Meeting high school coursework requirements; claiming an exemption State Requirements, Exemptions for HS Courses
State of Texas Requirements
To be considered for admission, freshman applicants to UT Austin must submit a complete application and must graduate under the Recommended High School Program or the Distinguished Achievement Program (also known as the Advanced High School Program) as defined in the state’s Uniform Admission Policy.
Uniform Admission Policy Details
The requirement to graduate under the Recommended High School Program is defined in the state’s Uniform Admission Policy (Texas Education Code §§51.803-51.809). Applicants can also meet the requirement by graduating under the Distinguished Achievement Program (also known as the Advanced High School Program). Exemptions are also available.
For your admissions application to be complete, UT Austin must receive all information relating to your high school coursework and all other required items by the application deadline.
Meeting the State’s Requirement
If you are on track to graduate under the state’s requirements at a Texas public high school, you can show that you meet the requirements by submitting an official high school transcript that indicates that you will graduate under the recommended program or the distinguished/advanced program.
Students who will not meet the state’s requirement, including students who attend private high schools in Texas and students from out-of-state high schools, may be exempt.
Claiming an Exemption
If you are not on track to graduate under the Recommended or Distinguished/Advanced High School Program, you must submit information (either appropriate SAT/ACT scores or an exemption form) that shows you are exempt from the requirements. The following students must submit information to claim an exemption as part of their admissions applications:
- Applicants who attend private high schools in Texas
- Applicants from out-of-state high schools
- Applicants who are unable to complete the requirements because of reasons beyond their control (scheduling, for example)
OPTIONS FOR CLAIMING AN EXEMPTION
Official SAT/ACT scores at the appropriate level
To claim an exemption based on your scores, your official SAT score must be at least 1500 (out of 2400) or your official ACT scores must meet ACT’s College Readiness Benchmarks.
- If the official SAT/ACT scores you submit are at the appropriate level, you will be considered exempt from the requirement to graduate under the Recommended or Distinguished/Advanced High School Program.
- If you are exempt based on your SAT or ACT scores, you do not have to submit an exemption form.
Coursework “equal in content and rigor” (includes PDF of exemption form)
Applicants who do not attend high schools that offer the Recommended High School Program may be exempt if they complete coursework that is “equal in content and rigor” to the recommended program.
- If you attend a private Texas high school or an out-of-state high school, you might qualify for this exemption.
- To claim an exemption under this option, you must submit an exemption form signed by an official representative of your school.
Details about this exemption are available on the appropriate exemption form: Exemption Form_Gr 9 in 2007-2008 or later (PDF); Exemption Form_Gr 9 before 2007-2008 (PDF). (Updated PDFs were posted on April 15, 2010.) See page 2 of the form for a list of courses.
Scheduling conflicts, situations out of student’s control (includes PDF of exemption form)
Some applicants who attend Texas schools that offer the Recommended High School Program may be exempt if they weren’t able to complete the program.
- If you had scheduling conflicts that made it impossible for you to complete the program or if the classes at your school were full, you might qualify for this exemption.
- To claim an exemption under this option, you must submit an exemption form signed by an official representative of your school.
Details about this exemption are available on the appropriate exemption form: Exemption Form_Gr 9 in 2007-2008 or later (PDF); Exemption Form_Gr 9 before 2007-2008 (PDF). (Updated PDFs were posted on April 15, 2010.)
MINIMUM COURSEWORK REQUIREMENTS FOR EXEMPT APPLICANTS
All applicants who are exempt (based either on ACT/SAT scores or on a completed exemption form) must also meet UT Austin’s minimum coursework requirements. No students are exempt from this minimum. If you appear to be missing coursework needed to complete the minimum requirements, you will be notified about the need to complete UT Austin’s deficiency process through your MyStatus page.
Suggestions and Requirements for Some UT Austin Majors
Many of the colleges and schools at UT Austin have program-specific requirements for applicants, some of which include coursework suggestions or requirements beyond those listed here. Visit the pages for each college/school in the Schools & Majors section for details.