ApplyTexas is similar to the Common App, but specifically for Texas schools. You can apply for admissions to any Texas public university, participating community colleges, or participating private universities, and you can easily copy parts of your application to another Texas school so you can avoid having to do an entirely new application for each school.
How Do You Apply with ApplyTexas?
First, select a school to apply to:
Although most of the application is the same, any additional requirements, such as institution-specific essays, will automatically populate based on the selected school.
Fill out the application:
Save regularly, use the internal navigation features rather than your browser buttons, and be thorough in filling out the form. Some parts of the application—like the extracurricular information, essays, or test scores—may not be mandatory to the specific school you’re applying for, but it’s good practice to send in a complete application rather than leaving parts of it blank, as that’ll make copying the application to another school a lot easier.
Pay close attention to school-specific requirements:
Although a lot of information can be found through the ApplyTexas portal, you should do your own research into the schools you are interested in and follow their application guidelines.
Tips for Applying
Many impressive schools use ApplyTexas, including the University of Texas and Texas A&M. These schools have stricter deadlines and expect more in an application than other institutions, so while we’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: pay close attention to their application requirements and follow them to the letter.
It is important to surround yourself with people who have been through the process before, regardless of your target universities. Ideally, connect with current students at the school you are interested in or their alumni to get a feel for what the school looks for in an applicant and ask them about their application process.
Tell your story, especially if the school requires an essay. Admissions counselors want to know who you are and what perspective you’ll bring to their campus, which is why you should not only make sure your essay is strong but make sure that you take the time to fill out the extracurricular information as well.