I’ve done a lot of reading and one thing I cannot figure out is how they assign the students. For example, you don’t get CSTAT, is the next slot Blinn Engineering at Bryan and then Galveston? My son would prefer Blinn, because of course he wants to be in CSTAT, but is Galveston considered a tier above since it’s full enrollment and not co-enrollment? He would accept either offer but he would have to adjust to the idea of Galveston. I would be happy with either.
For reference he is 1Q, 1360 SAT, 720 math. AP chem, AP physics & AP calculus among others.
@keetsmom This is just my opinion…but perhaps it is based on a students home location; ie students in southeast Texas may be more likely to get Galveston, and those closer to McAllen would get that, and those in cental Texas and elsewhere would get Bryan? No proof but it does make you wonder…
location of the applicant has nothing to do with where you are offered a slot between full admit (Galveston and McAllen) and the Blinn-Bryan Academy. Once CS fills up they will offer Galveston and or McAllen. Location may have something to with those but that is pure speculation on my part. After the full admits are filled, then they offer the Blinn-Bryan Engineering Academy. If you don’t make that cut, then they will offer you PSA or invite you to apply to one of the other engineering academies.
@KeetsMom My strong impression from last year is that TAMU walks down the applicant scores/rank list MORE OR LESS from academic “top” down and puts admitted students in full admit, then Blinn Engineering at Bryan, then Galveston. There were exceptions. There were some relatively lower scores that received TEAB last year. This year, it appears that some cases were given the choice of TEAB early on, but not anywhere near enough cases to give the impression of the full wave of TEAB admissions. I believe the same may have happened last year as well. Your son has a good math SAT score and is 1Q. He has good preparation for math and science. Normally, one might expect him to get a TEAB assignment. This year, I am wondering whether the reported reduced number of review admits expected to receive a full admit will push some students a little further down this order than last year. This is just something I’m wondering about, nothing more. Essentially everyone wants to be in CS, either full admit or TEAB, from the beginning, and no doubt TAMU knows that. The area also has the infrastructure to handle a lot of students.
When the Galveston admission pool surfaces, I hope to revisit Galveston on this forum, prepared for the disappointments that will be expressed. Anecdotally, I gained mostly positive impressions of the students that I observed at the engineering NSC last summer. I could also give a more detailed view of the location of TAMUG and my first impressions of the campus and of the little I’ve seen of Galveston so far, and provide more ideas about how to get more information to make a decision.
The dividing lines between these various engineering admissions groups will probably always be really tough to call in advance. Hang in there. (I wrote this before @trinley responded to you.)
Thank you @MomHopesNxtGenAg! I appreciate your response. We are waiting eagerly to see what he hears. I do not have his login info to check myself which is probably a good thing. I’m just trying to play it cool which isn’t easy as a mom, but what choice do I have? I’m proud of him wherever he lands.
I have to add that my son’s roommate came in a very high scoring 2Q (definitely >1400) with a lot of AP from a good high school in the north Metroplex area. He went right into Cal III and did well. My son is a pretty solid and well-prepared student with hands-on experience and spatial skills that would be admired in any group. Both of these students are better prepared than almost anyone in my generation, anywhere in the country. We just lose sight of this sometimes. @KeetsMom, you sound like a very and truly supportive parent, and it’s great to encounter this.
Everyone will make the best decision for themselves and their individual situation. My son was not a full admit or a Blinn Bryan admit. But looking on it now, the Blinn Brenham academy offers some advantages over Galveston and McAllen. You are closer to CS (about 30 minutes or so) so it is easier to get to games, Zachary and advisors and to hang out with friends in CS. It is also quit the motivator as you can taste CS, but can’t have the whole thing yet. The dorm in Brenham is brand new and each student gets there own private BR and shares a bath. class sizes are about 25 except for the Engineering class. and it is MUCH cheaper. I am saving about $7k his freshman year. The only downside other than not being in CS is that you need to make at lease a 2.5 in your Blinn classes to transition (same as Blinn Bryan). But if your doing engineering and competing for major slots, you had better have a greater than 2.5 anyway.
OK - so it’s not TAMU but it’s one that he has visited and loved, and said felt good; Son just got accepted to Co School of Mines with the $9k/year scholarship!!! I’m so frickin relieved as is it’s his first acceptance (after getting rejected from UTAustin on a residency error so we’re waiting on the appeal). I’m just SO relieved I can’t even explain it - at least I know where one of my family members might be living this fall…LOL!!
Do you get to choose whether you want to attend blinn engineering academy in bryan or blinn engineering academy in brenham if u dont get full admit to cstat? Because I would really prefer blinn bryan due to the fact that its more near cstat campus and u can still live on cstat main campus.
d totally jump on that acceptance and call it a day!<<<<<<<<<<
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CSM is 55K a year so (9K) doesn't touch that really, I would wait out with TAMU instate being more like half that cost. CSM has a low yield for OOS students. I would also want my kid being solidly in the higher end of CSM's CDS stats to consider OOS attendance. It has a reputation as a difficult school and unlike TAMU has no softer landings of wide ranging major alternatives.