“You represent women, Latinas, the Rio Grande Valley; you represent all of us,” the high school counselor expressed emphatically.
These words are etched in my mind and propel me to pursue my passion in education. I live in South Texas, one of the fastest growing regions in the country, with a high percentage of Hispanics and a poverty level above the national average.
The May 1st enrollment deadline is approaching soon, and a lot of you are deciding right now which university to attend. I’ve been speaking to a lot of recently admitted students and one of their most frequent questions is about changing their major. Is it possible? Is it hard? How long will it take?
During your freshman year as a longhorn, part of your schedule will include a Signature Course. This is a new required course that’s part of your UT curriculum, whether you’re an Engineering student or a Journalism student. The Signature Course is a class for all first year students designed to help you develop skills in writing, research, speaking, and discussion – all while exploring really interesting subjects!
Questions, questions, questions. On admissions applications, from family members, from friends and classmates. Where are you going to apply? What do you want to do?
As my time as Vice Provost and Director of Admissions at UT Austin and my 36-year career in college admissions winds down, I tend to wander the campus a bit more and reflect on the things that I see. Knowing that I am no longer to bear the burden of planning for the new recruitment season, setting budgets and salaries, reading files or steeling myself for calls from outraged parents seems to have freed my spirit to see things differently…even little things.