What GPA do you need to get into University of Texas in Austin?

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.