@ErRnMom All these months I was spending time on this thread because my son so wanted to get into Texas A&M, it was his first choice, but I am not going to lie it was not mine. We are from New York and it would be quite expensive to travel and I didn’t see the hype of being an Aggie, at least for us northerners. I didn’t even know what an Aggie was until our visit to Texas. Please read on before you get upset with me…
Now, let me apologize for my opinion to all the wannabe Aggies on this chat. We did spend a week in Texas over the summer and went to visit schools in the area. Upon our visit, I did experience the value of being an Aggie. The people were very friendly and inviting and understood why Texas A&M was so popular. We did learn that this was going to be a reach school considering the fact that the school is mandated by the state to accept 80% of students in-state and my son was not in the top 10% in his high school which is super competitive. So they are loyal to their own, not like up North. So I see why it is crucial that all Texans want to become an Aggie.
I also believe your point on how schools accept some students with lower stats and how aggravating that is. My older two sons went to SUNY schools where a majority of accepted students are international and it is very competitive for even our IS students. I guess that all has to do with money. The waiting game stinks…I do feel for all the students that are still waiting on decisions to any school. It is getting harder and harder on these kids and you don’t know what colleges are looking for these days. I know some Valedictorians that did not get into their first choice schools, which to me is bizarre.
Again let me say that every college has pros and cons and it is not the end of the world if you don’t get into your first or second choice school. It doesn’t matter where you start, but where you end up. Even if you have to do a 2+2 option. My oldest graduated from a SUNY and is now graduating with his Masters from an Ivy school. In the end, look over your options, follow your heart, and put your best foot forward. GOOD LUCK TO ALL!
@lasttoleavethenest I am not upset with you at all. I meant it when I said PSU is a great school and had we not had any other offers, he’d do the 2+2. There’s a saying here, “The sky is blue and white; it’s how we know God is Nittany Lion Fan” lol
He’s been accepted w scholarships to Michigan State, WVU, Alabama & Texas Tech. He’s been accepted to TAMU as well. These monies will make OOS tuition cheaper than PSU. That’s what makes the PSU 2+2 offer give us indigestion.
The point I was trying to make but ended up venting my frustration with PSUs decision is that I get the frustration some parents are feeling,my point is, it’s not exclusive to TAMU. I wanted to only point out that PSU offered EA application with decisions in Dec. that was changed by PSU to Jan 31 and to date there are kids who are EA applicants and still in review.
I wish all of them held to their self imposed deadlines.
@JhaveyJ go check again now. My son’s AIS just updated to say he’s been accepted to the Blinn Bryan Engineering Academy. It apparently updated some time today.
Sweet! YAY Jhaveyj and @KeetsMom
As of roommate thing, I believe it’s not until April or even May. My son had his roomies picked out already but they couldn’t link up together until late Spring.
@cannonmom This is what the housing portal says regarding next steps for on-campus fall freshman…
"Early/Mid-February
Roommate selector will open fully so students can pair with each other
Room selection will open for students to start self-selecting their room/apartment on campus
Access will be granted in a tiered format by earliest application complete date and housing status (permanent housing before temporary housing & September applicants before Oct. and Nov. applicants
FYI: Most students who apply after Nov. 1st will not get into Hullabaloo Hall right away
Students have the option to change their housing assignment as many times as they would like to do so throughout the summer pending room availability"
It goes on to give info for April, like last chance to apply for LLCs, etc
@lasttoleavethenest I’m also from New York, but as I have seen, to get in you don’t need to be top 10% from OOS, but that would definetly help. It’s mostly focused on if you’re in the top 25% and have a 1360 SAT with 660 in English and 620 in Math, but for Engineering it does seem to be much harder to get in. Students from Texas are definetly favored for admission compared to OOS, but there’s always a chance, especially if you have the stats…
@Eggscapgoats@52AG82 The housing selection was supposed to be open for returning upperclassmen staying in on campus housing on 2/11, however, that has been delayed. They decided to do squatting a bit differently this semester and it delayed things. From what I heard, these kids will get to choose rooms on 2/17 if it does not get delayed again. That would mean new freshman would be likely many weeks after that. First they assign room for housing accommodations, then LLC, then upper-classmen returning, and after all of them they will start with the freshman with the earliest windows.
@52AG82 Housing accommodations are if you are disabled and need an ADA room, or if your doctor writes you a letter saying you need something in particular. For example, my son has asthma and allergies and his doctor wrote him a letter requesting a newer room and a single room. That is submitted to Disability Services and if they approve the accommodation it is sent to the Housing Assignment office which then pre-selects a room that would satisfy the approved accommodations. Those are done before they let anyone pick a room.
LLC’s have rooms assigned to them so those rooms are not available to anyone to choose when their window comes up for room selection. The first year they allowed the kids to select their own rooms, the window opened for the LLC approved kids before the freshman and after the returning students. I am not sure if they are doing it exactly that same way this year or not.
@pbleigh thanks for the clarification! My son has asthma too, I would never have thought about the possibility of accommodations-I’m filing that away!
The house process is daunting…
@52AG82 It was so easy getting my son’s accommodations approved and they gave him his choice of a single room in Hullabulloo or a brand new single apartment at White Creek. Both were really nice options; he chose White Creek because the single apartment had its own brand new washer and dryer and a full kitchen and he likes to cook for himself.
@52AG82 Also, I don’t know what triggers your son’s asthma but a lot of the dorms are very old and even some of the ones that have been recently updated still have the old HVAC systems which cause trouble for my son. Many of the classroom buildings are very old as well and my son got several puffers and keeps one in his backpack all the time just in case. Things have greatly improved this past year since Zachary opened because most of his engineering classes are in there now.
@pbleigh thanks so much for this info! My daughter is actually the incoming 2023 student (no health issues), but my son is living at home attending community college, and may be looking for a dorm locally in a year or two. I had never even thought about all of this! Smoke triggers his asthma the most-he can sniff out a hotel room that someone has smoked in from down the hall.