Overheard at a high school game Friday night

[IvanDiabloHorn]

My kids had no problem getting in and did well (including UT Law)as they were in the top 5% of competitive high schools, eagle scout, NHS, worked, played football and ran track.

I don't have a high schooler trying to get in, but as a graduate of the University I feel it time for alumi to speak up on the admissions policy of Texas as it is discriminatory and directly affects entry to the kids of UT graduates. The implementation of social promotion programs to advance unqualified students through the university diminishes the value of a degree from UT.
When you get in - Sink or Swim.

No special Longhorn Scholar classes for the unqualified as they are are keeping a qualified student out of UT.

Perhaps SHS' kid would not have had to go to UTSA if he was on equal footing in the admissions process.

An earlier post provided a link to the admissions and results of admitted students.

The "Personal Achievement Index" below is from that link and is repugnant when determining admission on an unequal basis.

The Personal Achievement Index (PAI)
o Scores on two essays
o Leadership
o Extracurricular Activities
o Awards/honors
o Work experience
o Service to school or community
o Special circumstances:
�� Socio-economic status of family
�� Single parent home
�� Language spoken at home
�� Family responsibilities
�� Socio-economic status of school attended
�� Average SAT/ACT of school attended in relation to student's own SAT/ACT
�� Race (addition approved by the UT Board of Regents in 2003)

This is part of a matrix to score points to determine admission to the university. The matrix is scored subjectively by numerous admission personnel.

Why should a white kid in 2010 that worked hard and succeeded at a competitive high school(honors), scored 28-30 on his ACT and has parents that are college graduates that are not divorced, worked hard and succeeded be at a disadvantge on admissions scoring because of his race, his parents marital status, the relative average sat/act score of an underachieving school, language spoke at home, how well the parents did in life and family responsibilities(whatever that means)?

The special circumstances portion needs to be eliminated.

The top 10 percent simply needs to be moved to the top 20 percent and tweaked to include an entry SAT?ACT qualifier in order to eliminate unquaified admissions.

Admit 8,000. 7,200 by Top 20% high school ranking with SAT?ACT qualifier. 800 places for special admits, Athletics, National Merit scholars, international students..etc.

 

[smwhorn]

I went to a college counselor's meeting last night at my kids' high school. There is only one school in the country that automoatically allows you into their school if you are in the top 10 % (now top 8%). Texas. They don't care what your ACT or SAT scores are. They could be ZERO as long as you took it. They don't care what extra curricular stuff you did or if you have a lengthy criminal record. They don't care which school you went to. If you are in that percentage, YOU ARE IN. That is the stupidest ******* admission policy on the planet. Yes, the planet. If you can name another, please do so.

 

[IvanDiabloHorn]

You are correct and they should absolutely have a an ACT/SAT qualifier thus increasing the percentage of high school rank percentile.

 

[NickDanger]

I REALLY like hearing stories about parents who let their achieving kids decide for themselves. Some kids aren't ready and some parents won't ever be, but the concept is pretty cool.

 

[NickDanger]

Don't some of you lament the fact that people get "brain-washed" into going into aTm or OU? How the hell do these kids understand Austin and UT? They hear about it from their parents. It might be a very cool "wash", but it's still a "brain-wash".

 

[LongLiveBevo]

In reply to:

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[IvanDiabloHorn]

UT is different. (SB175) 75% are admitted by high school class standing regardless of SAT/ACT score. High school applicants are offered starting with the top 1% class rank and continuing until 75% of the incoming class is offered with the caveat that once a percent has been reached, everyone in that percentage is offered. If the 75% admit falls between 6% and 7% of high school standing, then all of the 7% percentile of the high school applicants will be offered.

After 75% are admitted, the admissions office gets to offer the remaining 25% of the incoming class using a subjective, unfair and racist admission policy.
Thus, very qualified students from small high schools and high schools with rigid curriculums are passed over for admission to allow lesser qualified applicants entry.

A top 9% applicant with a 30 ACT score can be passed over by a top 8% applicant with a 20ACT score or a top 20% "special circumstance" applicant with a 19ACT score.

 

[MarylandHorn]

Wanna know what pisses me off? When an acquaintance (graduated from Cooger High) tells me his son isn't going to UT because it's too liberal. OK, so maybe if he was planning on taking a degree in something like history or government, but for Aeronautical Engineering? Come up with whatever excuse you want for your kids, but don't use the liberal card. And I know for a fact that this kid wasn't top 10% of his class, so his admittance wan't an automatic even if he had applied.

When I was at UT in the 80s, the place was over-run with conservatives to the point that Bloom County ran a strip for a week where Opus was run off campus by them. The city may be more liberal than the rest of the state by a long-shot, but that's no excuse for not sending your kid to school there to get an engineering degree. I can't remember any of my engineering professors lecturing on politics, fiscal policy, or social issues for that matter. Find a better excuse...

 

[ImissWallyPryor]

My son is visiting schools right now for an atheltic scholarship. We keep telling him that he doesn't need to go to a school just because they offer him a scholarship. His sport doesn't offer full rides, but he's also qualifying for academic scholarships based on his test scores, etc. We want him to want to go there even if it means walking on or deciding not to play sports. Academics and enjoying the college experience are both more important.

We've told him that we'd send him to Texas if that's where he wants to go. He absolutely loves UT, but it's beginning to look like he will end up somewhere else. He'd easily qualify to go to UT if he wasn't a white kid from a two parent, English-speaking household who is set to graduate from a good high school, but those demographics may work against him. It's sad when so many institutions in this country punish people for making good decisions and sacrifices. That may be a moot point, anyway, because I think he'll choose a school that makes him feel wanted.

Oh, well... at least the Mrs. and I can cut expenses by stopping our contributions to the Schools of Business and Natural Science if he isn't accepted to UT.

That begs another question. Does UT closely monitor who makes academic donations and who doesn't? If they awarded admission points to applicants whose alumni parents donate to the school, they might see a significant increase in donations. If they are going to award points for things like being from a single parent household, you'd think they could find time to award points for money donated. I'm not talking about big donors, either. I'm talking about the typical donation in the $250-1,000 range. I'd be surprised if foreign students donate much at a very high rate.