The Top Ten Percent Program

[erpowers]

I wanted to know if people in Texas really believed that the top ten percent program, the one that lets the top ten percent of students from all high schools go to the state school, is actually working well in Texas? Also did Bush himself come up with the program, or did someone before him come up with the plan?

[Wickerman]

1. Here is the site that explains the program

, explores evaluation of the program, etc.

http://www.texastop10.princeton.edu/

[salonghorn70]

2. This Is A Very Biased Site

The top 10 program is a total failure. Let me use my son as an example. Next week he will enter Clark HS here in San Antonio, one of the most elite public high schools in the state. The competition is so stiff at this school that he will probably not be in the top 10. He would be at the top of the top 10 in most other high schools in San Antonio. Over 1/2 of the available slots at UT are taken by top 10 individuals. This leaves about 3500 slots for non top 10 candidates. There are two negatives to this. First, high quality candidates are being denied admission to UT. Second, my beloved University is unable to pick the most qualified candidates for admission. The University is being hurt and our state is being hurt. Highly qualified candidates are being hurt. Many qualified candidates who would have gone to UT prior to Top 10 are now going out of state. This is a brain drain on our state. Top 10 needs to be eliminated.

[redqueen]

3. It's a mess

totally stupid idea... kids just move to other schools. But it wasn't bush's idea... it had been floated before he was gov.

[Longhorn]

4. My son didn't get in because he went to a private school

that doesn't rank! Not that he would have been top ten percent at a public school but his oldest sister got in just a few years ago with much lower test scores and GPA. I honestly believe if he had been accepted at UT, he wouldn't be a Marine right now! He's had a burnt orange bedroom his entire life and going to UT was his dream.

[LDS Jock]

5. bush didn't come up with it

The University of California system has had something like this for years.