Across the country, many publicly funded state universities offer some form of assured, automatic, or guaranteed admission. The same is true for Texas’s state-funded universities. While the exact admissions process and policies can vary, all public universities in Texas are required by law to automatically admit students in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. That law excludes private universities like Baylor, TCU, and Rice, and it provides an exception for the University of Texas (more on this later).
Sounds pretty simple, right? Well, yes and no.
While the 10% threshold is fairly straightforward, the way this policy should impact your student’s college application strategy is often slightly more complicated.
The Legal Requirement
In 1997, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 588 to ensure equitable access to Texas Universities. The law, which most Texans know as the Texas Top Ten Percent Law, mandates that all state-funded schools are legally obligated to automatically admit students who graduate in the top 10% of their class at an accredited Texas high school. Texas A&M, Texas Tech, the University of Houston, Texas State, the University of North Texas, and all of the schools in the University of Texas system–excluding UT-Austin—all offer automatic admission to students who report a top 10% ranking on the Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS) and provide an official high school transcript that includes a numeric rank. Students who attend a private high school must also satisfy the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy.
There is, however, an exception carved out in the bill for the University of Texas, which only admits the top 5% of in-state students. While that higher academic threshold is often frustrating for high school students who see UT as their dream school, it’s a purely practical measure. The University of Texas is required by state law to have 90% of each admitted class be comprised of in-state residents. Considering how many students in Texas want to attend the state’s flagship university, there is simply too much demand compared to the number of spots UT can offer while maintaining its prestigious academic standards.
How the Top 10% Rule Impacts College Application Strategy
While the requirements for automatic admissions are clearly articulated for every public university in Texas, there is one thing none of them openly share: Automatic admissions does not mean your student will be accepted into their preferred major. For example, a top-10% student will be automatically admitted to Texas A&M, but they have to go through an additional application process if they want to join the College of Engineering. Because A&M’s engineering program is so highly regarded, applications are incredibly competitive and are reviewed holistically by the admissions office. This means a student’s ACT or SAT scores, high school course work, extracurricular activities, honors, and application essays are all considered—not just their class rank.
This point is particularly important because some high school students have transferred to lower-performing schools in order to end up in the top ten percent of their graduating class. Moving to a less competitive school, however, often means students have less access to the kinds of extracurricular activities and rigorous classes that can make applications more competitive when applying to a highly selective program like Texas A&M Engineering. Additionally, moving to a school that are under-resourced could mean a student doesn’t receive the academic, social, or emotional support they need to be prepared for college.
Simply put: While the 10% rule is straightforward, the ways it impacts your student’s college application strategy are anything but.
The college admission consultants at The Enrichery understand how challenging it can be to create an effective college application strategy regardless of whether or not your student is in the top 10% of their high school class. If you or your student could use support navigating the admissions policies for universities in Texas, or you believe your student would benefit from creating a plan to get accepted into their preferred major, contact us today for a consultation!
