Chance me for TAMS!

Prep School Admissions Prep School Chances
1

<p>Hello :)! I'm a freshman in high school. I'm currently in Precalculus, and I am eligible to apply for TAMS my freshman year. I was wondering if you guys could chance me :).</p>

<p>(NOTE: ALL GRADES ARE UNWEIGHTED)</p>

<p>7TH GRADE
(I forgot my official grades, but I made a 99 in Algebra 1 and had all 95+).</p>

<p>8TH GRADE
PREAP GEOMETRY - 97
PREAP LANGUAGE ARTS - 94
T. ARTS III - 95
PREAP SCIENCE - 93
MEDIA MANIA 2 - 100
HEALTH - 97
PREAP US. HISTORY - 93
ART 1 - 93</p>

<p>9TH GRADE (SO FAR)
PREAP PRECALCULUS - 99
PE ACTIVITIES - 100
PREAP ENGLISH 1 - 96
AP HUMAN GEOGRAPHY - 96
MANDARIN CHINESE 1 - 94
AP BIOLOGY - 98</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULAR THINGS
1) SUMMER INTERNSHIP FOR COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
2) COMPUTER SCIENCE COMPETITIONS
3) MANY THEATRE ARTS PRODUCTIONS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL
4) MIDDLE SCHOOL DEBATE / HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE - NFL MEMBERSHIP
5) MANY JOBS AT COMPUTER PROGRAMMING BUSINESSES
6) NATIONAL JUNIOR HONORS SOCIETY</p>

<p>Got above a 200 on the PSAT (Forgot the exact number), haven't got my SAT scores back yet. I believe that I probably got around 2200 considering the practice tests I took.</p>

<p>I've been programming since I was eight years old, I have a professional resume for computer science freelance work, and I really want to challenge myself with the TAMS program. What do you think?</p>

2

<p>I forgot to specify what TAMS is:</p>

<p>The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (at the University of North Texas) is a highly selective program for juniors and seniors living in Texas. Only about 200 sophomores (only from Texas) are accepted into it for their junior year each year.</p>

<p>TAMS students graduate in two years with an advanced high school diploma and 60 or more transferable college credits – enough to start their college junior year at UNT or other universities nationwide, two-years ahead of their age-mates. (copied from website)</p>

3

<p>You’l definitely get in. I got in with a 1900 but I didn’t go. Best decision of my life tbh. It looks good on paper, but its a bad idea. I’m giving you genuine advice here so take it to heart. Still apply, and get in, but just be warned that it doesn’t seem as perfect as you would think. </p>

4

<p>Thanks for the advice :). I have one more question. Will it change if I apply for Early Eligibility? Unfortunately I’m not going to get back my SAT scores before the deadline, so I can’t apply Early. Will that reduce the chance of my admission.</p>

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<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE:
Excessive bumping of one’s own thread is grounds for closing it. If others wish to reply, they will.</p>

6

<p>@Chedva‌ Sorry, I’ll keep that in mind :).</p>

7

<p>@HolmesOG Do you think I won’t get in if I apply for the regular deadline instead of the early deadline?</p>

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<p>Don’t go to TAMS</p>

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<p>@HolmesOG It will take more than an anonymous post on College Confidential to convince me not to attend TAMS. Can you describe in more detail why you believe TAMS is a bad program? It looks great to me.</p>

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<p>It is great. I want to go to TAMS as well. Why should we not go to TAMS?</p>

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<p>Heyy! I’m currently a TAMS junior, so I can answer a few of your questions.</p>

<p>I think what @HolmesOG‌ means is that TAMS isn’t for everyone and people don’t always benefit from this program. The semester is almost over and already in my class around 15 people have dropped out. Many of them because they missed their friends or they were homesick.</p>

<p>You seem (according to your ECs and grades) like you might fit pretty well here, but then again it all depends on the makeup of the class you’ll be in. I think if you get in, you’ll be the class of 2017 (so I’ll be your senior). For me, TAMS is such an amazing program and the two years seem like a such a short time. No one can really tell you if you’re suited for TAMS or whether you’ll like it here or not; it’s all up to you and what kind of person you are. For the class of 2015 (my seniors), the seniors right now are very apt for TAMS because they’ve been through a year already and have an idea of what they should do to succeed.</p>

<p>So what I’m saying is that if you get in (which you meet seeing everything in the first post), give TAMS a month or so before you decide whether it’s right for you :)</p>

<p>Now, onto the chancing.</p>

<p>My application was a bit similar to yours but I had very extreme extracurriculars. Like I had scuba diving and stuff like that. I didn’t have many computer science events or medical stuff. My 7th year grades were just average, but my 9th year grades were stellar (I applied after 9th grade, so I didn’t do my 10th year in high school). Also, I had A LOT of ECs. </p>

<p>I’m not saying you should forsake all you have right now, because I think your application is really good. And I honestly can’t really chance you very well, because it depends on the committee that evaluates you and the skill of the application pool. </p>

<p>But one tip that will help you IMMENSELY is to be sincere. Don’t lie on your app. and do not exaggerate things you’ve done. Try to get your sincerity across through the essay and if you get an interview be really really sincere and show them you can work hard. That will always help.</p>

<p>I hope this helped! :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Good luck on your application!</p>

<p>-Lakisha</p>

12

<p>I don’t know if you have gotten your SAT’s back or not but i called the admissions office and this is what they said they like to see on SAT’s:
Math: 650+
Writing: 600+
Critical Reading: 600+</p>

13

<p>TAMS student here! I really don’t know how exactly they handle freshmen, but I know that you would undoubtedly get in as a sophomore applying, so you’ll probably be fine. Your application is incredible. You never said if you are a boy or girl or where you’re from (those two a big deal in TAMS admission), but with your stuff (even if you only get a 2100) it doesn’t matter. Take Lakisha’s advice about the essays. Thanks for the official recommendations, @ABBDANTHO !</p>

<p>On to whether it’s right for you: probably. I know there were very few programmers at my high school, but I can name 5 people in my grade of TAMS (junior) that seem to have your level of involvement in programming. </p>

<p>I would imagine you would want to take computer science classes at UNT for electives. I imagine you would not want to take first or second semester computer science courses, so you will be asking professors nicely to let you take or unofficially audit (ie. sit in on) upper level comp sci courses. You can look on UNT’s website to see what you might want to take here. To quote a senior at TAMS, “Prerequisites are just another term for ‘ask the teacher for permission.’” They may ask you to take a previous year’s final for a prerequisite class; it would probably just be on basics of C or something. In fact, you can email professors now about if they would in the future let you take the class without having the prerequisites.</p>

<p>The computer science club at TAMS mostly serves to help students do competitions. This year, Computer Science Organization (the club calls itself CSO) has paid the entrance fees and plane ticket fares for all of the competitions and hackathons that TAMS kids wanted to do. A lot of kids like to do hackathons, and TAMS kids have already won $30,000 from hackathons this year. CSO would probably let you teach weekly programming lessons if you want.</p>

14

I’m a Junior at TAMS right now and I wanted to say great advice and all but the last paragraph is a bit exaggerated. Yeah CSO is awesome and all but it all depends on the individual student. As far as lessons go it depends on who you ask. And finally, one shouldn’t be doing hackathons for the money

15

I found you brother :wink: You have pretty good chances! (Especially since I got in) Love your awesome big sis/ member of class of 2017!