The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university founded in 1883 with an undergraduate enrollment of over 42,000. It was ranked #32 (Best National Universities), #9 (Best Public Universities) and #5 (Best Business Programs) by the U.S. News & World Report in 2024.
UT AUSTIN: STANDARDIZED TESTING REQUIRED
After four years of test-optional admissions for undergraduate admissions, the University of Texas at Austin will once again require standardized testing scores, beginning with applications for the Fall 2025 semester.
UT Austin joins Dartmouth College, Yale University, Brown University, Georgetown University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and others in reinstating this requirement. Although most universities suspended testing requirements during the pandemic due to issues of accessibility, the decision to become permanently test-optional or to revisit the value of standardized tests has become hotly debated in college admissions and made more complicated by conflicting research around the relationship between standardized testing, college readiness, and racial equity.
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Last year, UT Austin’s Class of 2027 received an all-time high number of applications — around 73,000. According to the College Board, around 90% or more of these applicants took a standardized test. By examining internal data, UT Austin determined that, on average, students who submitted standardized test scores performed significantly better in their first semester of college, as compared to those who did not submit their test scores for review.
According to UT NEWS, “Of 9,217 first-year students enrolled in 2023, those who opted in had an estimated average GPA of 0.86 grade points higher during their first fall semester, controlling for a wide range of factors, including high school class rank and GPA. Those same students were estimated to be 55% less likely to have a first semester college GPA of less than 2.0, all else equal.”
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“Our goals are to attract the best and brightest students and to make sure every student is successful once they are here,” said University President Jay Hartzell. “Our experience during the test-optional period reinforced that standardized testing is a valuable tool for deciding who is admitted and making sure those students are placed in majors that are the best fit. Also, with an abundance of high school GPAs surrounding 4.0, especially among our auto-admits, an SAT or ACT score is a proven differentiator that is in each student’s and the University’s best interest.”
Standardized test scores don’t change the admissions decision for automatic admits, but they are used to match these students to their choice of majors and to indicate who might benefit most from student success programs.
In addition to reinstating standardized scores, UT Austin announced other new modifications to the application process, like a brand-new Early Action program and fewer supplements!
UT AUSTIN: SHAKING THINGS UP
- There will be a new Early Action program, which will have a deadline of October 15, with decisions communicated to applicants by January 15. The regular deadline for applications will remain December 1, with a guaranteed decision communicated much earlier than previously, by February 15.
- The required essay will now offer more flexibility for topic choice and more personalized responses.
- There will only be two short-answer questions rather than three; the current major-related question, and a new prompt that allows students to highlight a specific activity of their choice.
- There will be a waitlist for the first time, only applicable to those who are not automatically admitted. Most students will be notified as early as March 1 if they are admitted from the waitlist.
- Going forward, applicants submitting letters of recommendation will be strongly encouraged to provide those letters from sources outside of their high school. This is intended to reduce the burden on high school teachers and counselors while providing admissions staff with alternate material.
UT AUSTIN: TOUGH FOR OUT-OF-STATE APPLICANTS
The University of Texas at Austin is often considered a “Public Ivy,” but it differs from its peer universities in that 90% of its incoming first-year class is reserved for Texas residents. This means that out-of-state students are fighting for the remaining 10% of first-year spots. State law also requires UT Austin to automatically admit top Texas high school students to fill 75% of those available Texas resident slots. This year, the top 6% of students in Texas high schools were automatically offered admission. If you graduated from a Texas high school, you may also qualify for automatic transfer admission, a rare opportunity in a competitive transfer environment.
TTA Top Tip: If you aren’t a Texas resident, and UT Austin is your top choice, we encourage you to utilize its new Early Action round and double-down on prep for the SAT or ACT in light of their testing requirements. Additionally, the major you’re applying to at UT Austin matters a lot. Some majors, such as computer science, engineering, and business, are much more competitive than others. Therefore, it’s important to ensure your application materials and achievements are in line with your first-choice major, making you a compelling candidate for admission.
Want To Read More About UT Austin?
- What Are the “Public Ivies”?
- The End of Affirmative Action and the Future of College Admissions
- UT Austin Admissions
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