Reading along, sounds like Engineering Honors is starting to go the way of Business Honors. They are very selective and only available to freshman applicants - you cannot apply as a sophomore to BHP. Before you jump ship entirely, I’d check to see what the vision is for EH. Honestly surprised that all these years EH has been non-competitive,but just a few years ago university honors was also non-competitive for admission as well (you just had to qualify). Times are changing…quickly! Just an observer, but it is possible since another college does not allow sophomore entrance that they could opt to do the same.
Thanks @Barfly – S had put the Honors dorms as his top two, so I think all is well. 
@Loganator, I think my post was ambiguous. Kids can change their dorm pref even to dorms not previously listed in their top 3. So, for example, if a kid listed Dorms A, B and C as the top 3, he can later switch his top 3 to D, E and F and keep his priority date as the date he first applied for housing.
@Barfly – I actually understood. I knew they could switch preferences around as much as they wanted before May 1 without losing housing or their priority date. I just wasn’t sure whether a dorm preference had to be indicated if he has already accepted the Honors program’s offer, which automatically puts him in one of two dorms since he has been on the priority housing list since mid-September. Turned out we had gone through all the dorm options online, with the Honors dorms listed first, and submitted preferences already, which I had forgotten!
Guys log in to see your status! You can now accept your award (that is what it says)
Thanks for the update @KievanRus! My son just checked and sure enough. It’s weird - he never finished the new application but he did submit the original one, and he did upload some of the requirements for the new application, but he never submitted it. Do you know if you have to complete the essay, etc., even though it now looks like you’re accepted?
My son did not submit the new application or load any of the new requirements. He did submit the old application.
No email on this status update. Just checked online and there is a message saying he is accepted and an option to accept engineering honors.
Thanks @KievanRus and @Barfly for posting. We would not have known to login and check.
@Barfly, I would guess so, because I submitted all the requirements including the essay. Now about that essay though, I only wrote 1 paragraph of 184 words for it. I accepted the award, and now it says award accepted, yet it still says application is complete and under review. I am guessing it must be some weird flaw with the system since this is the first time they made an online application for engineering honors. So I would submit an essay just in case. So your son was accepted?
@KievanRus, yes he was accepted but had not submitted the second application because he hadn’t finished the essay. He had submitted the first application. Looks like @EventHorizon32’s son (see post #46) had submitted the first application but did not do anything on the 2nd application. Hmmm…… Makes me wonder if people complained about the change in requirements mid-application cycle so A&M decided to just go back to the old application system but didn’t notify any of the applicants. The ones who submitted the first application super early were accepted, but the ones who submitted a little later had to do an essay and a resume, etc. Or is it just a glitch in the system and they will revoke the acceptance? I’m just not sure now what the status is, but it says my son is accepted, but it also shows he has not submitted the essay. I don’t know if he will bother finishing it up and submitting it or just wait to see if they ask for it.
Yes, never mind then, it looks like it is unnecessary to do anything else since your son is already admitted. It just seems like such a mess Texas A&M is having with this Engineering Honors. Although I “accepted the award” it still says on the status page that the application is under review. Is that the same for anyone else?
It says: Application is missing the following: Essay. Status: Award Accept.
@KievanRus, you might just try clicking on Accept again if that option is still there. I don’t understand why, but all the items that are already submitted can still be clicked on “submit”, so maybe just try the Accept button again and see if it changes your status to “Award Accept”.
I looked at the Engineering Honors website and it appears that as long as you meet the requirements of class rank and SAT score or NM status, you are guaranteed admittance.
My status says just that: Status: Award Accept. I guess its just an error in the application system. Thank you.
I thought you said it said “under review”? Does it say that somewhere? I don’t see a anywhere on my son’s that says “under review”, just “Award Accept”.
It says “Application is complete and under review” then below that it says “status: award accept”. Maybe its different for your son because the essay has not been submitted. It bothers me that TAMU has not even sent a confirmation email or anything.
Where online are you seeing that you’re “accepted” to EH? Or where are you seeing you need to “Award Accept?” My son received a letter dated Jan. 30 stating he was accepted to EH, but I don’t see it stated anywhere on AIS. I did call last week and they told me he was on the EH list. Sounds like they’re dealing with different pools of students differently. Not sure why it wouldn’t show online for all.
@lee6666, those who applied later were asked to complete a second, more detailed application, including a resume, transcript, rec letters and essay. It is on that link where we can see these things.
My freshman son was accepted into Enginnering Honors today. He is already in University Honors and is not sure if there is any additional value. Any advice?
@Beaudreau, for now he might as well stay in both. University Honors has some easy extra requirements from the start (just a weekly “seminar” not for credit. Engineering Honors has two 1-hour seminars but they don’t take either of them this fall. If your son is doing University Honors, and will be in the Honors Dorm, he will hear other students talking about the different honors programs and he may decide he wants to do both, or that one or the other fits him best. University Honors is a little harder to achieve with an engineering major than with other majors I think. The engineering honors program fits better into the engineering degree plan. But it really depends on the student and which program appeals to him more. Some specific engineering disciplines have their own honors program as well.
@Barfly Sorry I wasn’t clear. My son is just finishing up his freshman year. He “heard” that the seminar classes are a pain. So far, he has not heard many pros about Engineering honors.
@Beaudreau: I get it. You have two sons. My son liked the seminar classes in Engineering Honors. He found it difficult to meet the University Honors requirements in his major/minor degree plan, so he went with the Engineering Honors and eventually dropped (or perhaps just quit trying to achieve?) University Honors. So, based on what my son said about the seminar classes, they are not a big deal. For him, a more important consideration was the other requirements of the two honors programs.