Abbott and College Counseling Team Visit UT Austin
On August 5, the FWCD College Counselors Sarah Casarez, Kristin Larsen and Emily Shideler, along with Head of Upper School Abby Abbott, visited The University of Texas at Austin.
The day was spent visiting with Dr. Ramon Blakley, UT Austin’s Assistant Vice Provost of Admissions, as well as leaders in the College of Natural Sciences, the Canfield Business Honors Program in the McCombs School of Business, and the School of Civic Leadership.
UT Austin’s College of Natural Sciences receives the most first-year applications annually, with computer science and biology leading the way. Each year, the College of Natural Sciences accepts between 5,100 and 5,500 students and yields approximately 3,000. Of the more than 91,000 applications UT Austin received during the 2024-25 admission cycle, over 25,000 of those applications indicated a College of Natural Sciences’ major. During the conversation, the College of Natural Sciences reiterated the need for high school students to take Calculus, with a preference for AP Calculus BC, especially for students interested in Computer Science. Given the College of Natural Sciences’ competitive nature, it also was mentioned that applicants need to demonstrate in their applications the ability to work well with others and provide an example of how they are serving their communities.
Each year, the Canfield Business Honors Program admits 240-250 first-year students to enroll a class of 175-180. Successful UT Austin applicants must demonstrate a clear passion for business that is supported by real leadership experience. The true benefits of Canfield are earning a business honors degree, having access to a dedicated advisory team, and participating in more than 60+ programs created solely to support and elevate Canfield students.
Future UT Austin undergraduate business students will benefit from the new $425-million Mulva Hall, which is slated to open in the fall of 2028. Construction is underway on this 17-story state-of-the-art facility located on University Avenue. Once completed, Mulva Hall will offer views of the State Capitol, UT Tower, and the University’s original Forty Acres.
Located in the historic Littlefield House on the UT Austin campus, the School of Civic Leadership is a new school at the university, and it recently welcomed its first class of 100 first-year students. The school, established by the UT System Board of Regents in 2023, offers a Civics Honors major rooted in constitutionalism, Western civilization, and civic leadership. In addition to the Civics Honors major, the School of Civic Leadership offers minors in both Civics and Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). The School will increase its offerings by adding two new majors in 2027, including a B.A. in Great Books and B.A. in Strategy & Statecraft.
In May 2025, the UT System allocated $100 million to fund a new building for the School of Civic Leadership, which will be converted from UT Austin’s Biological Laboratories building and is expected to be completed in 2028.
