Fall and Spring UT-Austin Transfer Client Admissions Results
Morning rainbow from my house in Bali
The 2022 transfer application cycle has officially wrapped up with almost all decisions going out the second week of June ending with most releases coming on June 14 and 15 as has been the case for the past four fall transfer cycles.
Check out my new book Surviving the College Admissions Madness and Youtube Channel
UT transfer does not practice rolling admission, meaning when you submit your application has no bearing on either your admissions outcomes or the timeline for when you will receive your decision. Applying early provides no advantages when transferring.
If you are intending to apply in future transfer cycles, consult this comprehensive external transfer application and admissions guide to help prepare your materials.
Anyone interested in internal transferring while a UT student should consult this post. Internal transferring is outside of the scope of this post.
In this post, I provide a summary of admissions outcomes with recommendations for the future.
UT-Austin External Transfer Admissions Recommendations
UT reads and scores all transfer applications. Generally speaking, competitive applicants have at least a 3.5 GPA for all college courses. Spring 2020, however, was less competitive than prior cycles. At least some applicants with around a 3.3 GPA gained admission to Liberal Arts, which hadn’t been the case ever before. It is hard to say if Spring 2021 and subsequent cycles will be similarly and comparatively less selective.
The average transfer admissions GPA for UT overall is a 3.75, but keep in mind this also includes CAP students guaranteed to transfer with a 3.2, so the reality is admissions is a lot more competitive than the 3.75 average suggests.
Earning outstanding grades is a necessary condition but won’t be enough to get you in. You also need a strong resume and interesting essays that demonstrate your fit for major and supply compelling reasons why UT is where you need to be to continue your studies.
Transfer admissions depends largely on the number of spaces available in a given program, so in some years there are a lot of spaces and others there aren’t.
Programs that always have limited spaces: McCombs Business, Nursing, Architecture, Computer Science, all Engineering majors except Architectural and Civil
Radio-Television-Film and Advertising also tend to fill up and are more competitive than other Moody programs.
Because CAP transfers are guaranteed admission to Liberal Arts, paradoxically, it’s a more competitive major than others because there are fewer spaces available for non-CAP transfers. Therefore, if your GPA is lower than 3.65, consider applying elsewhere.
Following the Spring/Fall 2020 transfer cycle, I’ve updated and lowered slightly some of my GPA recommendations.
Here are my GPA minimums to be competitive and also take on clients for either Spring or Fall transfer admissions. Under no circumstances will I take on clients with less than a 3.5.
Education, Social Work, Undergraduate Studies, College of Fine Arts (non-portfolio or audition programs): 3.5 or higher
Moody Communications (not RTF or Advertising) and Liberal Arts: 3.6 or higher
College of Natural Sciences and the Jackson School of Geosciences: 3.8 or higher
Cockrell School of Engineering: 3.85 or higher
RTF, Advertising, or McCombs School of Business: 3.85 or higher
Computer Science, Computer/Electrical Engineering, Architecture, Nursing: 4.0 or don’t bother trying
For STEM programs or majors that have prerequisite courses, you need to earn a perfect 4.0, especially in calculus to be considered competitive.
Need help submitting your best spring or fall transfer application? Complete my questionnaire for a free consultation and discussion of what I can do to help.
Spring and Fall UT Transfer Client Outcomes
Fall & Spring 2024 UT Austin Admissions Results
Note: Computer Science seems almost impossible to gain admission nowadays. Both 4.0s had stellar resumes. Anecdotally, I didn’t see a single verifiable report online of an applicant gaining admission to UT CS. Some students will inevitably gain admission, but it’s very rare.
DENY 4.0 | Computer Science
DENY 4.0 | Computer Science
ADMIT 4.0 | Electrical/Computer Engineering
ADMIT 4.0 | COLA Economics
ADMIT SECOND CHOICE 4.0 | Denied Business, admit Economics
ADMIT 4.0 | Moody Communications and Leadership
ADMIT 4.0 | Mechanical Engineering
ADMIT 3.97 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 3.94 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 3.93 | Liberal Arts Government
DENY 3.9 | Computer Science
ADMIT 3.88 | Liberal Arts Health and Society
ADMIT 3.88 | Liberal Arts Rhetoric and Writing
ADMIT 3.81 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 3.72 | Liberal Arts Government
ADMIT 3.7 | Liberal Arts Government
ADMIT 3.66 | Liberal Arts Health and Society
ADMIT 3.6 | Liberal Arts Human Dimensions of Organizations
ADMIT 3.5 | Education - Physical Culture and Sport
Fall & Spring 2023 UT Austin Admissions Results
DENY 4.0 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 4.0 | Education
DENY 4.0 | Electrical Engineering (Michigan admit)
ADMIT 4.0 | CNS Biology (spring)
DENY 4.0 | CNS Biology (fall)
ADMIT 4.0 | Moody Communications
ADMIT 3.9 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 3.9 | Liberal Arts Economics (out of state, USC Business admit)
ADMIT 3.71 | Civil Engineering
ADMIT 3.66 | Liberal Arts Government
Fall 2022 UT Austin Admissions Results
ADMIT 4.0 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 4.0 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 4.0 | McCombs School of Business
DENY 3.9 | McCombs School of Business (admit second choice Economics)
DENY 3.85 | McCombs School of Business
DENY 4.0 | Computer Science
DENY 3.9 | Computer Science
ADMIT 3.95 | COLA Sociology
ADMIT 3.91 | Education
ADMIT 3.77 | Education
ADMIT 3.67 | Moody Journalism (rejected to RTF first choice)
ADMIT 3.7 | COLA Government
Spring 2022 UT Austin Admissions Results
ADMIT 4.0 | College of Natural Sciences Biology
ADMIT 4.0 | College of Natural Sciences Mathematics
ADMIT 4.0 | COLA Sociology
ADMIT 3.75 | Education
ADMIT 3.7 | COLA Sociology
DENY 3.6 | COLA Geography
DENY 3.55 | Education
Spring and Fall 2021 Client Outcomes
I worked with 8 spring and 15 fall clients for 2021. 13 of 15 fall clients gained admission to UT (87%).
Fall 2021 UT Austin Admissions Results
ADMIT 4.0 | Computer Science
ADMIT 4.0 | Computer Science
DENY 4.0 | Computer Science
ADMIT 4.0 | Informatics
ADMIT 4.0 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 4.0 | Moody Communications/Journalism
ADMIT 4.0 | Moody Communications/Advertising
ADMIT 3.94 | Moody Corporate Communications
ADMIT 3.93 | McCombs School of Business
DENY 3.9 | Economics (OOS)
ADMIT 3.88 | Economics (appeal)
ADMIT 3.79 | Education/Kinesiology (OOS)
ADMIT 3.77 | Natural Sciences/Physics
ADMIT 3.72 | Natural Sciences/Physics
ADMIT 3.57 | Moody Communications/Journalism
Spring 2021 UT Austin Admissions Results
5 of 8 Spring 2019 clients gained admission (63%). Spring only allows Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, Education, and Social Work applicants.
ADMIT 4.0 | College of Liberal Arts/Economics
DENY 4.0 | College of Liberal Arts/Economics
DENY 4.0 | College of Liberal Arts/Urban Studies
DENY 4.0 | College of Liberal Arts/Psychology
ADMIT 3.75 | College of Liberal Arts/Health and Society
ADMIT 3.68 | College of Liberal Arts/Psychology
ADMIT 3.54 | College of Liberal Arts/Government
ADMIT 3.53 | College of Natural Sciences/Math
Spring and Fall 2020 Client Outcomes
I worked with 5 spring and 16 fall clients for 2019 with an average GPA of 3.81. 7 clients attend two-year colleges and 9 for four-year universities. 15 of 16 fall clients gained admission to UT (94%).
Fall 2020 UT Austin Admissions Results
ADMIT 4.0 | Moody/RTF
ADMIT 4.0 | Moody/RTF
ADMIT 4.0 | Cockrell/Chemical Engineering
ADMIT 3.97 | Cockrell/Mechanical Engineering
ADMIT 3.92 | McCombs School of Business
DENY 3.92 | Cockrell/Computer Engineering
ADMIT 3.89 | Liberal Arts/Psychology
ADMIT 3.87 | Moody/Corporate Communications
ADMIT 3.86 | McCombs School of Business
ADMIT 3.76 | Moody/Communications Sciences and Disorders (CSD)
ADMIT 3.75 | Liberal Arts/Rhetoric and Writing
ADMIT 3.72 | Education/Elementary Education
ADMIT 3.71 | Liberal Arts/Government
ADMIT 3.64 | Liberal Arts/Linguistics
ADMIT 3.55 | Moody/Communications Sciences and Disorders (CSD)
ADMIT 3.5 | Fine Arts/Art History
Spring 2020 UT Austin Admissions Results
5 of 5 Spring 2019 clients gained admission (100%). Spring only allows Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, Education, and Social Work applicants.
ADMIT 4.0 | College of Liberal Arts/Economics
ADMIT 3.87 | College of Natural Sciences/Nutrition
ADMIT 3.65 | College of Liberal Arts/Sociology
ADMIT 3.65 | College of Liberal Arts/Geography
ADMIT 3.53 | College of Liberal Arts/Health and Society (significant personal/special circumstances related to major)
Spring and Fall 2019 Client Outcomes
I worked with 9 spring and 20 fall clients for 2019 with an average GPA of 3.8. 13 clients attend two-year colleges and 16 for four-year universities. I worked with one student seeking a second bachelors.
7 of 9 Spring 2019 clients gained admission (77%). Spring only allows Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts, Education, and Social Work applicants.
Spring 2019 UT Austin Admissions Results
Here are the Spring 2019 results and GPA. All students had strong resumes and great to outstanding essays. Spring admissions depends largely on the number of spaces available and can be less predictable than fall admission.
ADMIT 4.0 GPA | College of Natural Sciences/Public Health (admit on appeal because of more than 24 hours AP but no college grades yet earned)
ADMIT 4.0 | College of Liberal Arts/History
ADMIT 3.95 | College of Liberal Arts/IRG
ADMIT 3.8 | College of Natural Sciences/Mathematics
ADMIT 3.71 | College of Liberal Arts/HDO
ADMIT 3.71 | School of Education/Physical Culture and Sport
ADMIT 3.67 | College of Natural Sciences/Physics
DENY 3.59 | College of Liberal Arts/Rhetoric and Writing
DENY 3.58 | School of Education/Exercise Science
Fall 2019 UT Austin Admissions Results
10 of 20 (50%) of my clients gained admission for the fall. Here are the Fall 2019 results and GPA. All students had strong resumes and great to outstanding essays.
ADMIT 4.0 GPA | College of Liberal Arts/Psychology
ADMIT 4.0 | College of Liberal Arts/Classics
DENY 4.0 | College of Natural Sciences/Computer Science (International)
DENY 3.93 | Cockrell School of Engineering/Environmental Engineering (120+ hours, second bachelors)
DENY 3.9 | Moody College of Communications/Radio-Television-Film
ADMIT 3.87 | Moody College of Communications/Corporate Communications
ADMIT 3.87 | Moody College of Communications/Journalism
DENY 3.84 | Moody College of Communications/Radio-Television-Film
DENY 3.83 | College of Liberal Arts/Psychology
ADMIT 3.83 | College of Natural Sciences/Mathematics
ADMIT 3.8 | College of Liberal Arts/Psychology
ADMIT 3.77 | Education/Sports Management
ADMIT 3.76 | College of Liberal Arts/Sociology (Denied first choice Moody, admit second choice COLA)
DENY 3.76 | Cockrell School of Engineering/Environmental Engineering
ADMIT 3.75 | College of Liberal Arts/Government
DENY 3.68 | Cockrell School of Engineering/Environmental Engineering
DENY 3.68 | College of Natural Sciences/Biology
DENY 3.58 | Education/Sports Management
ADMIT 3.5 | Education/Sports Management
DENY 3.48 | College of Natural Sciences/Biology
Other Data and Observations
The two most extensive samples of self-reported student data are on College Confidential and reddit.com/r/utaustin admissions. A word of caution: 1) not all students self-report their grades or even admissions decisions truthfully, and 2) there is no way to know the quality of their resume and essays as self-assessments are often wildly off base.
Nevertheless, these reservoirs of information could be useful if you want to dig a little deeper. I won’t summarize any of the data here other than to say these self-reports helped me make my GPA recommendations to consider UT-Austin a match that I posted earlier here.
Fall 2020 transfer outcomes on College Confidential can be found starting on page 8.
The subreddit moderator team allowed students to report their outcomes on this open spreadsheet. You can view the /r/utaustinadmissions statistics and data here.
What stands out the most is that, with one or two notable exceptions, no students who earned less than a 3.5 GPA gained admission to UT for any major. Therefore, if you’re applying with a lower GPA, UT should be considered a high reach. I suggest casting a wide net for your applications in any case as nobody is guaranteed UT external transfer admission.