Never was lifelong goal, didn’t apply 12/1 and grades aren’t subpar. Hes first quarter and in a class of 600. Yeah oops on the calculator…he got a 1060 without it. I saw someone on another forum get options 2nd q and lower than 1060. I think your jaw would drop to know what the child has been through and why we were not on the up and up August 1. We did communicate with prospective student center, went to virtual freshman meetings. He’s not going to cry over a rejection. I’d just like to be given the rejection.
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Have you ever met with a high school counselor at a 1A or 2A Texas school? (We don’t attend a small school, I know people that do). Sure counselors can do more, but in some regions their lack of knowledge is as great as the parent. I agree with @Tee2 AO can say it won’t hurt you, but should add that “submitting a score of XXXX or above will increase your chances.
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Totally agree. And the counselors at my big high school (several thousand kids) mainly knew the kids who were super smart and those that got in trouble. Good luck to us regular kids needing some time.
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At this time, if TAMU is still the goal. It is better to focus on PSA, PTA and Engineering Academies pathways.
TAMU replenish the main campus every year with over 500 transfers through these pathways.
Students (and may be parents) maturity is very important, help them focus their energy on career goals, not dead set on which college or which major. In other words, use career goals to pick the college and major, then prepare academically towards the goals accordingly. That applies to students who already got full admission as well.
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Can we just all agree that the following needs to be pinned to the top of every TAMU admissions thread:
“NO YOUR TEXAS HS IS NOT THAT COMPETITIVE.”
Halfway joking, but every one says that and no one realizes that (1) grade inflation is a thing (2) TAMU already has the data about your high school’s competitiveness and the success rates for your high school’s alums (3) your high school has a vested interest in telling you how much better your students are prepared versus other students and (4) Texas is a BIIIIIIIG state
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I agree that it is important for all students to know that going TO is going to hurt them. I will say that every year our regional TAMU admissions rep comes to my kids’ high school and gives a presentation on admission. I have multiple kids, so I have been to this presentation multiple times. In 2021, she said going test optional won’t hurt you. She said if the test score helps, we will consider it, if it doesn’t, we won’t. In 2022 and 2023, she took that part out of her presentation and told students how to submit test scores. It was subtle, but definitely something I noticed. Also, when we went to tour A&M, the man giving one of the admissions presentations flat out said that A&M is looking for mid 1300’s or higher on SAT scores. It was pretty clear to me that they were needed. And my kids’ high school counselor, at a parent meeting last year, told everyone that if you don’t submit a score, the university will assume that is because your score is bad and they will hold it against you. He told everyone they needed a 1350 or higher for A&M.
While all this messaging was crystal clear to me, I can see how it is lost on a 17 year old who is thinking that the last thing they want to do is take another SAT or ACT.
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Wow. Those were definitely some subtle signs! I’ve suggested to my high-school debate coach to make it a topic for the next school debate. It would not only be interesting but would educate the students.
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My son is a junior in HS, so we have been researching ways for him to get into Mays since he is outside the top 10%. We attended a campus admission officer session in September and we were advised only to submit test scores 1300 and over. He did say sending in lower scores won’t hurt you, but it does seem like going TO has hurt kids this year. Maybe they will start changing their guidance for next year.
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I am pretty sure TAMU’s stance is stated clearly in the admission page
“We encourage students who have test score to send them. The submission of test scores will not create any unfair advantage or disadvantage for those students who provide them.”
Obviously, by common sense, submitting super low scores won’t help. Students should try other attempts, or explain in the essay why no more attempts are made.
Somehow, the logic got fully distorted to test optional. Having a low scores is not a good reason to go test optional. Test optional was created back in 2020 cycle when students had a hard time finding opened SAT center. It also helps alleviate admission work load for auto-admit, and students with disabilities.
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Well it’s 2024. So do away or bring back. Disability and auto admit can be gathered from app. To add in essay is not simple. The essay is about challenges hardships etc. what should it say?
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In conclusion, I didn’t submit my scores or retake the test because my pet rock died?
You make perfect sense. I’m picking up what you’re putting down, but sometimes these scenarios won’t work. What will work is they should just fully commit to the submit.
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In my fantasy, TAMU makes the following adjustments:
- Moves to a top 6% auto admit program, like UT does
- Admits to the major, not the University (also like UT does) OR admits to the University and everyone goes general studies for two years (like OU does)
- Designates specific notification dates (like a million other colleges do) to stop the nonsense of checking your portal for 7 tabs every day
- Gives clarity on criteria/tests (like they used to do) For example - Top 6% or SRAR in top quarter PLUS 1320/28+ = full admission, holistic for others with clarity on weight given to each factor - provide real transparency.
- Eliminates Test Optional (exceptions for top 6%, disabilities, etc.) (Hate them if you will, but standardized tests are one of the best indicators of success in college - they obviously have value, as evidenced by the weight the colleges give to them)
- Improves the admissions-related technology and communication
None of these changes are revolutionary or new ideas. Many other top universities are doing all of them. Some of them were in place for decades before the pandemic. Some of them are free. Collectively, they would streamline the admissions process, ensure admission to objectively well qualified candidates, provide clarity and take out some of the stress.
In my fantasy, people with authority at TAMU read these posts and eventually take action when they see many people struggling over and over, year after year, with their chosen methods. But in the real world, I don’t think anything will change any time soon.
I’m worried for my son who will apply next year. And I’m sad for all those kids who relied on confusing information or bad data and had unrealistic expectations. And I have empathy for all the parents and kids who have to wait and check every day to get an answer. It is bananas.
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Great suggestions
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I agree with a lot of what you’ve said. The problem is, TAMU is insisting on the holistic review while living with the top 10% rule. It’s like trying to dance the waltz to a rap song. In theory I 100% support holistic review, but it really seems like they use quantitative data first and foremost (and to be honest, they probably have to), which is what makes us all stressed.
It’s so unpredictable (outside the top 10%) Is Johnny going to be judged on his quantitative SAT? Or his qualitative essay? Is Jenny going to get in based on her top quarter, 50 APs, 240 DC? Or is she going to be denied because she never did anything to give back to the community?
Do “we” want absolute clarity into the process? TAMU would have to drop holistic and say it’s all about numbers, like the Alabama flagships do. Or do we still want TAMU to holistically review candidates, to give a variety of diverse students a chance at one of the Texas flagships? Then we have what we have.
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@AggieFam06 as far as Mays… hopefully your son is a strong test taker, and has already been prepping and taking both SAT & ACT? He needs to shoot for a 1450 (IMO) and hopefully he’s close to Top Ten%? Definitely needs to be assigned 1st quarter by A&M.
Is he taking AP, DC or honors?
I strongly suggest AP Stats senior year, if that’s an option-it will greatly prepare him for Business Stats.
Apply in August, also (doesn’t need to be August 1st, contrary to what many say…but I’d shoot to have A&M app submitted before first day of senior year).
Good luck!
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Just stumbled upon this morning and scrolling through all afternoon…
My son submitted application in November for engineering, took his fourth SAT in November and barely made the score submission deadline. He is still in review.
Any engineering expert here? Son looks very relaxed but he is still in review. Top 11%, 4.564W/3.9UW, 1480 SAT, 8 AP through junior, 4 more this year. He submitted all his scores since 9th grade (1120, 1260, 1380, 1480) will that matter? He has almost no EC just attending sport games and clubs for fun. Still waiting for both A&M and UT.
@BByung what are the highest levels of math & science he’s taken?
@FriscoDad is the Engineering expert
What I’m proposing is a bit of a hybrid. Keep the holistic for kids who fall outside of the obvious objective criteria. So if you are top 6% - you’re in. If you are in the top quarter (or have a SRAR score of whatever) PLUS a high standardized test score - you are also in. (I think this is the way it plays out 99% of the time in the real world anyway - so just codify it already.) Then make standardized tests mandatory and do a holistic review of everyone else. That way TAMU has flexibility to let in the kid with an amazing story or some one-off reason for admission, but they take care of the majority of admissions without wasting a ton of time.
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He took Calculus BC last year and something like differential equation online this year. My son is a slow and layback learner staying late at school almost everyday for extra tutoring with his math teacher that’s why not much EC to show for. A few volunteering and math club member already take all of his time.
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You should be proud of your student. That’s no easy feat! Only 5% of TAMU engineering freshmen (or 150) have differential equations prior to attending TAMU.
ECs play very little role in admission decision, at least for engineering. Admission’s main concern is whether students can survive the rigorous math in engineering. Engineering is not just 16 credits hours of math, all the coding, Physics, Chemistry use the same math skill to solve problems. Calculus has nothing to do with IQ, it just takes long and hard practices. So your son did everything right to prepare for engineering.
As admission goes, your son is in regular decision time frame so the wait is only because he applied late. If he scored 4/5 in Calculus BC, Physics and Chemistry, a simple and humble essay will do the trick.
I am sure he will get full admission or TEAB, and he will be cream of the crop in ETAM year.
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Love this list!!
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