Is Texas Tech hard to get into?

What are the chances of an international student to get into the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, or Texas Tech University for Petroleum Engineering?

• I study in Australia and we have 2 semesters each year and for the first semester (only half way ) I got 3A's and 2B's. I do Advance Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Information Technology and English. We don't get any overall class ranks or GPA. In our school it doesn't matter if u get an A or a B, the only thing matters is how well u did compared to other students in the subject? For example, in one of the subjects the class average is a C and i got like a B for it., so that means I did well. I have yet to do my ACT test. What sort of scores do i need for the ACT? (Be realistic) What kind of EC do i need? and how many hours? How could I improve my chances? I still have 2nd semester to do. Will it be better if i do first year of uni somewhere else and then try transferring to UT Austin ( That way I could get a GPA) or still apply as a Freshman? I will finish high school by 28th of November Any held would be greatly be appreciated !!

• Answer:

  I know Texas A&M has an undergrad acceptance rate of around 12%.  It's pretty competitive.  I can't imagine UT is much different.  If I were you, I would look into Sam Houston State University.  Newish Petroleum Eng. school, high acceptance rate.  As long as you get good grades and lots of internships during your undergrad, you'll get a good job after graduating.  One thing to consider is that a US company will not hire a foreign undergrad upon graduation unless they somehow already have a US work visa (except for internships).  I dealt with this as I am Canadian and did UNI in the States, although I married an American gal, so that took care of that.