Son is likely NMSF and interested in Engineering. Is it best to wait for the official NMSF notification to come out in September or submit the application and use the words “likely NMSF”?
That’s a great question. Since they don’t review/accept engineering til after mid October, my gut is you can wait. On the other hand, you can always apply now and update the information in September… But it wouldn’t be on the application, just in supplemental resume.
I would call prospective student center. Get an actual advisor there not a college student.
Engineering doesn’t fill up til January/February so I’m going to say waiting til September is fine but please let us know what you find out. Best of luck!
@kcmodad , did you get clarification from a Prospective Student Center advisor?
My daughter is in a similar situation (possible NMSF + Engineering). She paused on the NM question but ended up leaving it blank (since it wasn’t required).
On the scholarship application that NM question appeared again. I emailed the TAMU Scholarship & Financial Aid office, and an advisor replied, “Our office does not use the self-reported National Merit status. If a student is recognized as a National Scholar then the National Merit corporation will report that information directly to the school the student chooses as their first choice in the spring of their senior year.” So it seems like the NM question isn’t that conclusive in the application (at least the scholarship app). So my daughter left it blank in the scholarship application also.
Since everyone recommends submitting the admissions application as soon as possible to secure a good place in line for housing choices, we decided not to wait for the NMSF announcement in September to answer the question in the application. (Does your son plan to live in a dorm?)
To look at it another way, if your son is a potential NMSF, I would assume he’s probably a top 10% auto-admit to the University and also likely a strong student to be accepted into Engineering. (Are you in-state?) So, assuming being admitted isn’t a major concern, if he plans to live in a dorm, why not apply early to get his preferred choice in housing?
(Frankly, I don’t know how much of a difference waiting one month to apply will make on housing options later. I’d love for someone, ahem @AggieMomhelp , to give some dorm-filling examples based on previous years.)
Lol “ahem”.
But what specifically are you wanting in regards to dorm? It’s such a personal feel type of thing. Hullabaloo has been too choice for a while but when the modulars were renovated recently, they too became increasingly popular.
Applying doesn’t necessarily correspond to earlier acceptance date but it can help. Acceptance date definitely corresponds to housing application. Once accepted (get those 6 tabs) then complete phase 1 in housing application and pay deposit. That secures your spot in line to select your dorm (typically done in May).
Does this help?
I debated on whether to continue my dorm question in this NMSF/application timing thread, but since it might affect the OP’s son’s decision to apply now or wait until the NMSF list in September, I’ll go ahead …
@AggieMomhelp , we’re curious to know the order in which dorms typically fill up. You gave us a hint of it, but it’d be nice to know if it’s something like:
Hullabaloo > Northside Modulars > Commons > Southside Modulars > etc.
And it’d be interesting to know if, say, someone who applied in early August (and went through the six tabs as soon as reasonably possible) got dibs on any dorm, but someone who applied in late September missed out on Hullabaloo and all Modulars and got the very last pick in the Commons. (DD is interested in the Commons for the Engineering Village and other amenities.)
We are OOS and also waiting for NMSF announcement. If I remember correctly my older son who is now junior engineering honor in TAMU applied in October 2018, deposit dorm in March 2019 and lived in Mosher.
Hullabaloo, north side mods and then south side mods. The commons are next along with white creek. But with that being said… last year everyone and I mean everyone on here was stressed about this process, including those that were accepted and paid deposit in September all the way to those who did the same in March. Not a single person that I recall was disappointed in the dorm they ended up with when it was all said and done. This is truly not as big a deal as we parents (yes myself included back in the day) make it out to be. It always works out. You could have a crazy roommate lol but location and type of dorm isn’t an issue.
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FWIW, my auto admit son submitted his application at the very end of august three years ago and was admitted on the first day (mid september) of known (CC members) admittances. We did wait a day to pay housing fee so had second day of housing choice but there was opeings everywhere.
I see what you are asking though - what is the latest one can turn in a auto application and still be part of the first day of acceptances. Might be worth it to look at last year.
@NDTA96 you’d be surprised at what a day or two means, when it comes to dorm selection.
Hullabaloo and Northside Modulars fill up fastest. In 2019, Hullabaloo was full by end of day 2. This past year, the incoming class seemed to be 50/50 between Hullabaloo and Northside Modulars.
If your son wants to live on campus, and has strong opinions about certain dorms and/or side (Northside v Southside), apply NOW and be ready to pay housing deposit As Soon As his acceptance appears. Not kidding. It goes by time stamp deposit is paid.
@52AG82 , thanks for the extra insight. I think you meant to reply to @kcmodad , who was asking whether to apply now or wait.
(My daughter applied 8/9; UIN received 8/14. I was curious in knowing if all the you-must-apply-this-minute-or-else-good-dorms-gone stress was real or overblown. Thanks, @AggieMomhelp , for your input. Since DD is interested in the Commons, and not Hullabaloo or the Modulars, that’s a little less stress.)
Speaking of NMSF, does anyone know the semifinalists announcement date? Nationalmerit.org says “early September” but I thought they usually give an exact date.
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