I applied for TAMS, and I found out today that I was waitlisted. I take PAP English 2, PAP Algebra 2, PAP Chemistry, Reg World History, P.E., PAP Ceramics, and PAP Drawing. I’m ranked 3/750, and all my grades are 97+. In the group interview, I came off as EXTREMELY nervous, and I come only finish two challenges in the social interview because of my uncooperative group. The math test was really easy, so I think I aced that. Do I have a chance?
Hello I’m a current TAMSter!
You definitely do have a chance! There are people who currently attend TAMS who were initially waitlisted and now are successful students! There is definitely a good amount of students who are admitted and turn down their offer of admissions.
Looking at your numbers you seem to have a pretty high chance of getting admitted, but admissions have recently tried not to weigh numbers in too much because of the low retention rate of Class of 2017. It’s really hard to say but I really hope you get off the waitlist, but even if you don’t, you seem to have succeeded at your current high school, so keep up the good work!
Thank you! I really appreciate and would you recommend that I write a letter of continued interest to TAMS? 
A letter of continued interest wouldn’t hurt, but it is not necessary. I would wait for a week before sending one in, because there is a good chance that you will get offered admission in a week or so, since the current regular admits have about less than a week to make a decision on their admission offer.
There are people who get offers of admission as late as July. TAMS always works very hard to fill up the 200~205 slots for the incoming junior class!
Hi Mathlover1111, would you consider the program difficult? Chemistry is a little hard for me but it’s doable so could you also tell me about the difference between honors and regular Chem? I struggle a lot in writing because it’s hard for me to come up with ideas of what to write quickly. Can you tell me about the English course? Sorry for asking a lot of questions at once, but I really appreciate you answering my questions.
Hey all,
I was waitlisted as well, and I am wondering how I stack up to others on the waitlist and to those who have been admitted.
Rank: 1 out of ~160 (I live in a rural area)
SAT: 1410, 750 Reading 660 Math (This part hit my chances, I believe)
As difficult of courses as possible, with 99 in PAP Eng II, 97 in PAP World History, 98-99 in PAP Geometry (Alg 2 goes before this class at our school), 100 in PAP Chemistry, and 95 or so in PAP Spanish I.
I am fairly involved in extracurricular that are available at our school, with involvement in UIL One Act Play, UIL Science, UIL Mathematics, UIL Number Sense, and UIL Ready Writing. I am also the Student Body Class Vice President (not that it matters much anyways) and am a part of Drama Club.
In 9th grade our DI team advanced to state and I was a part of Debate, but I was unable to continue those two this year due to a lack of a team and a lack of a sponsor willing to take us to tournaments.
There may be a few more things I could add to the list, such as community service, but that is all I can really recall off the top of my head.
Hi PanTX19, you seem way more qualified than me even though I don’t live in a rural area. You’re SAT scores were a lot better than mine (sad to say it’s 1230 ;-; 580 on reading and 650 on math) and a lot of applicants used a program called KD but your scores seem pretty similar to what they get on it. Your extracurriculars seem really good compared to mine and just in general. My rank is 3/750 in a non rural area and I take the hardest classes too excluding AP world history. My semester grades are 97+ I believe. I’m in chess club, human rights club, Mu Alpha Theta, NHS, spirit club, and in a branch of a national Buddhist organization. I don’t have many leadership roles (volunteer coordinator for like one thing), awards (honor roll stuff), or any academic related extracurriculars (nothing besides Mu Alpha Theta and NHS). I think you have a really good chance of being offered admission and hopefully we both make it. Like Mathlover1111 said, they’ll keep offering admittance until they reach the maximum, and the people accepted only have one week to decide.
Hey ryaanwong,
I’m not sure what KD is - a quick search turns up a prep school, which is what I assume you are talking about - but it feels somewhat nice that my SAT scores, with no prep, are similar to theirs. I really need to improve my math scores though.
I have no experience with extracurricular activities in larger cities, so I am not sure what is “good” and “not good”, but it seems like you are active in several clubs. Moreover, I assume that it is more difficult to get academic awards in larger schools due to the increased competition, so I don’t know if having little academic awards will impact you negatively.
I really do hope that we both get in! For me, the talent and intelligence in the peer group, combined with the course selection and the research opportunities available really do make TAMS a life changing experience, especially since my high school does not have a reputation for people going far academically.
I also think that even in your case, with a much larger high school, that TAMS will truly be an upgrade as far as course selection and opportunity goes.
Best of luck!
Hello Friends
I am also wait listed yesterday. I already attend a STEM focused Academy.
Tennis (7th, 8th, 9th)
Orchestra (7th, 8th)
Youth Club (8th, 9th, 10th)
Chess (7th, 8th)
Science Fair (7th, 9th, 10th)
Engineering Design Competition (EDC) (8th)
Kumon Math - Advanced Student Honor Roll (ASHR) (7th, 8th, 9th)
Scientific Research Design (SRD) (9th)
Distinguished Lecture Series-Science & Technology (9th, 10th)
Industrial Tours (Anadarko, Exxon Mobil etc) (9th)
Volunteer/Internship at Medical Facility (9th)
Tutor at Kumon Math and Reading Learning Center (8th, 9th, 10th)
Awards and Honors Duke TIP Talent search State and Grand recognition (7th)
2014 Sci://tech Science Fair engineering 1st place (7th)
Junior High Spelling Bee recognition (7th, 8th)
Chess Tournament 1st place (7th, 9th)
2016 SEFH John M. Dilorio Award 2nd place (9th)
Houston Science Fair 3rd place in Chemistry (9th)
Superior Achievement Award in Algebra (8th)
Junior High Outstanding Achievement Recognition (9th)
Kumon Math Program Completion (7th, 8th, 9th)
Ambassador Appreciation Certificate (8th)
Student Union (9th)
Youth Club member (7th, 8th, 9th, 10th)
1960 Chess Club (7th, 8th)
High school Tennis club (9th)
Junior High Tennis club (7th, 8th)
Junior High Orchestra (7th)
Volunteer at Outpatient VA Clinic (10th)
Junior State of America (JSA) (10th)
Course Work:
AP Stats ,
AP World History, AP European History, AP Human Geography all 90+
Class Rank: 32/735 (very highly competitive STEM academy is part of the highschool)
All rest of my classes PAP Calculus, PAP Chemistry, PAP Computer Science, PAP English II - All 90+
SAT: 1540 (Math:800/800; reading: 740/800); First Try 1490 (Math 750/800 and reading 740/800)
PSAT: 1490
What are my chances of accepatance
Hello Mathlover1111,
I also love Math… Can you shed some light and advice as you are already a TAMster!! Thanks in advance.
Hey TWLAST2019,
I am, to be perfectly honest, confused as to why you are on the waiting list. I understand that TAMS does not focus on numbers, but you seem to be a good candidate that is involved in extracurricular activities and has great SAT scores.
My only guess, and do correct me if I am wrong, would be that several kids applied from your school, and the TAMS admissions team weigh your school harsher than others. Either way, you seem to have a better chance than I do at getting in, but I really do not know the process or the amount that your location (rural vs urban STEM school) matters.
I do wish you luck!
Hi ryaanwong,
I’m also a current TAMS student, and I can definitely say you seem like a passionate person with strong interests. I truly hope you are able to make it past the waitlist!
As for honors and gen chem, the primary differences are the teaching style and background knowledge recommended for each course. Honors chem is more fast-paced, heavily math/calculation projected, and it is better suited for students who have taken AP chemistry or have a strong interest in chemistry. General chemistry goes at a slower pace but does a better job at teaching conceptual material, which is useful if you plan on furthering your chemistry pursuits. Both are good courses and suit different types of people - there is no better course to take in my opinion. It simply depends on your learning style and interests.
As for English, the style of coursework depends on which professor you get - each class is pretty unique as far as class work and discussions, but the overall content stays the same.
And don’t get discouraged if you have been waitlisted my friends! This is an opportunity to learn and better acquaint yourself with your strengths and weaknesses. Everything happens for a reason, so perhaps something greater and brighter will come to you even if you don’t come to TAMS - this step shapes your path into the future and guides you to your destiny. TAMS or not, you can still accomplish great things I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors!
If you are confused about the selection process, TAMS is very careful about its admissions. Generally, people who are not just book smart but who show leadership, character, and integrity are highly valued in the TAMS community. Being passionate and well-rounded are also traits that really shine, but there’s a point to which it may be unclear to the selection committee if students are passionate about a particular subject/interest or if they are simply looking for opportunities to boost their resumes. Ultimately, grades and scores can really influence a decision, but they look for people who are able to contribute something to the community and represent TAMS in a positive light. Additionally, location tends to play a small role in selection - sometimes, there are large influxes of students who apply from a specific area, and it makes it more difficult on the committee to accept such large quantities of highly qualified applicants.
Again, don’t get discouraged - you all are talented and driven people, and I can already see bright futures for you all
rihcnas covered almost everything, so I’ll just say something about the interview because he/she didn’t talk about it. (I’m a senior btw)
Don’t worry about having been nervous at the interview, I’m sure other applicants were just as nervous as you were going into the interview, and, if it makes you feel better, I was extremely nervous at my interview as well. Also, you may think that it went a certain way, but in reality your interviewer may have thought differently. They’ll understand that you (and other applicants) were nervous at the time, plus don’t forget that your responses play a role as well.
As for the group interview, don’t sweat about it. It’s completely okay that your group only completed two challenges, because the number of challenges wasn’t something that we were told to note. Rather, it was more about how you worked in your group, how you acted in it, etc. etc. (I know this because I helped with the group interviews this year).
Hope this helps!
Have any of you on the wait list heard back?
Hey ryaanwong,
Assuming that applicants had a week to state whether they are attending or not, it has only been a couple of days past the deadline. It will take time for applicants to be reevaluated and for invitations to be determined; spots may open up randomly after that as well.
The individual who last went to TAMS from my school said that she was waitlisted and it took a long time for her to find out. I am not sure if it will be the same with this year or if the process will be expedited.
Best of luck!
I GOT IN! Anyone else get accepted?
I wrote a letter of continued interest after finding out I got waitlisted because my friend that’s part of the alumni recommended it. If you guys didn’t get accepted yet, I would recommend the same and hopefully I’ll be your classmate next year.
Hey ryaanwong,
I have been accepted as well! It’s great to hear that you got in.
I didn’t necessarily send a letter of continued interest; however, I have been updating my application with additional rewards and extracurricular activities.
I wish the best of luck to those still waiting - I do hope that you receive a response!
Hello Ryanwong and PanTX19
I am also admitted just yesterday.