@GermanPancakes First… yay, even though this is a stressful time, it’s also very exciting, so try to enjoy it all!
Last year they dropped to 1 essay only (I believe Engineering may have another essay- @thelma2). They do not want to read a bunch of essays. It was suppose to speed up the process for admissions.
Zero letters of rec are required. I’m still not sure how much weight they provide, but it’s better to have 1 solid one if possible than to have nothing. And that old saying, it’s who you know, not always what you know, holds true for these. If you know anyone on the Board of Regents or someone that has some clout at TAMU, use them if they are willing. If not, no big deal, just be sure the person writing the rec letter knows your son and his aptitude.
Get the application completed ASAP… don’t wait around. The sooner the better. AND please know that holistic review candidates will probably not hear til end of January or February. If you hear sooner, it’s a blessing!!!
Best of luck and congrats on your son’s graduation! OH and keep the questions coming.