Maxx Perez

Sprouting 6-foot horns from the sides of your head isn’t easy, and that’s the challenge of entering the Forty Acres. Students must grapple with a harder course load, new social dynamics and being away from home to become a Longhorn. 

I’ve often wondered what helps students overcome these obstacles. Sociologists have spent decades researching this question too, but they don’t need to anymore — I’ve cracked the code.

There’s one question that reveals how successful you’ll be in college: where did you spend your previous four years? 

Before you became a Longhorn, you were something else in high school, and that experience matters more than we think. For academic and social reasons, your high school experience plays a large role in predicting your success at UT. Acknowledging that you or your fellow students may not have had the same level of preparedness for college is crucial for fostering compassion and support at UT.

The most direct consequence of high school is its impact on academic preparedness. For students who lacked access to advanced high school courses, the transition to college can be more challenging.  Jordan Conwell, assistant professor of sociology, said that AP and IB courses, reading load and the ability to communicate clearly in writing all play key roles in preparing students for success at college.

“Students who have high school education (with) college prep are going to be more successful transitioning into college and succeeding,” Conwell said.  

Additionally, the non-academic opportunities your high school provides are just as important. Access to extracurricular activities and college counselors can help you explore your interests and make more informed decisions at UT. For STEM students, early access to facilities like those at UT can make a significant difference.

“Having lab equipment, being familiar with that environment when a student (comes) into a chem lab … (can affect student) ability to get through some intro science courses and move on to whatever their goals might be,” Conwell said. 

More interestingly, it’s not just the opportunities of your high school — your wider school context and all the factors that encompass your school ecosystem matter, too.

 “School context is much more than just chemistry labs or physics labs, it’s the other kids in your classes, and it’s their parents too,” said sociology professor Chandra Muller. “You go through high school with a certain group of kids, and those kids can really egg each other on and get you to perform well in your classes, (but) they can also have other consequences.” 

The social dynamics of high school play a pivotal role in shaping a student’s identity and work ethic. Being surrounded by ambitious peers can create healthy competition. Conversely, being a part of a disengaged group might hinder motivation and academic performance. The school context and its environment transition to college.

“The more advantaged high schools … are more likely to send more students to college, and the students they send go to more competitive colleges, like UT,” Conwell said. “Students who have more familiarity between high school and college, on average, are more successful.”

You’re most susceptible to your high school’s influence in your first semester, which is pivotal in defining your college experience. Students who reach their first-semester target GPA tend to socialize more later in college. Meanwhile, students who score worse than expected tend to lower their GPA expectations for the future.

It’s important to note that these obstacles aren’t insurmountable. Instead, it might make your experience in college more turbulent. 

Your high school experience will undoubtedly shape your college journey. It’s how you navigate those challenges that will define your success here.

Kota is a computer science and business senior from Galveston, Texas.