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Posts tagged UT Austin Admissions
By the spring of sophomore or junior year, many parents feel a quiet panic set in. Conversations with other families get louder. Group chats fill with testing plans and summer programs. Someone mentions a college counselor or a perfect score, and suddenly, it feels like everyone else started earlier and did more. The question parents ask us most often this time of year is simple and heavy. Are we already behind?
Many families believe being in the top 5% makes UT Austin a sure thing. It does not. Auto admit guarantees admission to the university, not to competitive majors like engineering, business, or computer science. Each year, top 5% students are denied their intended major because they misunderstand how UT actually works. See what this year's UT admissions decisions reveal about major-level selectivity.
Many UT Austin denials are not about grades, effort, or intelligence. They are about direction. UT admits by major, not by student. When an application lacks a clear fit to major, even strong students can quietly fall out of contention. Learn how to build a fit-to-major case admissions officers cannot ignore in our UT Results Webinar.
January 15, 2026 Update: UT Austin has released Early Action decisions. This cycle confirms a record 90,000+ applicants and the first year of the reinstated SAT/ACT requirement. Deferred students are still under consideration; final decisions will be released by February 15, 2026.
For families targeting The University of Texas at Austin, summer planning can quietly become one of the most stressful parts of the admissions journey. As deadlines approach and conversations circulate, it is easy to believe that the right program, often expensive and highly branded, is the missing piece. The assumption is understandable. UT Austin is competitive. Competitive schools must want elite experiences. That assumption is also wrong.
At The University of Texas at Austin, admission to a competitive major is not an abstract judgment about potential. It is a decision rooted in evidence. UT is asking whether a student is ready for the academic demands of a specific program, not whether they might figure it out later. That is why summer matters far more than most families realize.
Your student took advanced classes, earned excellent grades, stayed active in school clubs, volunteered on weekends, and maybe even scored above a 1450 on the SAT. They hit every benchmark. Their college list was thoughtful. UT Austin was the top choice. And still, they were denied. This story is more common than many people realize. Each year, UT Austin turns away thousands of highly qualified applicants.
At The University of Texas at Austin, what you list as your second-choice major is not just a backup plan. It is a real part of your application strategy. In fact, for many students who are not automatically admitted through the top 5% rule, that second-choice major could be the difference between an offer and a denial. But it only works if you approach it with intention. UT does not view the second-choice major as a throwaway. It still gets reviewed through the same holistic process. If you choose it wisely and align your application materials accordingly, it can open another door into one of the most competitive public universities in the country.
For decades, the University of Texas at Austin has been the dream school for many Texas families. With its nationally ranked programs, strong alumni network, and unbeatable Austin location, it is no surprise UT remains one of the most sought-after public universities in the country. But in 2025, with over 96,000 applications submitted and rising selectivity across nearly every major, it is important to pause and ask: Is UT Austin still the right fit for your student?
If your teen isn’t in the top 5% of their class, you’ve probably heard some version of this: “There’s no way they’ll get into UT.” It’s a myth we hear all the time—and it’s simply not true. Yes, UT Austin is more competitive than ever. With over 90,000 applicants for the Class of 2025 and an admit rate of just 24% , the numbers tell a clear story. And for students who are not in the top 5% , the odds drop even further: the admit rate for non-auto-admit students was just 11% .