A newbie here. Can you help me clarify what the ‘Engineering Essay’ actually is? On the TAMU website for admissions it is described as the ‘Engineering Short Answer Question’ but most people on here are describing it as an essay. You can submit up to 40 lines in Apply Texas but my son submitted just 16, Now I’m worried it should have been an essay not a short answer. Thank you!! Nothing he can do now but I feel bad I told him a short answer not an essay.
One more question - I know that letters of recommendation are optional but if you do submit them, is there a deadline for applicants that apply for Engineering Early Action so that they would be considered as part of your application? I can’t find a deadline anywhere on line but may be that’s because they are optional 
I emailed the Admission Office last night but have not heard back. So it is what it is! We’ll submit the application tonight and will see.
Ok. The reply was in my spam folder; didn’t see it until now. Here’s the reply:
“All documents must be received in our office by October 15th. If you have not linked your SRAR and it show as received in your AIS, it will not be considered for the Early Action deadline.”
So I guess that the SSAR must be linked before the deadline in order to be considered for priority deadline. I wish they would make that clearer on the admission page.
So I’m thinking… Maybe my son can ask his counselor to email his transcript tomorrow? Not sure if that would work.
@tabitha18 I don’t think they will review transcripts this year. Let us know if you hear differently though. This part is new to everyone.
I’m not sure they would accept transcript thru email. It has to be SRAR. And they have rules with sending transcripts. Why you don’t try to call them? You can even schedule phone call appt with addm. counselor. Even I’m not sure whey will have anything available tomorow., but check their website. They have their appt. times.
That is frustrating since even if your application is submitted several days before the deadline, if you haven’t gotten your AIS (which is out of the applicant’s control) so you can link the SRAR, you are out of luck. Maybe she will get it tomorrow morning…
Tabitha- I just saw on AIS that if your SRAR is locked in TAMU by today, but not yet linked, they will take it with application, no problem 
2020 Freshmen applicants: If your SRAR is locked and submitted to TAMU by the October 15 early action deadline, we will consider your SRAR meets the deadline even if it is not yet linked. Received documents can be viewed under the My Documents tab.
@MomOfTeens77 - Thank you very much for the information! What a relief. We’ll submit tonight.
No problem. Good luck!
Daughter wants to include recommendations for application. Looking at Howdy (got her login today- YAY! Forgot Monday was a holiday) she can only see a link for her to do it herself which would allow her to see the letter. Would rather have it go straight from teacher to TAMU. Is there a way to invite teachers to upload in HOWDY that we are missing? Thanks!
@Tabitha18 We’re in the same boat. My son worked so hard on the application, which he submitted on Saturday, but SRAR still not transmitted (it is locked and linked) and test scores not received – both tasks were completed over a week ago.
@Brambler no way for teacher to upload to Howdy. My son had to ask the teacher’s for their rec letters and upload himself.
Thanks! At least now we won’t keep searching for an answer that isn’t there. She may just have to skip this step since it is a teacher training day today.
@Brambler My son and most his friends use the teacher’s laptop to log in the HOWDY acct. Then his teacher uploaded the rec letter.
@kc5402 yes, but the student can still see the uploaded document…?
@AggieMomhelp Well, the teacher wont let them see it after log in the acct. my son wait outside the classroom until teacher finish uploading then my son went back in and log out the HOWDY .
And I dont really think the rec letter will make big or any different during the admission process at this point thought .