Valedictorian fights Texas to change admission policy, then enrolls at A&M
Meet Madison Mau, valedictorian of Fayetteville High in Fayetteville, Texas (Population: 258). Her story is a fascinating one, which you should read in full in the Texas Tribune.
Madison Mau (@madi_mau)
For years, she dreamed of attending the University of Texas, and did everything in her power to make that happen — earned perfect grades throughout high school, finished #1 in her class, was elected class president, student council president and National Honor Society president, and participated in as many other extracurriculars as humanly possible.
So when the time came to apply to Texas (which will hereafter be referred to affectionately as t.u.), she hoped that would be enough.
Unfortunately, it wasn't.
On top of that, her school was so small that it didn't offer any AP courses, which obviously didn't help her case. So she did what many people do when they feel like they've been treated unfairly: she fought.
Victory!
But it doesn't end there.
During the time she was fighting to get t.u.'s decision reversed, she explored other options.
And the story ends with the best (and most ironic) line of all.
Welcome to Aggieland, Madison!
Madison Mau (@madi_mau)
So when the time came to apply to Texas (which will hereafter be referred to affectionately as t.u.), she hoped that would be enough.
Unfortunately, it wasn't.
[t.u.] is required to by law to admit any student in the top 7 percent of his or her high school class. With only 10 students in Mau's graduating class, it was mathematically impossible for her to be in the top 7 percent.
On top of that, her school was so small that it didn't offer any AP courses, which obviously didn't help her case. So she did what many people do when they feel like they've been treated unfairly: she fought.
After a brief moment of despair, Mau, 18, decided not to accept [t.u.'s] denial. With the help of her parents, she made phone calls, wrote letters and implored her local legislators for help. She argued that it was unfair to turn her down because of her small school.
In February, [t.u.] took the unusual step of reversing its admissions decision for Mau and nine other small-school valedictorians.
In February, [t.u.] took the unusual step of reversing its admissions decision for Mau and nine other small-school valedictorians.
Victory!
But it doesn't end there.
During the time she was fighting to get t.u.'s decision reversed, she explored other options.
She toured a couple more universities and researched the medical school acceptance rates of other pre-med programs. After some soul-searching, she reconsidered where she truly belonged.
And the story ends with the best (and most ironic) line of all.
She’ll be attending Texas A&M this fall.
Welcome to Aggieland, Madison!
Never miss the latest news from TexAgs!
Join our free email list