Regents approve admissions standards for UTRGV
AUSTIN – The University of Texas System Board of Regents Thursday approved admissions criteria for first-time students, transfer students and graduate students at UT Rio Grande Valley, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2015.
Regents adopted admissions standards that call for a tiered, holistic admissions process for first-time students beginning with the inaugural class in 2015. Per state law, the top 10 percent of each high school graduating class in Texas will be automatically admitted. All other entering freshmen will undergo a holistic review, which means a combination of factors will be considered, including but not limited to class rank, rigor of high school course work, prior college credit, leadership experience, community involvement and ACT and SAT scores.
The standards were recommended by the UT System Task Force on the UT Rio Grande Valley Inaugural Admissions Process, which included representatives from UT Brownsville, UT Pan American and the UT System. UT Rio Grande Valley is being created by combining the talent, assets and resources of UT Brownsville, UT Pan American and the Regional Academic Health Center.
“A holistic review will help us identify students who are accomplished, college-ready and most likely to succeed at UT Rio Grande Valley,” said UTRGV President Guy Bailey said. “We want to attract high-caliber students, and we also want flexibility in determining the make-up of each class.”
Students who already are enrolled at UT Brownsville or UT Pan American prior to the fall of 2015 are entitled to automatic admission to UTRGV.
Transfer students must either have an associate’s degree or earned at least 24 semester credit hours with a minimum GPA of 2.0.
Bailey said UTRGV leaders will work closely with area community colleges to provide a seamless transition for transfer students and to help students who may not initially meet UTRGV admission standards. And UT System staff members are meeting with area high school counselors so that they can help students be better prepared to meet admissions criteria.
“It’s important to develop multiple pathways for students, particularly if they don’t initially meet the standards for admission,” Bailey said. “These pathways depend heavily on establishing relationships with area community colleges and high schools.”
Admissions criteria for graduate programs at UTRGV varies by degree. A complete list of graduate admissions criteria is posted on the UT System website.
About The University of Texas System
Educating students, providing care for patients, conducting groundbreaking research and serving the needs of Texans and the nation for more than 130 years, The University of Texas System is one of the largest public university systems in the United States, with nine academic universities, six health institutions and a fall 2013 enrollment of more than 213,000. The UT System confers more than one-third of the state’s undergraduate degrees, educates two-thirds of the state’s health care professionals annually and accounts for almost 70 percent of all research funds awarded to public universities in Texas. The UT System has an annual operating budget of $14.6 billion (FY 2014) including $3 billion in sponsored programs funded by federal, state, local and private sources. With about 90,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in the state.
