<p>How similar are the acceptance requirements between A&M & Tech? </p>
<p>Ive been accepted to tech into engineering and was just wondering if they are about the same.</p>
<p>I could be wrong, but for me as a liberal arts major, Tech has much easier requirements. I’m an auto admit at Tech, but not at A & M. I’ll be applying to TAMU, but keeping Tech (Honors College a must) as a backup/safety school.</p>
<p>Tech is quite a bit easier to get into than TAMU. You can be in the top half of youd class with good test scores and be guaranteed admittance. At TAMU, you have to be in the top quarter for good test scores to qualify you.</p>
<p>Go to A&M if you can get in.
At tech, you need a 1230 SAT and a top 50% class ranking for auto admit. Any average Joe can get in.
A&M requires a 1300 SAT and a top 25% class ranking. ( the freshman class of 2012 had 60% of its students graduate high school from the top 10% of their class)
A&M is better for most majors.</p>
<p>A&M, like UT, has higher thresholds for the engineering school than for the university overall – this includes auto admission (top 10%) and auto academic admission (top 25% with high test score) applicants. </p>
<p>Basically, you need a high standardized test score in math and it can help your chances to have taken AP calculus in high school though that is not a requirement. People may find it of interest that the best predictors of freshmen year grades in engineering are SAT Math, SAT Writing, and class rank. The SAT CR section score is ‘statistically insignificant’ for engineering (it matters for other colleges/majors). The ACT version for engineering uses the ACT combined English & Writing score and the Math score – the ACT science and reading scores are essentially ignored. So, if you are a ‘holistic’ decision/non-auto/non auto academic admit type applying to engineering, don’t sweat a mediocre SAT CR score or mediocre ACT Reading & Science scores. The section scores are what really matter and not the composite. (The formulas UT uses are published in the footnotes of a recent publication on tier website. I haven’t searched for A&M version of these formulas, but they exist.)</p>
<p>The key criteria I have used for my children is the schools’ quality in the majors of interest. In many of the areas of engineering, A&M ranks in the top 20 nationally while Tech rates as a generic state university. In several other areas, the differences between the schools is smaller.</p>
<p>So, +1 on A&M over Tech overall and +100 on A&M over Tech in engineering.</p>
<p>Prof, if I read your post correctly, you are stating that for auto/academic admits their applications for engineering are under different rules for admission than other majors. That is not true. Those students who are admitted to the University are able to choose any major that has openings at the time of their acceptance. They can even change majors online without permission, again provided there is room. The Engineering & Business majors (and a few more) fill up very quickly. Due to the popularity of the majors, they tend to have a higher percentage of auto/academic admits since they process through the system faster. Thus the reserve amount for review admits is smaller, and more competitive for those slots versus other majors.</p>
<p>I’m not sure where you got your info. on the SAT/ACT but I have never heard that theory of admissions applied at this school. ( I’m not saying it isn’t, but just saying I have not heard it) Do you have some insider information from this university? It is my understanding review admits can also have any major that is still open, although there aren’t as many choices available at that point. They are not admitted to only the major indicated on their application, but to the University as a whole.</p>
<p>AGmom – What I meant to convey was that one’s status as an auto admit or as an auto academic admit does NOT merit you special status w.r.t engineering admission. Students must still have the requisite math scores and required HS coursework. That said, being an auto admit of some type does get you ‘first crack’ at getting in and that is always preferred.</p>
<p>The ACT/SAT expected grade formula stuff is actually public information. The formulas for UT are easy to find, and A&M, as a state school in Texas, operates much like UT. HB 588 applies equally to both schools, both schools answer to the same politicians, etc.</p>
<p>Numerous research studies are available on the freshman GPA topic and also on whether these test scores correlate, or not, with IQ. Freshman year GPA is commonly used as the proxy for academic success and the usage of the individual section scores is the norm. Given all the research into the topic, NOT using the individual scores and only using the composite could be considered negligent. </p>
<p>A&M uses section scores for auto academic admission. The A&M website has that, to get auto academic admission, the student must have ACT English & Math scores >= 27 or >= 600 in SAT Math and CR OR a combined 1300 in SAT Math & CR. The composite score is not mentioned nor are the other section scores. Curious. In effect, A&M is giving you a peak behind the admissions curtain as to what really matters … (Engineering is just a bit different from the university as a whole. We all should agree on the need for a high Math score. Whether everyone agrees on whether CR or Writing is more important is more of an academic style discussion.)</p>
<p>With the ACT, the Math and English scores have, by far, the strongest predictive power. Public universities keep massive amounts of data on students (class rank, test scores, ethnicity, county, school district, high school, etc.) and all this data gets fed to statisticians to help the school improve admission decisions. Since A&M gets something like 50,000 applications a year, the admission people need methods to sort and categorize applications. These expected GPA formulas are a sound statistical method for taking class rank and test score data and producing a single, easy to understand statistic to help simplify the holistic decision process. </p>
<p>The lawsuits involving UT and Michigan together with the internet have made much of this information more widely available. Since this information may not be commonly known, I thought I’d post on the topic.</p>
<p>FormerProf:</p>
<p>“In addition to university requirements, freshmen applying to all majors in the Dwight Look College of Engineering are required to meet a minimum math score of 550 on the SAT Reasoning Test or a minimum math score of 24 on the ACT. …In particular, high school preparation should include four years of mathematics and four years of science emphasizing algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, chemistry, physics and biology.”</p>
<p><a href=“http://catalog.tamu.edu/pdfs/13-14_UG_Catalog.pdf[/url]”>http://catalog.tamu.edu/pdfs/13-14_UG_Catalog.pdf</a></p>
<p>That being said, I don’t think the imposition of those requirements affects many who are auto and academic admits. </p>
<p>Most people in the top 10% of their class have that covered. (Auto admit)
Most people in the top 25% with a 600 in both M & CR on their SAT have it covered too. (Academic admit)</p>
<p>So, for most people, it’s a non-issue.</p>
<p>From what I understand (new this year) - General Engineering fills up to about 85-90% with rolling admissions applicants. A LARGE percentage of these wind up being auto/academic admit. I forget the statistic, but it’s something outrageously high. </p>
<p>After that, EVERYONE, even those that are auto admits, or academic admits TO THE UNIVERSITY are put into a “review admit” status for General Engineering, and they fill the remaining seats.</p>
<p>A&M does not operate like UT for admission to the university, and this directly affects admission to engineering. UT’s auto-admission requirements are significantly more stringent. UT has a slight exception to the requirements of HB588 that are imposed upon every other public university in Texas. It is different than any other public university in the state of Texas.</p>
<p>So the moral to this story, for autos and academic admits to TAMU is APPLY EARLY, and you’re golden (as long as you also meet the engineering admit requirements, which you probably do). Wait, and you might not get in.</p>
<p>You don’t have it quite right in relation to Academic Admits. It is not 600 in Math and CR OR 1300 combined.</p>
<p>This is what the University says:</p>
<p>"Applicants qualify for automatic academic admission (but not necessarily to the major of choice), if they successfully complete the minimum required coursework and:</p>
<p>rank in the top quarter of their graduating class;</p>
<p>achieve a combined SAT Math and SAT Critical Reading score of at least 1300 with a test score of at least 600 in each of these components; or achieve a composite ACT score of at least 30 with a test score of at least 27 in ACT Math and ACT English (students must take the writing component of the SAT and/or ACT in order for the test score to be considered);</p>
<p>meet the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy; and
ensure all required credentials are received by the freshman closing date.</p>
<p>[Freshman</a> | How to be Admitted - Office of Admissions | Texas A&M University](<a href=“http://admissions.tamu.edu/freshman/admitted]Freshman”>http://admissions.tamu.edu/freshman/admitted)</p>
<p>It’s not OR, it’s AND.</p>
<p>Cromette – Thanks for the OR vs AND clarification. The SAT version parallels the ACT version (as it should). I should have either copied & pasted or posted a link instead of attempting to quickly summarize.</p>
<p>From what you describe and my experiences in the Big Ten, PAC 10 (this dates me a bit), and the Ivy League, I see A&M and UT as quite similar when it comes to admission.<br>
Both are subject to HB 588. (I prefer the A&M version that allows a high test score to offset a lower rank. The expected GPA formulas UT uses for holistic admission do precisely this, but UT’s auto admit decision is 100% class rank driven and I find that very silly.). Both impose higher standards on high demand majors like engineering. Both admit ‘auto admits’ to overall university if they don’t get their desired major (e.g., engineering). Both use section scores in the admissions process. Neither require SAT Subject test scores. Both get thousands and thousands of applications each year and must ‘systematically’ evaluate them (leading to the use of various ‘formulas’). Both have a rolling admission process. (The Ivy League, for example, does not). Both schools also have limited university housing and don’t require freshmen to live on campus. …</p>
<p>Due to excess demand, UT gets to impose a 75% cap. Should A&M run into the same issue someday, I have no doubt that the legislature will give them a similar exemption (or the law will get refined to make it mute for both schools.) With the constantly improving applicant pool at both UT & A&M, I have no doubt that A&M is on a path to having HB 588 problems at some point.</p>
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<p>There are several top 10% inner city high school kids who do not meet the 550 SAT Math requirement. In addition, there are kids who cannot pass the MPE requirement to pursue engineering. So, in that sense, the engineering crowd is a little different than the rest of the admits, don’t you think?</p>
<p>Prof, you are right, A&M attracts the top 25% crowd that scores above 1300 on the SAT/ 600+ on SAT Math and CR. These students usually come from high performing schools. There is no SAT score requirement on the top 10%, but getting into engineering requires a minimum SAT score of Math 550 and a minimum MPE score of 24. One cannot enroll in Calculus required for engineering without a minimum MPE score. The engineering school at A&M spends 50% more than UTs. So, there are lots of research opportunities. This attracts many engineering students to A&M on its own merit over UT. It also keeps out the top 10% admits of A&M who don’t do well in Math. </p>
<p>Consequently, top 25% students from competitive high schools that do not make the top 7% for UT usually make a beeline to A&M. The top 7%from these top high schools, that can make UT, make a beeline to private universities such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT and the Ivies. Therefore, UT ends up with a lot of inner city top 7%, but few students from high performing high schools. Consequently, I think UT’s SAT score is stagnating even though its cut off is rising. In contrast, A&M’s SAT is rising, almost surpassing UT’s. In addition, UT’s situation is not helped by the fact that A&M gives great scholarships to all NMFs that UT does not. Also, perhaps, city students prefer the urban location of UT over rural A&M.</p>
<p>Another thing to consider in what you just said perazziman is the fact that UT does not offer any PTK scholarships for transfers while TAMU does. I’m sure for transfer students who were in the PTK Honors it would be more beneficial seeing the scholarships can go up to $10K.
When the local A & M rep came to make a presentation for the PTK he just flat out said “If you are in this room you are in the top 1% of students in this school. If you are in this room we WANT you, fill out the application & we’ll make you an offer.” That got my attention REALLY quick. Prior to this, in all honesty, I had not even seriously considered A & M for me. Now they are my #1 choice.</p>
<p>perraziman, yes, I think engineering is different than most. While I acknowledge there are some kids that fall in that category, I certainly don’t think it’s representative of most top 10% students. I wouldn’t consider a 550 a terribly high score for someone pursuing an engineering major, especially at TAMU.</p>
<p>You can be accepted to the engineering program, but not allowed to take Calculus I, and have to start in pre-calculus. People do it all the time.</p>
<p>But I agree with you as far as TAMUs program being superior. ;)</p>
<p>Here is an interesting statistic, over 40% of the top 9% auto admit kids at UT scored below 1800 on the SAT:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/research/EnrolledFreshmenProfile-2012.pdf[/url]”>http://www.utexas.edu/student/admissions/research/EnrolledFreshmenProfile-2012.pdf</a></p>
<p>So, I think it is quite likely that more than 40% of these also scored below 600 on SAT Math.</p>