UT-Austin is the 10th most common dream school for high school seniors applying to college in the United States, according to a survey by the Princeton Review.

The survey asked over 10,000 college applicants and almost 4,000 parents of applicants from around the country questions about their dream school, the college application process and how COVID-19 has affected that process. The top 10 most mentioned dream schools included Stanford University, Harvard University and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Liv Hendrick, an undeclared freshman in the PACE program, said in addition to her father graduating from the University, the film program and competitive dance team made UT her dream school.

“My parents had a really hard time even getting me to apply to other schools,” Hendrick said. “I had to apply to a bunch of other schools. … I just wasn’t in love with any of them the way I was (in love with) UT.”

Hendrick said experiences like meeting her roommate and joining the dance team have caused her UT experience to exceed her expectations.

“To be able to actually have that college experience is really exciting,” Hendrick said.

The parents interviewed in the Princeton Review survey ranked UT-Austin as the seventh most popular dream school.

A family connection to UT helped make the University the dream school for both Hendrick and business freshman Kylie Roberts. Roberts said her parents met while studying at UT and she fell in love with the University’s atmosphere when visiting campus and watching football games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium growing up.

“I always thought that I would end up at UT,” Roberts said.

Roberts said the academic standards at UT motivated her to work hard throughout high school.

“I think there’s a lot of things I was really worried about as well,” Roberts said. “It just comes with college, but also being at UT— a huge school that is really rigorous academically. But I’ve met a lot of great friends and just great peers who have helped me in all regards, academically and just in life in general.”

UT was also a dream school for theatre and dance junior Thomas Hardey. Hardey said getting involved in activities like theatre and marching band have shaped his college experience.

“I really jumped headfirst into it when I got to UT,” Hardey said. “I feel like I was doing everything at once and I love that.”