We’ve discussed admissions at UT Austin before, including their CAP option. Recently, however, they have subtly shifted how the program works, without an official announcement to the effect. They have put limits on what majors you can transfer into, and how these transfers work.
As acceptance rates at UT Austin get ever more competitive, this is more important than ever for students to be aware, since even more students are considering taking advantage of the CAP program. In this article, we’re going to explore how this works, and what they changed. We’re also going to discuss what this means for you, and whether this should impact your admissions strategy. Let’s get started!
What is UT Austin’s CAP Program?
Before explaining what changed, we’re briefly going to explain what CAP is, and who it is for. The Coordinated Admission Program (CAP) is a program to offer an alternate enrollment path at UT Austin for Texas residents. In this program, you begin your studies at another UT campus, then are able to transfer to UT Austin after you complete all of the CAP program’s requirements; this generally happens after your freshman year.
Texas high school graduates who are residents of the state and who are not admitted to UT Austin are offered a spot in CAP. To accept the offer, you need only complete the CAP agreement in the MyStatus portal. You do not need to apply to the other school you will be attending, but each of the schools has their own enrollment requirements you need to meet in order to attend.
In order to successfully complete the program and transfer, you must complete 30 hours of coursework at the school you are attending. AP credits do not count for this. Each school has their own list of credits which count for this. You must also complete at least one credit of math beyond math 301 (Algebra) if you test out of it, or complete it if you do not.
Finally, you need a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 in order to transfer. Note that this is just for automatic transfers; some schools and majors are competitive for transferring, and want to see a higher GPA than this, but a 3.2 is the minimum to be able to take advantage of this program. If you do not meet these requirements, you simply continue at the university you are attending.
If you are applying for financial aid, then you will need to have FAFSA send your information to the college you are enrolling at. There is no guarantee of financial aid; each college has their own policies and aid pool.
Enrollment requirements are generally based on your class rank. If you attend a non-ranking school, then you are always offered enrollment. Note that UT Dallas does not participate in the CAP program.
For your transition to UT Austin, you must select which major you want to enter. Majors in the College fo Liberal Arts are (generally) guaranteed; majors in other schools at UT Austin are competitive for admissions. You may not transfer into the School of Architecture. You may list both a first and second choice major; you are guaranteed a spot in the College fo Liberal Arts.
So What’s Changed at CAP?
What we’ve written above is what UT Austin says about CAP on their website. That said, this isn’t everything to know about the program. The most important thing to note is limits on transfers to majors in the School of Liberal Arts. This is implied in their page, but never clearly stated, nor are specific majors mentioned.
The thing to know, and that they have changed, is that not all majors in liberal arts are guaranteed, and that you cannot select some majors in liberal arts as a second choice major. Namely, Economics and Psychology.
In many ways, this is completely unsurprising to learn. These have long been the most popular majors in the College fo Liberal Arts, and are often seen as back-up options for students unable to study business or biology. That said, UT Austin does not list this anywhere on their site, which would be useful to know for students considering CAP as an option.
Most students who apply for Economics or Psychology as their first choice major get it, but it is not automatic. They do look at your GPA, and expect you to have done better than the minimum of 3.2; the closer you are to 4.0, the better your chances are. These majors are competitive, but less so than engineering or business or computer science. That they are competitive is not a surprise; that UT Austin does not directly state this policy on second choice majors on their website is the cause for concern, especially since this is a new policy, and is likely to catch many students unawares.
Should You Use the CAP Admissions Option?
With this new information in mind, the question is raised: should you take advantage of the CAP if you are offered it? This depends on many different variables, we will go through each in turn. This is going to have to be a general analysis as well; if you want a more in-depth piece of advice for your situation, or guidance on transfer admissions, schedule a free consultation with us.
The first question, and the most important, is how much you want to attend UT Austin. The CAP exists specifically for Texas students who really want to attend UT Austin, even if they didn’t get in the first time around. It is meant to be a pathway for students who would apply for transfer admissions anyway, or those who may have missed the automatic admissions cutoff but who could still thrive at the school.
If UT Austin is not your definite first choice, and you got into another college that you like just as much, then we recommend just going there. That gives you an extra year to invest in extracurriculars, to network with faculty, and to grow roots on campus. Transferring campuses only sets you back a year, and should only be done if a school is your true number one choice, with no other school sufficing. Otherwise, it generally isn’t worth it.
The next question is what major you want to pursue at UT Austin. CAP does guarantee admission, but only to the College of Liberal Arts; if you are aiming for something more competitive (especially engineering, computer science, or business), then it may be far more challenging. This doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it if you want to pursue one of those majors, but you need to understand that success is not guaranteed.
Next, you should consider which campus you would spend your freshman year on, and whether or not you can get the requisite grades there to succeed in CAP. Because CAP is grade dependent (especially for competitive schools and majors), you want to be sure that wherever you are ending up is a college that will prepare you to succeed. Look carefully at the UT campus options, and find one with the resources and offerings to support your own goals.
The final question is whether you would be alright attending UT Austin in the School fo Liberal Arts not in a preferred major (that is, not economics or psychology). Getting into UT Austin via CAP is a challenge, but is generally not that difficult; getting into the exact major and college you want is more challenging. If you got in, but not into your first choice of major, would you still think the process worthwhile? We are not including this to discourage you from participating in CAP, but to make sure that you have thought through all of the possibilities, and are certain of your choice.
CAP and Other Options
If UT Austin is your first choice, and you are certain of your ability to succeed in a collegiate environment, then CAP is an excellent program for you to take advantage of. Indeed, as more and more excellent students don’t meet the cutoff for UT Austin, it becomes an ever-more popular program.
We believe (but cannot confirm) that this popularity is the reason for the change in policy; there are simply too many students applying through CAP, and some majors are oversubscribed already. This is already a problem, both at UT Austin and other colleges; there are simply more students who want to study business or computer science or engineering than there are spots for them.
If UT Austin is not a clear top choice, and you have been admitted to another school where you can see yourself thriving in a major you want to pursue, then we recommend simply going there. UT Austin is a great school, but it is hardly the only great school out there.
Final Thoughts
UT Austin has long been somewhat opaque in their admissions process. This is only getting worse as the number of applicants increases, and admissions staff become ever more overwhelmed in the deluge of applications. That said, we do think it would be good for them to clearly explain how the CAP system works to students on their website, so that you know exactly what you’re signing up for before agreeing to it. Simply stating “some majors” is not clear, and does nothing to benefit students.
College admissions is always going to be a somewhat opaque process; nobody except admissions officers are in the room where it happens, and nobody except them can really say who gets in and why. That said, life is better for students when they have more information about what colleges are looking for, and how the application process actually works. We hope that this article has given you that information about UT Austin’s CAP option, and let you decide if it is the right choice for your academic goals. If you are looking for more personalized advice, or want help on a transfer application that isn’t automatic like CAP, then Ivy Scholars can help. Schedule a free consultation today to learn how we can make your life easier.
