crapload of affordable and fully accredited colleges & universities, particularly compared to that part of the country, and in general. If you didn't get past Algebra 2, had to take the TEAMS/TAAS/TAKS/TAPPS more than once to achieve Master status, or didn't take any IB/AP/Honors classes in four years, maybe you shouldn't turn up your nose at A&M Commerce, Lamar-Port Arthur, Midwestern State or Sul Ross. Or you could face your fears and go to Prairie View or Huston-Tillotson.
Bingo. I went to high school in Switzerland....which made any attempt out of the gate to go to UT/TAMU a difficult one. Got into pretty much every other place I applied to.
I'm not from Texas, so I don't know much about how the top 10% rule works in practice, but it seems like a pretty good idea to me. It gives kids that do well at poorer schools a chance to get a great university education.
Yea it's a good idea in theory. What about poorer schools who have crappy curriculums? Yeah the students who are top 10% benefit and get into UT, but they get BEAT DOWN once they start undergrad, because they were way unprepared... I know from experience.
when top 10% first came around, I remember studies that surprised people how well the kids from lower performing high schools did.
this study shows that the top ten percent rule had a negative effective on white and hispanic students more that black students. however full disclosure, it does say that in the case of blacks and asians the numbers are probably not as reliable because of sample size.
You must have gone to a really good high school if you think you had damn near an ivy league resume but you weren't even in the top 10% of your class. The top students from my graduating class have done really well and only one of us got into an ivy league school.
Good. I've never been crazy about the "10%" rule. At least they tinkered with it some, which should help a bit. A lot of really good students in Texas are being kept out of UT due to the disparity between the different high schools around the state. Sadly, they aren't created equal.
That's not the fault of the students at the worse schools. Should they be doubly screwed over by going to a bad high school and then also being rejected from good universities when they do all they can with the opportunities they're given?
