I just wanted to put my 2 cents in here because i haven't seen positive feed on this topic yet. The top ten percent law (TTPL) is great but flawed. Personally, I went to a rural school nearby a city with some of the most competitive schools in the state. Our school could never compete with those city schools in a million years. We didn't have the money which meant we couldn't get the types of teachers like the competitive schools could and the teacher turn over rate is high.
While I find the law fair, I feel it’s flawed. I believe that schools should have caps of at least 50 percent of top ten percent students automatically admitted. First come, first serve because not every TTP student will want to go to the flagship schools. For example, of the 13 top ten students in my school, 6 went to UT and A&M. The rest went to other schools like UNT, UTSA, RICE, TCU, and ETBU. Because of this I feel with the caps, those who truly want to go to flagships will have to be responsible about it, apply in a timely manner and with a 50 percent cap it would free up an extra 30 percent (TTP admission is over 80 percent of the freshman class now) of the freshman classes for schools like UT which could mean students not from the top ten percent from those traditional feeder schools and international and out of state students being admitted.
Top ten percent students still are guaranteed a space at A Texas public school which is what the law states just not their top choice. I think the law should stay because it gives equal footing for those incapable of attending those highly competitive schools and by adding a cap it will better diversify the classes by allowing more out of state and international students and lower ranked Texas students from those traditional feeder schools.
Either way some one will always be angry or feel shafted. I think a happier medium would be a cap or just return to allowing affirmative action but then again that’s only my opinion and I am also biased. I think the house report in 2005 sums up a lot of the issues for both sides. Even though its a bit outdated, the ideas are still the same.
http://www.hro.house.state.tx.us/focus/topten79-7.pdf
I think an issue not brought up enough is what would happen if the top ten percent law is rescinded. How accountable will the Texas institutions be to Texans? Then again most don't think of that. There is a small blurb in the house report about it though.