The Coordinated Admission Program (CAP) provides an alternative path to admission at UT Austin for talented Texas students who are not accepted through the traditional application process. As the parent of a high school senior who applied to UT, or as a student navigating the college admissions process yourself, it’s important to understand the key aspects of this program:

1. CAP guarantees admission to the College of Liberal Arts after one year at another UT campus if requirements are met. While UT Austin admission isn't guaranteed upfront, fulfilling CAP obligates UT to accept students into the College of Liberal Arts for their sophomore year. To qualify, students must successfully complete 30 credit hours of approved CAP coursework and earn a 3.2 GPA at their temporary UT campus. 

2. Students can still compete for admission to other UT colleges after their CAP year. If your child dreams of studying business, engineering or fine arts at UT Austin, CAP still provides that opportunity. They’ll apply as a transfer student after fulfilling CAP requirements. Acceptance rates vary across colleges but CAP makes them competitive applicants. 

3. Not all UT System schools participate in CAP. Only UT Arlington, UT Dallas, UT El Paso, UT Permian Basin, UT Rio Grande Valley, UT San Antonio and UT Tyler accept CAP students for the year-long transfer track. Living on one of these campuses provides smaller classes and a nurturing environment to prepare for the big Austin campus. 

CAP offers talented, driven students a chance to prove themselves UT-worthy after initially getting deferred. As alternatives go, it’s a supportive route that leaves lots of future paths open. With focus and perseverance in those first 30 hours of academics, the door to UT Austin will open next year through CAP.