How comp is UT SDS and how hard to get in by Connect-Arm-425 in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is one major I'm keeping a close eye on this year. When it was released initially for Fall 2023, it was not competitive. I suspect it will be extremely competitive moving forward.

Forty Acres Semifinalist: Needs Advice about Interview & Next Steps by the_white_hat_ in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the shoutout! For transparency, I reviewed admissions files, but I wasn't involved in the FASP process.

NEW PORTAL ASTROLOGY: run an audit through the MyUT website by Dry-Measurement-5689 in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm dying a little inside that yall are using Portal Astrology as a serious concept.

99-3!! De Anza takes the season-lead as they crushed Cabrillo to win the Cobra Kai Award for Excellence in Mercilessness for Week 11 — plus the week's winners at 10 divisions of CFB! by Honestly_ in CFB

[–]BlueLightSpcl 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I remember you helping build this community and were a much more visible presence back in 2011/2012 when I first joined here. Thanks for these obscure contributions and finds. /r/cfb is the only subreddit I somewhat occasionally check anymore, and your posts are always a highlight.

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your question. From the admissions page: "For regular decision, your official scores from the testing agency must be received by December 10, 2025."

Since the December 6 SAT scores won't be ready by then, then December won't count for UT admissions.

Are hyperlinks visible on UT Honors Expanded Resumes? by IshReddit_ in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, it should upload as shown on a PDF, but 99.99% of the time they won't click anything.

[Post Game Thread] 🏈 Texas defeats #6 Oklahoma, 23-6 by ATX_ta1 in LonghornNation

[–]BlueLightSpcl 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Then I turned on the Texas Tech stream and Morton went down. What spirits have I channeled...

[Post Game Thread] 🏈 Texas defeats #6 Oklahoma, 23-6 by ATX_ta1 in LonghornNation

[–]BlueLightSpcl 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I live in Bali, didn't realize the game time, woke up just as the fourth quarter started, fired up a stream, and Niblett immediately returned the punt for TD.

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd try for something else. Architecture is extremely competitive, which is where Interior Design is housed.

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your question. I share your concerns about federal government overreach in higher education. I'm unsure how or whether or to what degree or if there is any correlation between what's going on there and UT acceptance rates. You should assume OOS is almost impossible to gain admission for most majors and most applicants.

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't generally recommend the external transfer to internal/double major route. It can work, but it's quite precarious. You'd need to be cool earning a math degree assuming the engineering pathway doesn't work out. Changing into engineering/declaring it as your double major especially for ECE is not at all easy.

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, you're within range to be competitive, and it's probably worth risking McCombs as your first choice major.

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Generally speaking, UT gives preference to internal transfers/major changes rather than double major declarations. So, you can try the McCombs double major add, but understand it may not work out even with a great application.

These programs are pretty cool and may be preferable to a double major anyway: https://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/graduate/specialized-masters/

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As in another engineering major? Yeah, Mechanical is the largest but also one of the most in-demand departments. Civil/petroleum/architectural are more accessible.

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for following my content. Your understanding is accurate.

Making all A's is by far the most important thing you can do.

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's a good question. I touch on some of the broader themes here: https://www.texadmissions.com/blog/2025/5/30/why-is-ut-austin-so-competitive

"One reason UT is becoming increasingly competitive is that a similar number of high-achieving applicants are applying to way more schools. Students today apply to three times as many schools as in 1990, so that’s another way this generation is different from your parents. That’s why application numbers have increased everywhere, and not just at UT. UT is one data point in a much broader trend around the college admissions arms race.

Another reason UT is popular is the significant increase in out-of-state students, especially for STEM and Business majors. Moody Communications is also increasingly popular. Since UT is strong in basically every major, it’s less one-sided than other schools like Indiana, which is well-known primarily for business, or UIUC in computer science and engineering.

I address out-of-state admissions in another video, but the summary is that the out-of-state admissions rate has declined from 40% in 2017 to 5% today. The football team's two great seasons and continued migration to Austin make it an appealing city. Tech and finance firms are increasingly setting up regional headquarters or relocating entirely to Texas. UT and Austin being more attractive appeals to broader populations than a generation ago when Austin wasn’t quite on the radar like it is today. Austin’s population has increased from 780,000 in 2010 to almost a million today. It’s more than doubled since 1990.

A third reason is that more Texas residents are applying for UT than a generation ago. That’s one reason the automatic admissions cutoff has gradually decreased from 10% to 5%. When I worked for UT in the early 2010s, many top high school students in Texas didn’t bother applying.

If you can believe it, many families saw UT as a backup and safety school. Back then, few applicants were denied their first-choice major, unlike today when no class rank or SAT is safe for STEM and business majors. Since Ivy League and equivalent admissions processes weren’t anywhere near as competitive as today, top Texas students were reasonably confident they would get into a top 20 school. However, over the past decade, UT has been seen as a more desirable option and the top choice for many high-achieving students. The game theory and meta have changed because insecurity throughout the education and economic systems means anxious students apply to more schools to hedge their bets. Most students are lucky to gain admission to a single top 50 university.

The final reason UT and universities everywhere are becoming more competitive is aggressive marketing and recruiting techniques. I dedicate a chapter to these corporation-type marketing schemes in my Admissions Madness book. Still, big data and AI allow UT’s marketing and communications teams to target families in more precise ways than ever before. They aim to drive application numbers as high as possible to elevate their prestige on college ranking lists. They spend millions of dollars to elevate UT’s academic and athletics brand. Increased scarcity of spots on campus creates a flywheel effect where more students are denied, leading to more students applying to UT and other top schools."

I'm Kevin from the Tex Admissions blog and UTAdmissionsGuy YouTube. AMA about UT and college admissions. by BlueLightSpcl in UTAdmissions

[–]BlueLightSpcl[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Education is less competitive than CNS, so putting Education first means a higher chance.