Thank you @TexasTrue for the inquiry and sharing the response from TAMU.
I do want to clear one thing up that some may read more into because it is a bit ambiguous, even on the website if you are not reading it from their point of view.
This is taken directly from the FAQ page for PSA.
The PSA was designed for students who are interested in a participating major. We never recommend using the PSA to be admitted to TAMU with the intention of switching to the major you really want.
This means that if the major you want at A&M is not a participating major through PSA, then PSA is not a vehicle to get to A&M via a participating PSA major and then switching majors at A&M.
In the response above, âThis is because high school seniors change their mind on their major quite frequently and we want to give them an option to get to A&M.â The representative is talking about Seniors changing their minds on the major they put on their Apply Texas application in July after their Jr year and may change their mind by by August after their senior year. It does NOT mean that they accept PSA under a participating major and then change their mind to a non PSA participating major to get into their preferred major at A&M.
Under the FAQ page, it has a question that reads:
What if the system school doesnât have my intended major?
The major choice at the system school does not matter. All that matters is that the system school will allow you to take the courses you need for your intended major at Texas A&M.
What this is saying is for example, if your PSA participating major is Visualization and Tarleton does not offer Visualization, it does not matter that Tarleton doesnât offer the Viz major. What matters is that you are allowed to take the required courses for transfer into Viz at Tarleton. When looking at the transfer course sheet for Viz, this can be achieved.
PSA also suggests that you contact the PSA school that you accept for any prerequisites needed for classes.
For example, the Viz major requires Math 151 and 152. Many schools will require a math placement test to enter that class or a prerequisite math. If you need a prerequisite math, that can be taken over the summer at a community college or give you time to study up for the Math Placement Exam. Some schools will allow this to be waived by a minimum math score on the SAT/ACT.
Thank you @Thelma2. To be sure not to mislead anyone about the Viz program at TAMU, the Viz dept. has confirmed that they no longer participate in PSA. There is no PSA or PTA route for Viz.
@TexasTrue that is definitely good to know that! I was just using that major as an example, as that major can be confusing for PSA in the past due to the sequence of actual VIZ classes taken freshman year and not available at system schools. . I had no idea it wasnât offered for 2019-2020.
Iâm still trying to understand a timeline. If PSA is offered to a student, they then need to select which school (if given more than one option) to attend for the PSA program. How fast does this selection need to take place? Those satellite campus PSA programs fill up, correct?
In my sonâs case, his major (RPTS) participates in PSA, but major classes are not offered anywhere but CStat. The PSA courses are all core classes he could technically take anywhere and transfer, but we like the idea of guaranteed admission.
@daleNchip
When PSA is offered to an applicant, technically, they have until May 1 to accept or deny their admissions decision.
Not all applicants will be offered all 8 system schools. The system schools use class rank/test scores minimums to qualify you for admission. Most students are eligible for admission at all 8 system schools but some students are not.
System schools do not have unlimited spots for PSA applicants. I do not know how many seats are available at each system school. I am not sure there is anyway to know that. The first post on this thread has a link to every system school that I could find that had a specific PSA webpage. It behooves every applicant to research which school before receiving a PSA offer, if that could be a realistic offer coming down the pipe.
Yes, spots do and can fill up at system schools but they donât always every year. It just depends on how many accept the offers. Tarleton, Corpus Christi, and West Texas A&M are the most popular over Prairie View (Texasâ first HBCU) International (Laredo), Commerce (formerly East Tx State University and joint the A&M system in 1996) and Texarkana (started out as a branch campus of East Tx State University est. 1971. With the merging of ETSU into the system, Texarkana was absorbed as well and reopened as a separate university in the A&M system) or Kingsville (became part of A&M system in 1989).
For RPTS, your son would not take major classes until he was an A&M student. He would follow the 2019-2020 version of this degree plan. http://admissions.tamu.edu/admissions-staging/media/Main/pdfs-psa/AG-Rec-Parks-Tourism.pdf
He could follow the course sheet anywhere else, but he would not be guaranteed admissions. Students on pathway agreements with A&M, such as PSA, PTA and likely Blinn Team, will get priority over outside transfer students. Internal change of majors will also get priority over outside transfers. Outside Transfer applicants will go through a competitive admissions process by the department.
I forgot to mention that the Aggieland Prospective Student Center at 979-458-0950 can help answer specific questions. We have called them about PSA things over the years.
@Thelma2 , thanks for the detailed response. I did look at the first post and all of the links prior to posting my question. Itâs not so much the PSA program I donât understand, itâs the offer that I donât understand. With luck, by the end of the week, Iâll be able to answer my own question. Off to learn more about these eight schools. . .
For others confused about the offer and next steps, I dug around on the Tarleton link @Thelma2 shared and found this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfPYC6rwDXU Cleared up some of my questions about the offer and next steps.
OMG @daleNchip You hit on a goldmine with that link! That will be extremely helpful to all. Iâm sorry I misunderstood your question.
Please share what you find out. I am sure many others have the same questions.
https://www.tarleton.edu/admissions/undergrads/psa.html
Scroll down on this page to find links to lots of PSA FAQ YouTube videos. I know some of the videos are specific to Tarleton, but most are good, general information. I admit, the first time I clicked on the link, I didnât scroll down far enough. :-S
@daleNchip Thx SO much for sharing that link - itâs like it was just meant for this forum! Iâm now intrigued as to how other system schools embrace this PSA opportunity⊠Way to step up Tarleton 
On the first post, every system school that has itâs own PSA web page is listed there.
Every single FAQ video link on the Corpus Christi PSA site is a dead link. Thatâs kind of a bummer. In doing some research, I came across a report from last March that indicated TAMUCC on-campus housing was tough to come by already. (TAMUCC does not have a requirement to live on campus.) I called TAMUCC housing directly this morning and inquired how difficult it would be today to get on-campus housing for an incoming Freshman next Fall. The rep on the phone told me several of the layouts were already on waitlists.
If on-campus housing is important to you/your kiddo and you think TAMUCC might be your PSA choice, I recommend you call and get an update. For my family, on-campus residence hall is non-negotiable. This kidâs not ready for apartment living just yet. Your mileage may vary.
thanks for all the research and reporting @daleNchip.
Indeed, @daleNchip Thank you! Very helpful information
I just checked my sonâs AIS and he has been offered PSA! The Complete and In Review changed to:
Youâve Been Offered the Program for System Admission (PSA)!
Iâm not going to click anything else until he gets home. Will report back on details of offer.
My daughter got PSA offer too. All I can see is a letter offering PSA but it says look in AIS for which places she was offered PSA & I cannot find anything that says it
@Mommydoodle You may have been tagged on this already but just in case, she needs to accept the PSA offer to see the schools they are offering her
@Thelma2 that seems backwards. What if she accepts & then doesnât want the options?
And to be clear, she cannot do PSA as a business major correct? Because AIS still lists her as a business major.
@Mommydoodle I donât think it is a done deal until she selects a school and submits that. Then A&M will send the info to that system school