Here’s what stood out this year—and what families can focus on now to help students build a strong, authentic application in the future.

📚 Academic Rigor: How Course Selection Made a Difference

UT Austin looks beyond GPA to evaluate how students challenged themselves academically—especially in subjects tied to their intended major. This year, students who selected advanced coursework that aligned with their goals stood out across the board.

What Set Academic Schedules Apart:

• STEM & Business Majors: Students applying to McCombs or Cockrell strengthened their applications with AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Statistics, and AP Physics—demonstrating strong quantitative and analytical skills.
• Pre-Med & Health Majors: Those pursuing majors like Nursing, Biology, or Public Health often completed AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and Anatomy & Physiology to show readiness for demanding science coursework.
• Liberal Arts & Communication Majors: Students interested in writing, history, or media-focused fields took AP English Language, AP U.S. History, and advanced foreign language courses to highlight communication and critical thinking abilities.

Student Snapshot: Future Public Health Major
This student’s transcript included AP Biology and dual-credit Anatomy alongside consistent grades in core subjects. Paired with her interest in community health education, her academic record showed both alignment and preparation.

What to Do Now:
✅ Use upcoming course selection as a chance to show depth in an academic interest area.
✅ Consider AP, IB, or dual-credit classes that reflect major alignment.
✅ Balance challenge with sustainability—UT also values resilience and follow-through.

Students who maintained strong performance while navigating a rigorous schedule demonstrated time management, academic discipline, and clear commitment—qualities that stood out during holistic review.

🎯 Standardized Testing: A Key Advantage in Competitive Majors

In this cycle, UT Austin once again required SAT or ACT scores. While scores were reviewed in context, students applying to highly selective majors often benefited from strong results—especially in subject areas aligned with their academic focus.

Typical Score Ranges for Admitted Students:

• SAT: 1400+
• ACT: 32+

Why Strong Scores Helped:

• Confirmed Academic Readiness: Even for students with strong GPAs, a high test score reinforced their ability to thrive in UT’s rigorous academic environment.
• Added Weight in Competitive Majors: For McCombs, Cockrell, and Computer Science, top scores in relevant sections (e.g., math and science) made applications even more compelling.
• Supported Holistic Review: Scores served as an additional data point, especially helpful for students from schools with unique grading systems or less traditional transcripts.

Student Snapshot: Future Engineering Major
This student submitted a 34 ACT with standout math and science scores. Combined with his robotics experience and AP Calculus BC coursework, the score helped underscore his preparation for Cockrell’s academic rigor.

What Helped with Test Prep:
✅ Starting in the summer before junior year gave students time to build skills and reduce stress.
✅ Practice tests helped identify weak areas and improve pacing.
✅ Many students worked with a tutor or took a small-group prep course for focused support.

For future applicants, a well-timed and personalized testing plan—alongside a strong academic record—can provide a meaningful advantage. While not the only factor, test scores remain one of the clearest ways to signal academic readiness in UT’s competitive review process.

🎓 Fit to Major: The Deciding Factor in Admission

UT Austin doesn’t just admit students to the university—it admits them to their first-choice major. This means applications are reviewed through the lens of a specific academic path, and students who demonstrated authentic alignment had a significant advantage.

What UT Looked For:

• 3–4 activities connected to the intended major
• Academic coursework that supports the chosen field
• A clear, reflective “Why This Major” essay
• Independent exploration, initiative, or self-driven learning

Student Snapshot: Future Architecture Major
This student had a strong foundation in visual arts and design and completed a summer program in urban planning. Her resume included CAD work, a local internship with an architecture firm, and a personal project redesigning public spaces in her neighborhood. Her entire application showed intentional preparation.

What to Do Now:
✅ Encourage students to explore possible majors early and identify how they can go deeper.
✅ Look for summer programs, local opportunities, or self-led projects to build experience.
✅ Choose electives and extracurriculars that reflect growing interest and engagement.

UT places real value on students who demonstrate academic direction—not just interest. A clear connection between a student’s activities, classes, and goals creates a cohesive and compelling story.

📝 The Expanded Resume: Telling a Complete Story

The expanded resume is unique to UT—and it's one of the most powerful parts of the application when used effectively. It gives students space to show depth, initiative, and impact beyond the typical activities list.

What Made Resumes Stand Out:

• Specific detail about time commitments, roles, and growth
• Leadership, initiative, or original contributions
• Impact on others or connection to academic goals
• Activities outside of school (family responsibilities, jobs, hobbies)

Student Snapshot: Future Nursing Major
Alongside hospital volunteering, this student included her caregiving role at home for a younger sibling. She explained how this shaped her perspective and inspired her career goals. Her resume helped admissions understand the context—and the commitment—behind her interest in health care.

What to Do Now:
✅ Start tracking activities in a Google Doc—include hours, impact, and reflections.
✅ Don’t overlook informal or family-based experiences—they matter.
✅ Use resume entries to show progression and purpose over time.

The most impactful resumes told a story: not just what a student did, but why it mattered—and how it connected to their future goals.

✍️ Essays That Show Direction and Reflection

UT Austin places particular weight on the “Why This Major” short answer. The most successful essays weren’t flashy—they were personal, specific, and thoughtful.

What Made Essays Effective:

• A moment or experience that sparked academic interest
• Reflection on how that interest developed over time
• A forward-looking vision of how the student hopes to grow
• Connection to UT’s programs, values, or learning environment

Student Snapshot: Future Computer Science Major
This student began coding simple games in middle school and gradually built a portfolio of independent projects. In his essay, he wrote about the moment he solved a bug in his first app—and how it taught him patience and problem-solving. His voice was clear, and his goals were authentic.

What to Do Now:
✅ Encourage reflective writing—what has shaped your student’s goals?
✅ Keep a note on significant experiences that could inspire an essay.
✅ Use the summer to draft and revise while there’s space to think.

The best essays didn’t try to impress—they invited the reader into the student’s journey, and left no doubt about why they were ready for their chosen path.

❤️ Community Impact: Showing Up for Others

UT Austin values students who make a difference—not just in big, visible ways, but through quiet consistency, leadership, and service.

How Students Demonstrated Impact:

• Leadership roles in school or clubs
• Volunteer work with sustained involvement
• Mentorship or peer support
• Contributions to family, faith, or cultural communities

Student Snapshot: Future Liberal Arts Major
This student organized weekend writing workshops for middle schoolers at her library. She wasn’t in student government or a national club—but she showed initiative, empathy, and a love for learning that tied into her future goals as a teacher.

What to Do Now:
✅ Help students identify how they’re already making a difference.
✅ Support opportunities to lead, serve, or mentor—formally or informally.
✅ Encourage reflection on how community involvement has shaped values and goals.

Students who gave back—and understood why it mattered—stood out for all the right reasons.