As one poster wondered, one difference among the various non-full admission engineering slots might be whether it could be easier to change majors ~midyear from a distant full admission slot vs. attending an engineering academy. There are probably some McAllen engineering admissions also coming soon, and it’s worth bringing this issue up. Otherwise, these options are equivalent ETAM-wise sophomore year if staying in engineering, committed to making good grades, and able to do so. Yes, the cost and other considerations would be different.
The helpful Engineering at Galveston representative at (409)741-4381 told me just now that students are able to transfer out of engineering midyear if they meet the requirements of the receiving department’s transfer. They have had experience with students transferring to political science midyear, among others, and transitioning to CS. Note that transfer to business midyear cannot be done. There are some students that transfer to General Studies, for example, but shouldn’t remain in that major more than one semester.
@tad1985 I was speaking in the context of being a full admit. Could have worded it more precisely. You are admitted to the Engineering program at A&M but if you do not meet the program requirements by the end of 2 years you must apply to a department for a change of major and transfer. I was just making the point that Galveston and Brenham are not the same to the poster who asked for input.
when do award letters go out?
@MomHopesNxtGenAg Is your son considering Brenham as well. We went yesterday and spoke with Ms. Hermes and received a lot of helpful information and guidance including what classes she would recommend he take his freshman and sophomore year as well as summer options, etc. They are building a new dorm to open in Fall 2018 and the first floor will hold the engineering classroom. Let me know your thoughts if your son decides on this route.
Ms. Hermes told me their success rate at Brenham Engineering Academy is higher than Bryan Engineering Academy!
@tad1985 The current plan is for my son to apply March 1 to Blinn-Brenham and use additional time to visit, gather info from you all, etc. We are 5-6 hours from Galveston and will need a clear opportunity to visit. I was hoping not to pull my son from school at all before finals are over, including for the March 22 preview day.
I have absolutely no doubt that the Blinn-Brenham academy is a worthwhile situation and suspect money will continue to be poured into it. What did you think about the situation there overall? Do they believe they may have a bigger incoming group next year? Was there anything unusual that you heard about in terms of opportunities, etc.? Many folks will be interested in your impressions from your visit.
Did Ms. Hermes indicate what their expected number of engineering students would be in the future? They must have some idea if they are building more dorm space, etc.
As far as the Brenham success rate, one might tend to credit the smaller class size and probable closer interaction between students who all live and take classes together. Students that especially believe they would benefit from this might take note. It’s way cheaper, for sure. Did it feel more like a continuation of high school or more like college? What did your son notice?
@MomHopesNxtGenAg, No, Ms. Hermes said they currently accept 100 in the program. We both noticed the campus looks like a smaller college campus. The building are across the street from each other and in easy walking distance and the baseball field is on the campus as well. The Blinn Park Apartments were off behind the baseball field and across the street from the new dorm complex. My son already comes from a small graduating class so smaller classes did not bother him, in fact he saw this as an advantage to have more one on one time with the professor teaching. Ms. Hermes told him if he takes Calculus III at Brenham his class will be about 30 students compared to 350 at A&M for the same class. Ms. Hermes reiterated that Engineering is very competitive and this first year for all the students no matter where they are is a weeding out process and if he can focus on getting his 3.5 for his choice of major the opportunities are boundless. She also stressed that he not work his first year and focus on the courses which are not going to be easy. Jacob was preapproved based on his Math score and we did the Apply Texas App for Blinn following their directions and waiting for the March 1 date for her to send the application. They also have several scholarships for Valedictorian, Salutation etc as well and several endowed scholarships available.
We still plan to check out Galveston but with a 100 person cap we are not taking any chances. They can join clubs at A&M and be as involved as much or as little as they want. His goal is to transition by the beginning of his sophomore year but Ms. Hermes also said some transition prior the Spring of their sophomore year and take a few additional classes at Brenham but the choice is the students.
My son would have liked to be a direct admit but is open to whatever will help him obtain his final goal which is to be a mechanical engineer and graduate from A&M. Everything happens for a reason:)))
He is an example of what Ms. Hermes said his semester could look like:
Fall Semester: Calculus I; Chemistry for Engineers; Engineer class (A&M) and a Core Curriculum (Sociology); Spring Semester: Calculus II; Physics I; English 2311 and Technical Writing 2301. Now Brenham does require a Summer semester lasting 4 weeks in which they would take Calculus III which she said is a state requirement because they are community college but as she pointed out, would he want to take it with 30 students or 350 in the fall at A&M. He could also take Physics II during the summer as well and then transition to A&M in the Fall of 2019.
Another option she gave was skip summer and work somewhere, return to Brenham in the Fall 2019 and take Calculus III, Physics II, Engineer and another core curriculum for 13 hours or add another CC for 16 hours.
Hope this helps.
Very, very grateful to you for writing all this down! Many people will find this super helpful.
My son wants to be in the Corps. He could do this at Galveston. I can see why he wants to join and would expect this to be a good fit for him. However, this is scary. Grades will be difficult, yes. I think his family will have to decide whether his high school math (through first semester of multivariable calculus, roughly the first part of Cal III) and 2 years of physics, all of which were well taught classes for high school, and his high school engineering classes would help him still get the grades he needs. I don’t say the classes would be of the same difficulty–it’s just whether it will be feasible to get that magic 3.5 gpa. This is a tough call based on no direct knowledge of how the Corps of Midshipmen operates, for example. I guess we just need to get some more information. Thank you again @tad1985.
@MomHopesNxtGenAg Wouldn’t your son be able to join the Corp and be enrolled at Blinn-Brenham? Another thing I forgot to mention was she said the students should work on their resume their first year as well because they take the students to an A&M job fair in January 2019 where they meet prospective companies for internships and cited a current sophomore computer engineering student who interned with the CIA for Homeland Security and they were so impressed they are now paying for his education and offered him a job. She also suggested the students check out Aggie Engineering Club, Aggie Invent and the Study Abroad programs after their freshman year as well as 40 plus organizations they can join. Her email is ashley.hermes@blinn.edu.
My son is playing Baseball so March 22 in Galveston will require him to miss a practice so we may have to go another day. Good Luck to you and your son, I’m sure whatever route ya’ll chose will be the best one for him:)
Thank you, @tad1985.
I don’t absolutely know about the Corps and Blinn-Brenham, actually. I am sure Ms. Hermes could clarify this. I’ll contact her today. There is another poster, @LeStaphSergeant, who might be interested in knowing the answer.
My son will be applying to Blinn-Brenham on March 1 when the application link is issued. Galveston is a long distance from us and we haven’t visited it. We have been watching our son’s grades and maturity like hawks all year, and all options are still on the table. That is excellent information about the A&M job fair for internships. I appreciate you so much for taking your time to write this.
Folks, sit down today and apply to Blinn-Brenham or your choice of Engineering Academy today if you have any interest at all. Blinn has a very easy no-fee application! Put in an online request today to your testing agency to have your scores be sent to Blinn or your choice of academy school. You will sleep better if you have a needed backup plan in place. It is not too late at all. Take action today.
Here is the link to the Blinn-Brenham Engineering Academy information. This website explains the admission process. I suspect the entire application process might take just half an hour, including an online request that scores be sent.
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Small classes, high transfer rate to College Station, hand-picked professors to teach the engineering students, students reside on Brenham campus in Living Learning Community dorms, 45 min. from Texas A&M, excellent and very accessible program director (same one who heads the Blinn-Bryan Engineering Academy)
Hope is not always the answer, no matter who much we may want something to happen. The smart thing is to have a solid Plan B!
Ms. Hermes wrote right back about the Corps at Brenham.
“Students are not able to participate in the Corps of Cadets with Texas A&M as a part of Engineering Academy-Brenham. However, we have had students complete their first year in the program and successfully transfer to Texas A&M and join the Corps at the start of their Sophomore year. I am still in contact with a couple of students who have done so if you need a student perspective on following this path.” Thanks, Ms. Hermes.
Note that Blinn-Brenham Academy will have its preview day on March 9. There is information about this at the website of the last post.
Very disappointed… Son accepted to Galveston. I am reading the reviews of the campus and it is not good. He was accepted to Baylor and Co. School of Mines. He just want Material Science for his major. He is an eagle scout with a 1360 on SAT. He is currently doing research at UTSA as part of his high school program. I have read the threads about Galveston here, but they do not match the reviews from students on other sites.
That’s interesting. Would you share the impressions you have gained from students’ reviews?
I looked at Rate my Professors, Niche and unigo. I found most reviews by searching on reviews for TAMU Galveston. I think it would be a great place for marine biology and marine engineering. TAMU did not care that my son is deathly allergic to all seafood and fish. He can’t touch it or even smell it.
@2dc2018 : Have you spoken to someone on the phone in TAMU admissions about your son’s severe allergy to fish? Perhaps they can change the offer to Blinn-Engineering at Bryan. Perhaps his allergy was overlooked in the application review but I would hope that TAMU would care about his medical condition. And I thought that students with medical issues were often offered Gateway. TAMU has always been so friendly and helpful, I would hate to think that they don’t care about such a serious medical condition.
Please keep us posted.
I did call. Quote “That is the only offer he is going to get”. I am going to encourage him to go to Baylor. He is getting a scholarship. He is in the engineering dorm and can even apply for research opportunities this summer. Plus, they are so nice, and my daughter (same grade) is National Merit Finalist and will attend Baylor. She refused to apply to TAMU after visiting the main campus. I am just disappointed for my son. He really wanted TAMU.
@2dc2018: I am so sorry to hear that the admissions office at TAMU was so insensitive. I wish only the best for both of your children. May all of their dreams come true at Baylor and beyond.