Applying for Admission Checklist

Both the ApplyTexas and the Coalition for College summer/fall applications open on August 1. The spring application opens no later than March 1.

After you submit your ApplyTexas or Coalition for College application, you’ll receive an email from us that includes your UT EID, allowing you to access MyStatus and the Document Upload System. During peak periods, this can take 2-3 days.

Typically, the deadline for receipt of supporting credentials (such as essays and transcripts) is extended a few days beyond the application deadline in order to allow those who complete last-minute applications time to upload items after they receive a UT EID. 

If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and will not graduate from a Texas high school, select the option to apply for freshman admission as an international applicant.

Students may request a fee waiver by indicating their eligibility on the online application. A separate request form is not required, however, students may be required to submit documentation in support of a request.

Request a fee waiver when you apply for admission or submit the Request for Fee Waiver form using Document Upload.

If you are an international applicant and are not able to pay your fee online using a credit card, mail your payment in the form of a cashier’s check, bank money order or bank draft in U.S. dollars to:

The University of Texas at Austin
Graduate and International Admissions Center
P.O. Box 7608
Austin, TX 78713-7608

Make checks payable to The University of Texas at Austin, and write your six-digit Application ID number, UT EID or UT Assigned Student ID number on your check or money order. Do not send cash or personal checks.

All freshman applicants must submit a required essay: Topic A in ApplyTexas, or the UT Austin Required Essay in the Coalition application. Please keep your essay between 500–700 words (typically two to three paragraphs).

What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Generally, you should plan to submit your essay in conjunction with your admissions application. Do so even after you’ve submitted other portions of the application by logging in to your ApplyTexas or Coalition account.

You may also submit your essay using the Document Upload System—or by mailing them to the Office of Admissions—although these submission methods are not preferred.

All applicants must submit three required short answers and may submit one optional short answer responding to prompts in your admissions application. Answers are limited to no more than 40 lines, or about 250–300 words, typically the length of one paragraph.

Note Special Requirements for Spring 2020 Applicants: Social Work requires an additional short answer question of their applicants. Please see Spring 2020 prompts or major-specific items.

Short Answer 1: Career Plans  

Required Short Answer 1: 

You should plan to submit your essays in conjunction with your ApplyTexas or Coalition for College application. You will be required to complete the short answer responses in order to complete and submit your admissions application.

Transcripts must include your class rank in addition to information about high school coursework.

Rank should be indicated as your numerical position out of the total number of students in the class. For example, if you’re fifth in your class of 130, your transcript should report your rank as 5/130. Applicants should submit transcripts indicating rank for the latest completed semester prior to the application deadline.

If your high school does not rank students, include a statement from your school describing its policy, a copy of your school’s profile and a GPA or grade distribution report.

If you attend a Texas public school, your transcript should indicate the high school diploma program you will be graduating under, as defined in the state's Uniform Admission Policy.

High schools and school districts have their own protocols for submitting transcripts and UT accepts transcripts in a variety of ways to accommodate this. Contact your high school to determine which of the following methods should be used to submit your transcript: 

• TRex
• MyStatus document upload system
• MyCoalition
• Edocs/Naviance/Parchment
• By mail

Note that transcripts are not accepted via email.

Home-Schooled Applicants

Applicants who were home-schooled must submit a transcript that:

• Lists all courses undertaken at each grade level, along with a brief description of the course content and information about the format of the course (in a classroom, via correspondence, online, etc.)
• Is signed by a school official, defined as the adult person who was primarily responsible for the education of the student

Special GED Requirements

Applicants who earned a GED must submit high school transcript(s) showing any coursework completed, along with a copy of the GED certificate.

Rank Will Be Assigned

In accordance with Texas Senate Bill 1543, applicants who present evidence of obtaining a non-traditional secondary education (for example, those who were home-schooled or earned a GED in lieu of a high school diploma) will be assigned a percentile rank comparable to the average class rank of students from traditional schools who have equivalent SAT or ACT test scores.  

If you are an international applicant, you must submit documentation showing that you have completed an accredited secondary school series equivalent to that of a U.S. high school.

Submit an official record or transcript (mark sheet) that shows all your secondary school work and grades (or marks) starting with ninth grade and continuing through at least the end of 11th grade. You should also include copies of your official final examinations taken at the end of the secondary school program, including external exams such as the General Certificate of Education (GCE) “O” and “A” level examinations, school leaving certificates and matriculation exams.

If the documents you are submitting are written in a language other than English, you must also submit complete and official English translations together with the original-language records.

You must report your entire academic record, including all college credit earned. Such coursework must be detailed on your admissions application, and you must submit official transcripts documenting the coursework.

Official transcripts must be sent directly to UT Austin by the college or university previously attended.

We cannot accept transcripts submitted via email.

An official report, directly from the testing agency, is required. Students must submit at least one set of test scores, either ACT or SAT scores. (We do not require the SAT Essay or ACT Writing scores.) Scores included in transcripts and copies of score reports don’t meet this requirement.

When you ask the testing agency to send your scores, use the codes the agencies have designated for UT Austin:

• SAT — 6882
• ACT — 4240

Test scores are accepted through October 1 for spring 2020 admission and December 31 for summer/fall 2020 admission.

We strongly encourage you to send us the results from all tests you take, as we will consider the strongest composite score submitted.

You are not required to submit SAT Subject Test scores as part of a complete application for admission. Some students may choose to submit these scores—for instance, home-schooled students may send them if they feel they reflect academic potential, or those hoping to earn course credit by examination may submit them for consideration after the application cycle is complete.

International applicants must submit either an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score report demonstrating an adequate knowledge of English. The TOEFL iBT is preferred over the IELTS. We cannot accept institutional TOEFL (ITP) scores.

International applicants are exempt from this requirement if they:

• Are from a country where English is the only official language; or
• Graduate from a high school in the United States or in a country where English is the only official language after completing at least three years of study.

Minimum scores acceptable for admission are:

• TOEFL: 79 (internet-based test)
• IELTS: An overall band of 6.5 on the Academic Examination

The university’s TOEFL code is 6882. There is no institutional code for the IELTS examination. To fulfill the requirement with scores from the IELTS, have official scores sent to:

The University of Texas at Austin
Graduate and International Admissions Center
P.O. Box 7608
Austin, TX 78713-7608

The colleges that have major-specific requirements are listed below.

College of Liberal Arts

Economics or Environmental Science (Geographical Sciences): Meet the calculus readiness requirement, and demonstrate it by submitting an appropriate test score or transcript.

College of Natural Sciences

Environmental Science (Biological Sciences): Meet the calculus readiness requirement, and demonstrate it by submitting an appropriate test score or transcript.

Steve Hicks School of Social Work

Respond to a short-answer prompt in your admissions application.

Other Colleges and Schools

Colleges and schools not listed above do not have major-specific application requirements.

The colleges that have major-specific requirements are listed below.

Cockrell School of Engineering

• Meet the calculus readiness requirement, and demonstrate it by submitting an appropriate test score or transcript.

College of Fine Arts

Butler School of Music

• Submit the Butler School of Music application.
• Perform an audition.    

Read more about completing Butler School of Music application requirements on its freshman or international admission webpages.

Department of Art and Art History

• Respond to the following short answer prompt — In 500 words or less, please tell us about a meaningful way in which an artwork, or artist, has changed your life. How has this prompted your ambitions for a life in the arts?
• Design, Studio Art or Visual Art Studies: Submit a portfolio.

Department of Theatre and Dance

• Acting (BFA): Complete an audition.
• Dance (BFA): Complete an audition. 
• Theatre and Dance (BA): Complete an audition or submit a portfolio.
• Theatre Studies (BFA + Teacher Certification): Take part in an interview.

College of Liberal Arts

• Economics or Environmental Science (Geographical Sciences): Meet the calculus readiness requirement, and demonstrate it by submitting an appropriate test score or transcript.

College of Natural Sciences

• Environmental Science (Biological Sciences): Meet the calculus readiness requirement, and demonstrate it by submitting an appropriate test score or transcript.

Jackson School of Geosciences

• Meet the calculus readiness requirement, and demonstrate it by submitting an appropriate test score or transcript.

Moody College of Communication

Department of Radio, Television, and Film (RTF)

• Respond to the following optional prompt — You may submit a link to a video or short film to support your application. This may be something you did for school or on your own. This is an opportunity to show us your creativity and demonstrate your potential as an RTF student. The duration of the video should be no more than 5 minutes. 

School of Architecture

• Respond to the following short answer prompt — What role has creativity played in your education? What are the ways you explore and express your creativity?
• Respond to the following optional prompt — Take and upload up to three photographs from a camera, smart phone or mobile device that capture how you see the world. Describe what you are trying to evoke with these images. Please limit your response to 50–75 words.

School of Nursing

If applying first-choice, submit responses to the following short answer prompts:

• Discuss the factors that have influenced your desire to pursue a career in Nursing.
• How have your academic and extracurricular activities prepared you to pursue a degree in Nursing?

Steve Hicks School of Social Work

• Discuss the reasons you chose Social Work as your first-choice major and how a Social Work degree from UT will prepare you for the future.

Other Colleges and Schools

Colleges and schools not listed above do not have major-specific application requirements.

Messages prompting you to submit additional items to meet major-specific requirements post to MyStatus following submission of your online application or after you’ve requested a major change. Be sure to regularly monitor MyStatus until your application is listed as complete, and complete any outstanding to-do items prior to application deadlines.

The permanent resident card requirement applies only to non-U.S. citizens who have permanent resident status in the United States. 

If the requirement applies to you, submit a copy of the front of your permanent resident card using the Document Upload System.

Most applicants don't need to submit the Student Information Form. MyStatus will prompt those who are required to complete the form.

The Student Information Form is used to streamline our processes, allowing us to confirm that you meet our high school coursework requirements and move your application into review. 

To complete the form, you’ll probably need a reference copy of your high-school transcript. 

Most applicants don’t need to submit a coursework exemption form. Those who do include Texas private-schooled students who do not satisfy test score requirements — either an SAT score of at least 1070 (combined critical reading and math) with a minimum of 500 on critical reading (if the test was taken prior to March 2016); a minimum SAT score of 480 on evidence-based reading and writing and 530 on math (if the test was taken in March 2016 or later); or an ACT score that meets ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks. Students who attend a Department of Defense high school who are not exempt based on test scores should also submit a form. It will be used in determining qualification for automatic admission.

If you believe you need to submit a coursework exemption form, do so using the Document Upload System, or you may use the system to ask someone to submit the form to us on your behalf. Track upload status by logging in to the Document Upload System. 

Most applicants don’t need to submit the residency affidavit. If you aren’t a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident but graduated or will graduate from a Texas high school, you may qualify for residency for tuition purposes and should submit the affidavit. The ApplyTexas application will prompt those who indicate they meet these criteria to download the appropriate form.

To submit the residency affidavit, mail it to the address listed on the form.

Your résumé should include all your achievements, not just those that didn’t fit on the ApplyTexas or Coalition for College application. That said, if you’re able to list everything on your admissions application, there’s no need to submit a separate résumé. 

If you submit a résumé, you should include:

• Details about what each activity involved rather than a general description
• The number of hours per week and weeks per year you spent on each activity

Submit your résumé using the Document Upload System.

Letters of recommendation are helpful only when they provide meaningful information about you, offered by someone who can speak of you in an unbiased way. If you choose to submit a letter of recommendation, select someone who is capable of providing a well-written, sincere, personal account. Avoid recommendations from those who know you too well to be unbiased—family members, for instance.

Letters of recommendation may be submitted via the Document Upload System, or you may use the system to ask someone to submit their recommendation to us directly. Track upload status by logging in to the Document Upload System. 

You may also submit recommendations by mailing or hand-delivering them to the Office of Admissions, although these submission methods are not preferred and may result in processing delays. (International students may not use these methods.)