Opinions on what my chances to get into Texas A&M are

Colleges and Universities A-Z Texas A&M University
1

Hello,
I am currently a junior in high school. Texas A&M is my dream school. I was just wondering if anyone would be willing to give me any feedback based on some of my stats. (@Thelma2, I have seen you on a lot of these forums and I would love to hear your opinion if you are willing.)

I am currently in the top 15% of my class (I do not remember my exact ranking but I think it is around 125/804 or something like that). However, by the end of this year, my ranking should improve a bit due to my grades.

I was sick with the flu the day of the district-wide SAT administration, and all the other ones I have been signing up for have been cancelled due to COVID-19. I am on the priority list for the August one, and am signed up for the July ACT as well. I know that it will be hard to estimate my chances without my test scores, but I have been practicing a lot for my SAT and I have always had good scores on my PSAT (ranking in 85th-97th percentiles).

Academics (by the end of my high school career):
-7 Pre-International Baccalaureate courses (I received A’s in all of them with the exceptions of physics and chemistry. I also am no longer in the IB program because the school would not let me take any Advanced Science courses such as Anatomy while in this program)
-3 AP courses, 5 Pre-AP courses with a majority of A’s, maybe one or two high B’s thrown in there
-6 Dual Credit courses (2 of those being over the summer), have received very high A’s in all of them so far
-3 Advanced Science courses

Extracurriculars:
-National Honor Society
-National English Honor Society
-Spanish National Honor Society
-Junior Guild (treasurer leadership position for the past 2 years)
-Girlscouts (have earned my bronze and silver award, and am hoping to get my gold if able this summer)
-Part time job (got the job the first week of October 2019, and am planning on keeping it until college)
-I also plan on doing a lot of baby/pet sitting throughout the summer and next year

I have a ton of volunteer hours due to my participation in organizations that require them. I have also volunteered for some events such as the MS150 and Wreaths Across America. I also plan on spending a lot of my Saturday mornings next year volunteering at an animal shelter that I used to frequently volunteer at).

I attended the recent Howdy day and was informed that double majoring in General Biology and Genetics is the best option for me (I want to be a geneticist, and one of the reasons I love Texas A&M so much is because they actually have a genetics major).

I am so sorry for all of the reading, I am just currently feeling as if there is no way that I will be able to get into this school, especially since they are no longer doing Academic Automatic Admissions. Any and all opinions are appreciated. Thank you.

2

I certainly do not have the experience that other posters have… but since no one else has posted a reply I will give you my 2 cents.

If you aren’t in the top 10% at the time you apply, you may qualify as a review admit.
From the admissions website at http://admissions.tamu.edu/freshman/admitted:

"If you do not qualify for top 10% or academic admission, but meet the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy, you will be reviewed based on:

your application and essay
class rank and SAT and/or ACT scores
extracurricular activities, community service, leadership, employment and summer activities
talents, awards and honors"

It sounds like you’re doing everything to meet those other requirements. I would add that you can start thinking about how you want to approach your essays, as this may be an area that will give you a boost if your stats are not as strong as other applicants.

For example, is there a way to tie together your volunteer/community service and your love for Biology/Genetics? Have your already decided what your Gold Award project is going to be? - maybe you can bring in some biology or genetics there?

If you can’t get admitted to the College Station campus, there are other pathways to being an Aggie. I know they are not the ideal, but there are opportunities like TEAM and PSA - go to the admissions page and scroll down to see the choices. I don’t know all the specifics and differences between all of them, but hopefully one of the more experienced CC members can chime in and help us learn. There are families on CC whose kids have enjoyed success in these programs, and they might be able to tell you more about them.

3

Highly recommend getting your gold star before you apply. High SAT/ACT with that and everything you listed I think you have a great chance.

4

Just an update…

I applied with all of the stats listed above on August 8th, 2020 and got my official acceptance on October 29th, 2020! #Aggiebound!!

1 Like
5

@jmarie03 Congratulations!!! I am excited for you!

6

This is awesome! Congrats and welcome to Aggieland!