UT Austin has confirmed its new essay and short answer prompts for the high school class of 2025 as part of the major changes to its admissions process announced in March .

For the past three years, students applying to The University of Texas at Austin have had the option to avoid sending standardized test scores as part of their application. However, as is a growing trend among highly selective institutions, UT Austin has decided to reinstate its test score requirement starting with applications for the Fall 2025 semester. And that is just one of several changes that UT announced this week .

As college decision letters hit mailboxes (or email accounts) in April, thousands of accomplished high school students face rejection from dream schools like Stanford and Duke. For parents, it’s absolutely heartbreaking to see incredible kids get turned down by elite colleges despite straight A’s, stellar SAT scores, top AP scores, and armloads of extracurricular achievements. How can parents best comfort and encourage their teen after such a significant letdown? 

Didn't get the news you hoped for from UT Austin? The University of Texas at Austin just saw record-breaking undergraduate applications, with a whopping 73,000 students vying for a spot. That's a 20% jump from previous years, making UT Austin more popular than ever. For students not automatically admitted (based on Texas high school rank), the overall acceptance rate will be only 11%. Some majors, like computer science, business, engineering, and nursing, will be even more competitive. While their admissions decisions are tough to overturn, an appeal might be worth considering if you have new, significant information that wasn't in your original application. But before you dive in, understand the process and your chances.

Students decide to transfer colleges for a number of reasons. Whether your student aspires to transfer from a four year institution or community college, if they have their eye on UT-Austin , here are a 3 things to keep in mind: