@GenPatton I understand your frustration on the engineering admissions process. However, TAMU is working to ensure that admitted students can handle the rigors of the program. In years past engineering would allow anyone into the Departmnet as long as they where admitted to the university only to have student fail out or transfer out. This is not in anyone interest as it costs the state taxpayers and the student money.
My son just went through the ETAM process. It is not a “lottery ticket” I have no idea what you mean by “non accredited”. The engineering department is consistently ranked in the top 15 in the country with several of the degree programs rated in the top 10. TAMU engineering graduates are heavily recruited because of the rigors of the department. The freshman curriculum is designed to a ascertain a students ability to handle the rigors of a particular degree and help the student decide on which major to choose. Are you aware of what the freshman engineering class taken during the first semester is? It is coding in python AND introductions to various majors. Students have to right short essays on each major. My son thought he wanted civil, through this process of self discovery he decided he wanted a combination of business and technical degree and picked ID. As for the ROTC scholarship, you may want to check with the school on that. But if this ETAM process does not appeal to you, there are many other schools that do it a different way.
@Scotsfi i have relationships with several people at the highest levels of the TAMU system, including the engineering department. I have been told that Chancellor Sharp is very excited about the new president of Tarleton. He was referred to as “Sharps shiny new object”. I believe Tarleton is poised for great things going forward in the system. Sharp knows that TAMU is maxed out and the system is pouring lots of money in the system schools to build them up, similar to what UT has done with several of their schools. Tarleton is one of them.
If TAMU CS is maxed out, then they just need to stop stringing these kids along and give them an answer one way or another. We have heard nothing. No waitlist, no nothing.
I agree, I’m on the waitlist and I am hoping for a full admit or blinn team decision but I need to find out soon. it sucks waiting when everyone has already found out. Is College Station already at max??? I hope they don’t just PSA all of the Waitlist…
@GenPatton I think that @AggieMomhelp & @trinley gave good advice. With regard to your ROTC scholarship question, the answer is going to lay in which military branch the scholarship is from (they each have different requirements), and specific terms. Typically, there’s a list of acceptable majors, so even if your student wasn’t a fit for engineering (performance or desire… kids change their minds all the time), there are, almost always, other options that they can pursue. The student has to determine if any of those options are actually desirable, and the university has to decide if it’s viable and the student can change majors.
That said-- Generally speaking, colleges/universities work with students, as much as possible, to get them into majors that will allow them to retain their ROTC scholarships AND graduate on time (because, that’s a threat to your scholarship, or requirement to pay it back, as well).
Has your student already been admitted to TAMU, under General Engineering for Fall of 2020? If so, I wouldn’t be overly worried about not getting first choice for engineering major. That’s actually well within the hands of the student to position themselves well. As @AggieMomhelp pointed out, over 80% get the major that they want. That’s pretty high success rate.
@camniicole i think it is, and thats why we got waitlisted : (. now we have to wait for admitted students to (hopefully) decline their offers so they can start pulling people from the list
@AggieFam24 i do not think they are stringing people along. They are going through the very difficult task of sifting through 1000’s of highly qualified applicants to fit the few remaining slots left. We humans are not very good at being patient. I take a certain level of comfort that they are taking the time to go through this process. Neither of my boys were admitted to A&M because they did not earn it coming out of HS and they both admit that. However, I am very thankful that TAMU has developed so many alternative admissions paths for kids that want to be aggies to be aggies. My oldest just completed that journey, on his own. He earned it. Now my youngest will endeavor to do the same.
Best wishes to you and your child wherever they choose to go. If they want to be an Aggie there definitely is a way.
@camniicole@AggieFam24 I think @trinley means ‘maxed out’ in the larger picture for TAMU (rather than there’s no places left right now)therefore they are looking to develop & promote strengths within their system schools to potentially capitalize on future demand.
@camniicole We are in the same boat. Hoping they wouldn’t just psa everyone on the waitlist/blinn team…that would be a shame. Headed to find an apartment in College Station this weekend, as my daughter will go to Blinn and do PTA if for some reason she is PSA’d. Hoping for full admit or Blinn Team though. March or April seems waay to long to have to wait.
@SECDad335 I know those that were offered the real “wait list” might have been told that, but the engineering students that were given an offer on 1/31 were lead to believe they would actually be getting the alternate admissions granted once they made their choice, but they weren’t. I’m calling it a wait list now because admissions is basically calling it that now as well. It did not state anything about PSA being a guaranteed fall back. Have you been told officially by someone from admissions that PSA would be a guarantee for those engineering students?
I felt a bit uncomfortable when I looked into the entry to a major process, aka some may not like the coffee I like. When there is essay questions and/or reviews involved, there’s always room for being subjective/favoritism whether or not we accept it. However, how many of us knew what we wanted to do/become when we were a sr? Imo, putting them all in ge is a good idea. This allows students to explore/learn more about the majors themselves. Some might already have been exposed due to parental history/summer internship/scout merit badges, etc. But I would think a significant number of students do not have a good solid idea about all the majors. It’s certainly not lottery. And with 80+% accepted to first choice, one should be ok if s/he does their part. If someone can’t get to the major due to performance, what good would it do if this individual started out in this major from the beginning? I bet s/he would not do as well as others and/or drop out/transfer.
Many recent posts seem to not like/agree with tamu’s way of handling things. While I can understand the frustration from endless waiting, I feel if they are “stringing”, they probably have a reason. Most likely they want to offer something but are not able to do just yet. I would think many already accepted applicants did get accepted to somewhere else and/or are waiting for something (better in their opinion, scholarship/aid or admission) before deciding on tamu’s offer. Unfortunately, these can drag until end of March, early May or even later. Tamu, and others, know this and do not want to send the rejections to certain group of applicants yet. It is what it is. Imo, the best thing to do is to move on with plan b, to a point that can still be reversed. If tamu’s whatever offer comes and works out, great. If not, move on with plan b.
My son is in the same boat as above for 1/31 Engineering. I have never seen the word “wait list” so I don’t call it that. He is “under review” now for Eng Academy at Blinn. Do some applicants actually get an option called waitlist? If so, if that better than where my son currently stands? (I am thinking so). I know the wait stinks but A&M is inadvertently weeding out the ones that aren’t die-hard interested in becoming an Aggie. We will be here until officially accepted/rejected!
I am a review admit and my first major is public health. I applied in August and have yet to hear back. This is very stressful because I am only waiting to hear back from tamu to make my decision.
I agree that non of us have seen the words “wait list” but our local admissions office is using those exact words to best describe where the engineering students are sitting at this moment that were given the 1/31 choices. We potentially won’t hear a decision until as late as April is what I was told by an adult in the admissions office.
I totally agree with @icedmachiato in that we will pursue our plan B school until which time we hear something back from TAMU, and then make a decision if we still want to be an Aggie.
@YankeeTexan33 More like the end of this month, April is much of a far reach. Students last year having the same status were accepted in the middle of February. With the academy at Blinn-Bryan increasing capacity to 150 students more, I’m guessing the pool right now is being thoroughly reviewed. The admissions officers have too many conflicting reports to even be considered trustworthy. I wouldn’t believe most of the things they say.
it sucks waiting when everyone has already found out. Is College Station already at max??? I hope they don’t just PSA all of the Waitlist…