In Search of the Brave 100: University of Austin Welcomes Prospective Students

UATX’s founding class will receive four-year, full-tuition scholarships

In less than three years, the University of Austin has transformed a big idea into a brick-and-mortar reality.

On January 13, it opened its doors and welcomed prospective students and their families to its new Scarbrough Campus in downtown Austin for its first Student Visit Day.

Soren Aldaco, a prospective student and Austinite, visited UATX curious about how its image would stand up to real life.

“While I was excited about the opportunity to explore UATX and network with like-yet-diverse-minded people, part of me wondered how different the real-life UATX would be from the marketing version,” she said.

She continued:

THE PROFESSIONALISM AND HUMANITY OF THE UATX STAFF, FACULTY, AND CAMPUS SHOCKED ME. MY CONVERSATIONS WITH PRESIDENT PANO KANELOS, DEAN OF CSTEM DAVID RUTH, AND MANY OTHERS LEFT ME SMILING AND SURE OF MY DECISION TO PURSUE AN EDUCATION AT UATX.

As the day began, President Kanelos welcomed visitors with remarks on reviving liberal education, and Admissions Director Stephen Asoli explained that the University of Austin seeks students with demonstrated academic excellence and the creativity and leadership required to build something new. 

Prospective students and parents attended seminar classes taught by Provost and Dean of Intellectual Foundations Jacob Howland (pictured, top right), Dean of the Center for STEM David Ruth, and Dean of the Center for Arts and Letters Patrick Gray.

In his seminar, Provost Howland explained that the cave image Socrates presents in Plato’s Republic “shows what genuine education is, and how it liberates human beings from self-imposed chains.”

The image “also illuminates ever-present forces in society that impede real education.”

Down the hall, students in Dean Ruth’s seminar explored what is meant by "chance," and how chance is quantified using probability theory.  After considering a few probability problems of increasing difficulty, students learned about expectation and variance as they relate to chance. 

Parents approached him after the seminar to say “how much they enjoyed the discussion and felt like they were able to follow and absorb the ideas,” Ruth said. 

Provost Howland added that parents “were able to talk with their children about the classes afterwards, and even felt like they were part of the discussion.”

He said that seminars modeled the adult education programs and public lectures UATX plans to launch. 

After lunch, Keri Waters, Chief Innovation Officer and Director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Leadership, joined Talent Network Manager Pedro Robinson in explaining how UATX will inspire young makers and leaders.

Waters discussed UATX’s partnership with Texas’s most active early-stage startup investor, Capital Factory, where she serves as a mentor. She shared her journey with Buoy Labs, a home automation company she launched and sold, as an introduction to the expert guidance and talent partnerships accepted students will experience at UATX. 

“The American Dream requires more than just financial independence,” Waters said. 

“It's about the agency to shape your own destiny and contribute to a thriving republic. At UATX, Intellectual Foundations cultivates critical thinking and civic virtue, while OEL equips students with the entrepreneurial spirit and practical skills to become changemakers in any arena – whether building innovative businesses, crafting impactful policies, or enriching our cultural landscape.”

“This is how we, at UATX, are rekindling American exceptionalism: by empowering the next generation to be not just consumers, but creators; not just followers, but leaders,” she said. 

UATX will admit its first class of scholars and builders in Fall 2024. 

In recognition of the significant vision, character, and commitment it takes to establish a new institution, each student admitted to the Fall 2024 incoming class will receive a scholarship covering the full cost of undergraduate tuition for four years (a value of approximately $130,000).

Applicants to the University of Austin’s founding class may also apply for a $100,000 merit scholarship intended to cover additional costs of attendance throughout students’ undergraduate experience. The Lonsdale Magaro Build Scholarships will be offered thanks to the generous support of philanthropic entrepreneurs Joe Lonsdale and Alex Magaro.

The University of Austin, America’s newest university, is located at 6th and Congress in downtown Austin and welcomes visitors to its brand-new campus, where accepted students will begin their educational journey with world-renowned faculty and mentors.

If you know a high school senior who would benefit from a UATX education, encourage them to apply.