u/Impossible-Lemon-459

Hello all. I’m mostly done with my UT Austin application (ECE) and have four essays written. The one I’m unsure about is the optional prompt: “Please share background on events or special circumstances that you feel may have impacted your high school academic performance” (300 words).

I’ve had a turbulent high school career, mostly from family circumstances, and I was under a lot of stress. But my grades didn’t suffer, and my record is strong, though I’m just outside the top 5% of my class. My counselor knows about the situation and may mention it in her report.

I’m wondering whether skipping the prompt could hurt me, since UT is my top choice. Has anyone dealt with this, or know how readers treat this optional prompt when the circumstances didn’t show up in grades? Any advice is appreciated.

Hello everyone! I am a rising senior in Texas, starting to build my college list. I plan to major in Electrical/Computer Engineering (ECE).

My current stats are:

• GPA: 3.979 unweighted, 5.288 weighted
• Test Scores: 1500 SAT, planning on taking July ACT and August SAT to improve scores
• 8/10 ECs, 8 to 9/10 personal statement

Here is my current list of 9 schools:

• Safeties: UT Dallas, Texas Tech
• Targets/Matches: UT Austin (my #1 choice), Texas A&M, Purdue, UDub
• Reaches: UIUC, UMich, Georgia Tech

I’m wondering: Is a list of 9 schools sufficient for engineering? Are my "targets" realistic, given how competitive ECE is? Finally, what other colleges (especially those with strong ECE programs) should I consider adding to my list?

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!