Admission to the University of Texas at Austin is open to all candidates on the basis of academic preparation, ability, and availability of space in the program chosen, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
Prospective students are encouraged to apply early for the enrollment period in which they are interested. Enrollment pressures at the University are such that it may be necessary to admit a limited number of applicants from among those who are qualified. When there are more qualified applicants than can be adequately instructed by the faculty or accommodated in the facilities, the University may control enrollment in specific programs by limiting the admission of new students.
Freshman applicants are encouraged to use the resources of the Freshman Admissions Center located in John W. Hargis Hall at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Red River Street. Counselors there can provide detailed information about admission to the University and assist prospective students with the application process.
Application deadlines. All application materials must be submitted by the following deadlines:
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester | Summer Session | |
| Freshmen | February 1 | October 1 | February 1 |
| Transfer students | February 1 | October 1 | February 1 |
| Former students | July 1 | December 1 | May 1 |
| International students | February 1 | October 1 | February 1 |
| Transient students | May 1 | ||
Programs that have enrollment limits normally have earlier application deadlines. When space is available, deadlines may be extended.
Application processing fee. A nonrefundable fee of $40 is required of undergraduate applicants for admission to the University. A former student who applies for readmission to an undergraduate program must submit the application fee only if he or she has undertaken additional coursework since leaving the University. An applicant who presents academic credentials from any country other than the United States when applying for admission must submit a nonrefundable fee of $85. In cases where the applicant is subject to two fees simultaneously, only the higher fee is required. Students who apply to the professional program in pharmacy after completing prepharmacy coursework must pay a nonrefundable application processing fee of $60; students who apply to the upper-division professional sequence in nursing must pay a nonrefundable fee of $25.
In assessing an applicant's record, the Office of Admissions will evaluate, in addition to the ACT and SAT I scores, class rank, writing samples, recommendations, special circumstances, extracurricular achievements, and related factors identified by the applicant in writing. Consideration may be given to students who have received individual honors or have participated in programs such as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. No specific class rank, grade point average, test score, or other qualification by itself will assure admission.[1]
As a state-supported public institution, the University reserves a majority of its places for Texas residents. Consequently, the admission of nonresidents is more competitive.
In those schools and colleges unable to accommodate all qualified applicants, preference will be given to applicants considered to have the best qualifications. (See Additional Admission Requirements for Some Programs in this section.)
Applicants who are not offered regular admission will be given the opportunity to be admitted provisionally if they are Texas residents and have graduated from a Texas high school. Nonresidents are not eligible to be admitted on a provisional basis. Recipients of bona fide scholarships designated by the president will be admitted on a regular basis.
Summer session and spring semester. Provisional students are required to register for English 306 and Mathematics 301 or 302 without regard to prior credit earned. Students also must register for one natural science course (Biology 301M or Chemistry 304K) and one social science course (Psychology 301 or Sociology 302).
Students who complete the prescribed coursework with the minimum grade requirements are admitted on a regular basis in the subsequent semester. Students who fail to complete the prescribed coursework with the minimum grade requirements will be dismissed from the University and may be considered for readmission in a subsequent semester under the rules for transfer applicants.
The test schedules printed in this section indicate the dates the SAT I, the SAT II: Subject Tests, and the ACT Assessment are offered. Applicants who choose to submit the SAT I for admission purposes may not take the SAT II: Subject Tests on the same date. Test scores are received by the University (if the student designates the University as a test score recipient) about five weeks after the test date. Since the receipt of an official report from the testing agency begins the application process, applicants should take the SAT I or the ACT no later than December of their senior year. Prospective students who have disabilities may make special testing arrangements by contacting the appropriate testing agency.
Information and registration materials may be obtained from the student's high school counselor or by writing to
College Board ATP
Box 6200
Princeton, New Jersey
08541-6200
or
ACT
PO Box 414
Iowa City, Iowa
52243
| Domestic Deadlines | Foreign Deadlines | ||
| Test Date[2] [3] [4] | Registration Postmark Deadline[5] | Late Registration Postmark Deadline | Registration
Closes |
| October 12, 1996 | September 13, 1996 | September 20, 1996 | Test not
available |
| November 2, 1996 | September 27, 1996 | October 9, 1996 | September 27, 1996 |
| December 7, 1996 | November 1, 1996 | November 14, 1996 | November 1, 1996 |
| January 25, 1997 | December 20, 1996 | January 2, 1997 | December 20, 1996 |
| March 15, 1997[6] | February 7, 1997 | February 19, 1997 | Test not available |
| May 3, 1997 | March 28, 1997 | April 9, 1997 | March 28, 1997 |
| June 7, 1997 | May 2, 1997 | May 14, 1997 | May 2, 1997 |
| Test Date[7] [8] | Registration Postmark Deadline[5] | Late Postmark Deadline | |
| October 26, 1996 | September 27, 1996 | October 11, 1996 | |
| December 14, 1996 | November 15, 1996 | November 29, 1996 | |
| February 8, 1997 | January 10, 1997 | January 24, 1997 | |
| April 12, 1997 | March 14, 1997 | March 28, 1997 | |
| June 14, 1997 | May 16, 1997 | May 30, 1997 | |
Subject preparation. High school students who intend to enroll at the University should take a college preparatory curriculum.
Entering freshmen must have a minimum of 151/2 units of high school work (grades 9 - 12). At least 14 of these units must be from the areas and courses specified in sections A through E below. The number in the column headed "Units" indicates the minimum number of units that must be offered in that subject or area. One year's work in a subject is counted as one unit. A semester's work is counted as a half unit.
| Units | ||
| A. | Language arts | 4 |
| Required: Four units of English, one of which may be writing, world
literature, speech, or journalism. (English for speakers of other languages may
not be used to fulfill the language arts requirement, but may be counted as an
elective in area F.) | ||
| Strongly recommended: The fourth unit of English should include the
development of writing skills. | ||
| B. | Foreign language | 2 |
| Required: Two units in a single language. American Sign Language may be
used to fulfill the foreign language requirement. | ||
| C. | Mathematics | 3 |
| Required: Three units at the level of Algebra I or higher: algebra,
plane geometry, trigonometry, analytic geometry, elementary analysis,
probability and statistics, solid geometry, calculus with analytic geometry,
number theory. (Informal geometry and prealgebra are below achievement level
courses and will not fulfill the mathematics requirement, but may be counted as
electives in area F.) | ||
| Strongly recommended: Students planning to enter scientific,
engineering, or other technical fields are advised to take at least four units
of math. The additional unit may be counted as an elective in area F. | ||
| D. | Science | 2 |
| Required: Two units of physical science, biology, chemistry, physics,
physiology and anatomy, geology, meteorology, marine science, astronomy. | ||
| Strongly recommended: Students planning to enter scientific,
engineering, and other technical fields are advised to take at least three
units of science, including chemistry and physics. The additional unit may be
counted as an elective in area F. | ||
| E. | Social studies | 3 |
| Required: Three units of anthropology, area studies, ethnic studies,
economics, geography, government (civics), philosophy, social science,
psychology, sociology, Texas history (advanced), United States history, world
history, work/study programs. | ||
| F. | Electives | 11/2 |
| Required: One and one-half units including (1) any units beyond the
minimum required in areas A through E; (2) any units in area G; (3) vocational
and other subjects except drill subjects (e.g., driver training, military
training) and physical education. | ||
| G. | Fine arts | |
| Strongly recommended: One-half unit of theatre arts, art, music,
dance. | ||
Applicants who intend to major in architecture, business administration, engineering, or natural sciences are strongly advised to prepare by taking math and science every year of high school.
Admission will not be granted to applicants who have not completed the required units listed above. Recipients of bona fide scholarships designated by the president and students whose high school curriculum does not include the courses necessary to complete the unit requirements may apply to the director of admissions for an exception. Students who are admitted by exception must remove deficiencies to graduate. Courses taken to remove a deficiency do not count toward the student's degree.
A deficiency in foreign language must be removed by earning credit for foreign language or classical language courses numbered 406 and 407, or 506 and 507 (or equivalent transfer courses), or by earning a passing score on the appropriate placement examination given by the University. A deficiency in mathematics must be removed by earning credit for Mathematics 301 (College Algebra) or Mathematics 304E (Trigonometry), or an equivalent transfer course. For all other subjects, one semester of college credit will be required to remove a deficiency of one year or less of high school credit.
To major in music a student must meet University admission requirements and pass an audition conducted by the School of Music. A student who does not pass the audition may not major in music even though he or she is admitted to the University. At the discretion of the music school a student who fails an audition may audition a second time.
Admission to programs in the Department of Theatre and Dance requires the approval of the Theatre and Dance Admissions Committee. Information about requirements, procedures, and deadlines is available from the office of undergraduate studies in the department.
See chapter 7 of The Undergraduate Catalog for additional information about admission to specific programs in the College of Fine Arts.
Admission to upper-division work. In addition to the requirements outlined in the preceding section, some academic programs have established minimum standards for admission to upper-division or professional sequence courses. The student should consult departmental advisers about eligibility to register for upper-division coursework.
Next Chapter | General Information Table of Contents | General Information Home Page | Registrar's Home Page | UT Home Page
28 August 1996. Registrar's Web Team
Comments to rgcat@utxdp.dp.utexas.edu