While I agree that OOS acceptances are not a soft rejection - that was a ridiculous statement - , admissions is absolutely able to predict enrollment yields for groups of applicants admitted. Example, and I am making up the numbers, they know if they admit 100 OOS, only 25 will enroll. I’m totally making up the numbers - you understand what I am saying, right?
No they don’t know which individual students will enroll and which won’t - but they do know the percentage that will.
@AggieMomhelp My sat was a 1100, rank was 10.8%, NHS for 3 years, HOSA for one year, softball for two years, worked since I was 15, working towards cma certification and will have it before I graduate along with osha, cpr, and phlebotomy certified. I have over 350 hours of volunteer work. I also submitted two letters of rec, a resume, and proof of certificates. I think my essay was well written also for the degree I wanna do as well. (BIMS) What do u think my chances of admission are? (Full, blinn team, gateway, psa?) do u think they would overlook my test score and look more at how close I was and all my EC’s and work experience?
@Jodievillllllll While your rank and ECs are very good, your test score could hurt your chances. I know that BIMS is not a “screened” major like business or engineering, but I do believe that they are very competitive with limited seats - with most, if not all, seats granted to auto/academic admits first. I don’t know if it will be the same this year as it was for my son last year - my son applied as a BIMS major, 12.4% in class of almost a thousand, 29 ACT (.25 from rounding up to 30 with minimum scores met in both math and ELA), decent ECs and job, etc. He received PSA in March. He just finished his first semester at TAMU CC as a biochemistry major with a 4.0 (just a statement that those darned test scores do not define a student 
). I really hope that it’s a better outlook this year for review admits going into BIMS…good luck!!!
Does anyone know A&M’s rationale for doing away with academic admits next year? I ask because watching and comparing A&M’s to UT’s admissions systems, A&M looks like a well-oiled machine compared to UT, but I suspect academic admission at A&M has a lot to do with that. And I’m not sure A&M is well-served trending more toward what UT does. In fact, I would argue that academic admission gives A&M a competitive advantage over UT.
Related question, are there any studies comparing academic performance at A&M of students admitted Top 10% vs academic vs holistic? I’d be very curious to see that data and whether it confirms my suspicions.
I would also like to know this. I honestly feel that the academic admit students show a more well rounded and capable student than just those in top 10%. I say this because just hitting top 10% isn’t as difficult in some schools as it is in others. Where maintaining a high GPA AND hitting a higher SAT/ACT score is more challenging to do. And many times these kids are higher in that that 1st quarter anyway, but might miss the top 10 by only a few ranking points.
I wish that UT had a similar system as hitting top 6% is incredibly difficult to do and leaves only a select few options from each high school. And a student from a lesser performing high school that is in top 6% for their GPA, but maybe only got 1300 on the SAT gets in where a student in say the top 12-15% in a higher performing school with a 1410 + on their SAT doesnt get in.
It just seems like a screwed system to me, but that’s just my opinion.
This article details their reasoning.
But I do not think you can fairly compare the “well-oiled” admissions process at TAMU to UT because UT admits to specific programs - while TAMU, with the exception of engineering, accepts to the university and then places in their first choice major based on availability.
I would argue that the stats and extra curricular activities that predict success in different degree paths vary. Engineers, social workers, journalists and teachers all benefit from solid academic stats - but there are “soft skills” and particular academic strengths that the current TAMU process does not take into consideration by placing students in their first choice major solely based on availability.
UT’s admission process takes the department into consideration and that is going to take longer - because you are also matching students with a particular major.
If you look at the common data set (B22) for both schools - you will see that they each have a really great freshman retention rate. But TAMU’s 92% is lower that UTs 95.10%. It’s not a leap to think that matching students by major on the front ends helps with that.
@Jodievillllllll I don’t think you’ll get BIMS but I think there’s a chance you could get Blinn Team or Gateway. Your rank is so good and a huge contrast to your sat score. If they are looking at those 2 data points alone, then I think you’ll fall on the side of alternative pathway (which is still fantastic). I don’t think you’ll get PSA with that ranking, but if it’s like last year, then it is possible I guess. I sound wishy washy, I know. It’s just really going to depend on your competition. Last year for BIMS the PSAs came out together at the very end… it was unusual and led me to believe that they held that major and thus took away the advantage of being offered another pathway.
Please keep your chin up and keep us posted.
I for sure will. Thank you for the reply and giving me a glimpse of hope! (:
[quote=“BlueBayouAZ, post:1446, topic:2059337”]
I’m skeptical that the soft skills ultimately make much difference at all in the aggregate, which is why I’d love to see what A&M’s internal data show. If the “soft skill” argument is right, then it should reveal itself in performance of holistic review admits.
I suspect UT’s higher retention rate is in line with UT’s overall higher GPA/SAT statistics for freshmen.
With respect to the “review for major” thing, I’ll just say that I’m not a fan of either approach, both of which basically force kids to declare majors before they’ve taken their first college class. If I were doing this from scratch, I’d admit all freshmen to a common curriculum with each academic college setting its own prerequisites for enrollment as sophomores, e.g. if you want to go to the Business school, then you have to take macroeconomics as a freshman; or if you want to go to the engineering school then you have to take engineering calculus and physics, etc. Then, in the spring of freshmen year, make your decision which academic college to enroll in as a sophomore. Kids would sort themselves doing it that way. BTW, I didn’t make this up; it’s how my university did it and I believe still does it. Makes a ton more sense to me then trying to force the decision to be made up front with all sorts of resulting wasted academic time and disenrollment/transfers.
My application is still in review and its says if you haven’t gotten a decision you have been deferred. So does mean I’ve been deferred or I just have to wait a little bit more.
I’m skeptical that the soft skills ultimately make much difference at all in the aggregate, which is why I’d love to see what A&M’s internal data show. If the “soft skill” argument is right, then it should reveal itself in performance of holistic review admits.
I suspect UT’s higher retention rate is in line with UT’s overall higher GPA/SAT statistics for freshmen.
With respect to the “review for major” thing, I’ll just say that I’m not a fan of either approach, both of which basically force kids to declare majors before they’ve taken their first college class. If I were doing this from scratch, I’d admit all freshmen to a common curriculum with each academic college setting its own prerequisites for enrollment as sophomores, e.g. if you want to go to the Business school, then you have to take macroeconomics as a freshman; or if you want to go to the engineering school then you have to take engineering calculus and physics, etc. Then, in the spring of freshmen year, make your decision which academic college to enroll in as a sophomore. Kids would sort themselves doing it that way. BTW, I didn’t make this up; it’s how my university did it and I believe still does it. Makes a ton more sense to me then trying to force the decision to be made up front with all sorts of resulting wasted academic time and disenrollment/transfers.
Did anyone got Approved today, those are waiting for “Engineering Review” ?
We applied for my kid .
Applied date: 11/26/2019
Admitted: 12/3/2019 (Academic Admit)
Status: Engineering Review
Class RANK (1st Quarter): (TAMU assigned quarter, school doesn’t have rank)
SAT 1450 (MATH 760,ENG 690)
@AggieMomhelp, what are the chances for my kid to get accepted for Engineering ?
Thanks for your help.
I had emailed one of the advisers from Texas A&M University about the final admissions decision, he said that the result is usually sent out by late December.
The way I see it, I think ut switched to 6% and holistic reviews to help those you mentioned. If they stayed at 10% or even 6% without holistic reviews, that would have rejected many “good” students (with higher sat, rounded… but less ranking due to competitiveness at their school or not). I’m never a good fan of x% auto admit. All schools are different and being in x% here may not mean much compared to x% at others as we all know. Some parents also move their kids around to get into the % they need.
With less x% and holistic review, they give more room for the other group (for whatever reason caused them to be out of x% window). I think both ut and tamu know sticking to auto admit would leave out many good students as you mentioned. So they switched to holistic reviews for certain majors. This is why there will be no more academic admits next year. I don’t just speculate. I spoke with someone pretty high in ad com chain and the person confirm that. In any case, I hope you’ll hear from them soon.
@tamuparent
You applied way after the deadline for the decisions that were supposed to come out this week.
Also- I have contacted the admissions office to clarify the notification that is now at the top of the screen in my son’s applicant portal.
All engineering students that have not yet received an answer as of yet are deferred until the next decision round in January. I was told to assume mid to late January. This makes since, especially since they are about to be closed for two weeks.
@Boogie818 Thanks
@tamuparent yes you missed the deadline, but I do not think your kiddo will have any trouble getting full cstat admission assuming he shows science and math readiness from course rigor. Y’all should hear in January.
@AggieMomhelp Thank you.
I’ve also called the main admissions office to get clarity on the red banner at the top of our AIS screen. I was told that these students will now not hear anything until the next or final round which will be late January to early February. I honestly am very disappointed in that TAMU couldn’t even send out letters in their system (on line) to tell the applicants this notification with more details. I’m very disappointed in this school right now. Total disregard for applicants that have been waiting since July in some cases. Even SMU and TCU sent out letters explaining their deferral process and all. It wouldn’t cost TAMU a cent to write this letter and have it accessible in the portal. Geeeeezzz…We have a daughter who already graduated from this school and our donation money is on hold for now!! Sorry folks, but I know several of you have written how your child has been offered scholarships from other schools, been emailed and communicated to by other very good schools, nothing from A&M. And honestly when our older daughter attended TAMU, she was just a number to them. TAMU is making some of our other Texas schools look very good right now! Just saying.
@Boogie818 Did you checked to make sure your son turned in his SRAR ? A little concerned that his still showing that banner. I know it might be late now but if it is not completed, the application is considered incomplete. Hopefully he did …