Yes, I’ve taken ACT and cant improve more than a 29. no, I have not taken writing section.
@Trappybutton12345 , it would be advisable to take both the SAT and ACT again to try to improve your scores and subscores to qualify for academic admit (assuming they still have academic admits next year). You want to avoid going into review status for University admittance. Also, apply early.
@Trappybutton12345 agree with what @CamandCam said-I’d take both tests again, with Writing portion. My daughter will be an incoming freshman (Mays) and we were told to always take Writing portion. Super glad she did, because she is getting A&M Presidential Endowed Scholarship, and wouldn’t have even been considered, if she had not taken Writing portion.
We had a friend do strictly online Khan Academy, and bumped her SAT up over 100 points.
As it stands right now, you’ll be Review status, and that didn’t end well for most applying this year. It’s been widely rumored that Academic Admit may be going away, most likely for Class of 2025, but could be as soon as next year.
If your heart is set on TAMU @Trappybutton12345 - I would strongly suggest you do a little more test prep and take the SAT and ACT again.
Many people with higher scores than my daughter’s 28ACT (29m, 27E- applied first week of August), like my daughter got PSA. If next year goes like this year - your scores are on the bubble of getting into TAMU - not even talking about engineering.
We don’t know the numbers yet - but it’s expected that the number of review admits admitted went down for the upcoming year. TAMU seems to have finally decided to do something UT did years ago - stop increasing enrollment. That will mean each year it will get harder and harder to get into TAMU. More people applying and a stagnant number of spots.
I’ve already bumped my sat up and have taken it 4 times I cant improve it. (IVE TRIED) I’m just really hoping I can get in with what I have. Applying for engineering the academic admission doesnt rlly matter anywy.
Others can comment more about engineering @Trappybutton12345 - but being an academic admit would really go along way to help you get an engineering degree from College Station.
If you did not get a full admit to CC - you would more than likely get an offer to one of the academies - which is a clear path to the program and have TAMU privileges like Blinn TEAM.
@Trappybutton12345 Being an academic admit does greatly help get you admitted into engineering because you can participate in the early decision and get in before they even begin evaluating the review admits for admission to the university first and then what’s left in engineering at college station.
The retention rate of freshmen in the engineering program was not as high TAMU wanted. They instituted an holistic review to target the issue.
This is a gross oversimplification- but the holistic review is designed to cull out academic and auto admits that to not have the math and science background or the apparent passion for engineering and leave open the chance for some review admits to get in. But your chances are so much better if you are an academic or auto admit.
@BlueBayouAZ funny you should mention Engineering retention rate. My daughter will be Mays in the fall. We have heard from sooo many people that freshman Engineering at TAMU is a ‘weed out program’. They clearly accept a LOT of students, with over flow campuses/academies. One of our friends (who was accepted at A&M) will be going to Michigan, for Engineering. When they asked about their program being a ‘weed out’, the Michigan people looked at them like they were crazy. No other school they toured had the reputation for being ‘weed out’.
Perhaps take fewer, super qualified applicants would be a start? I don’t know. But going into the program, knowing many will not make it, would be a downer.
It is A&M’s 25x25 initiative which includes on campus plus all of their academies (which only two are admission decisions-the others are directly applied to).
A&M doesn’t go out of their way to week out people. It just happens, for several reasons. Students figure out that the maths and sciences are too hard and they don’t have the aptitude for it or the major isn’t what they thought it was (it is not like a high school STEM class/program) etc. So, the classes either weed them out or the student realizes they can’t do them/don’t want to do them. Not only do they have to pass these math and science classes (not just general engineering) but they will have to take the professional exams as well, so they have to be able to do what is required and it isn’t easy.
I was talking to a parent this year of an applicant who was accepted to A&M and Purdue. Purdue has the same retention as A&M in around that 55-60% who begin the engineering program, graduate with an ABET engineering degree. I have not looked into that myself but it was a parent from this year when trying to decide which way to go.
@Trappybutton12345 Engineering is very difficult and being a review applicant for admissions does not help your chances for admissions into a very rigorous and difficult major.
You CAN do more test prep and improve. Whether you want to is different. Your SAT came with a report that shows where your weakness are so you know where you can study to improve those weaknesses. But being an academic admit alone won’t be enough. You need to demonstrate the physics readiness.
If you are determined that you do not want to retake the SAT or ACT, then definitely have a back up school that is a safety and perhaps admits directly to the major. You can also apply directly to one of the A&M engineering academies.
With fewer and fewer spots open for review admits to the university, your chances for full admissions to any major is not high. Your chances of being offered a pathway admissions is likely if any admissions is offered.
@thelma2 That is really interesting that Purdue’s retention is similar because their First Year Engineering program where you have to apply to a major after the first year was the model for tamu program. Banks came from Purdue.
I was reading a tamu student post on the aggie reddit where he was asking the cons to taking a q drop in back to back semesters. Apparently he had to q drop Math 152 last semester and is having trouble with it again and physics. Someone mentioned he would have trouble ETAM’ing and the student said he was already in his major because his two maths were Math 150 and Math 151 and he took two chemistries to avoid physics so he could ETAM. This is the scenario of courses that would now require you to ETAM in your third semester and only after you had taken the physics and calculus. So this student took a ETAM slot from someone who was ready to take major coursework whereas this student got in the major but can’t take any of the courses yet because he lacks the physics and calculus.
@Trappybutton12345 Try the ACT at least one more time and take it at TAMU. It’s the residual ACT. It’s a little pricier but I guarantee you can bump that 29 to a 30! They round up. The score only counts for TAMU and you’ll find out next day what you made. Only draw back is you can’t write on the exam itself.
Would agree that academic admit is the surest way to admission, so retaking the ACT/SAT is the best route if you meet the rest of the criteria. Take the ACT at TAMU it can’t hurt. Also be prepared to choose a different school. Sure A&M is great, but it is not the only school in the world. I 100% guarantee that you can have a happy, successful collegiate experience elsewhere, be open to other opportunities!
Interesting rumor that Academic Admit might go away (too bad it is not the top 10% rule dying…but that is another thred, lol)