@PlanoAggies any chance her junior PSAT score is high enough for some form of NatMerit? Or have those scores even been released yet? Her current SAT is amazing, and agree with @ChristiR93 that full acceptance shouldn’t be an issue, even if 11%.
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Her PSAT also high but that’s nothing in her high school as Plano West has over 60 finalists every year. I think TAMU kind of limits the number of review admit students by high school or by region. My current senior has some friends just outside 10% with very high SAT still waiting.
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@misterhemmings the link below is an SAT-ACT conversion chart. I think it’s important for students to take both tests, as some may score higher in one.
I’m not an Admissions person, but I would not say 1350 is considered ‘safe’, if not Top Ten%. Others can chime in…
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We are in the same boat. Waitlist and Team. Praying one of them come through.
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Agree! The only thing to add: Even though academic admit was terminated, the M/W scores still need to be balanced. Maths need to be minimum 620+ and Writing need to be minimum 660+. (e.g. A 1350 with 780M/570W will weaken the chance as compared to 680M/670W)
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Agree about balanced! And I only see scores and stats rising in future years, not going lower.
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Agree! Same situation in Frisco. SAT becomes less relevent when top two qartiles average over 1400. Having NMSF or NMF is still good for TAMU (not so much for UT anymore)
Being cautious is good, don’t stress or fixate on a particular college or major. Just PM you other back up options in state and out of state.
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I feel ya. My son applied on August 1st for History (1st Quarter, AP Classes, good ECs, etc.), and is still under Waitlist / Team.
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My biggest frustration with this process is the lack of transparency around what risks are involved when an applicant is deciding to choose Waitlist, Team, or both.
When an applicant selects both options, they are telling the admissions board they are open to every available option to attend A&M, but they are, in fact, severely limiting them. The decision to prioritize and sequence offers to those who selected Team (if this is the case) means that applicants who selected both Waitlist and Team aren’t competing on a level playing field. An applicant who chose both options might have a stronger (or weaker) record than an applicant who selected Team only, but this practice wipes that consideration off the table. We’re instead left with an outcome based largely on whether or not the applicant was fully informed before they made their selection.
I think it’s reasonable to expect that the school we all love should afford our sons and daughters an opportunity to understand what’s involved with decisions that could shape their path over the next year or maybe more. It’s equally unreasonable to expect them to mine message boards to get that kind of understanding.
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I could not agree with this more. Add to the lack of honesty (transparency) the ‘TEST OPTIONAL’ (“the test score will not hurt your chances, but can only help them” is also, from what I gathered, a bunch of boloney. I have seen ‘those in the know’ on this board and other A&M Facebook groups flat-out tell me that doing ‘test optional’ hurt my kids’ chances. We chose to do ‘test optional’ after an A&M Rep at my kids’ private school explained it to my son, my wife, and our counselor who all urged him to do test optional but ALSO check the box to submit his scores. As it turns out, if I am to believe people on this board, that hurt him. When the TEXT ON THE APPLICATION says ‘it will not hurt’. Defenders of TAMU will say that, but of course they will consider every factor… But I am telling you all that our TAMU College Rep said, repeatedly to my son, that it wouldn’t hurt him to do that and even prescribed the way of doing it. I am feeling sorry for my son right now because I think he made two decisions (BLINN TEAM / WAITLIST + ‘Test Optional’ based on frankly bad and dishonest advice. Yes, he called Admissions and asked them about Blinn Team/ Waitlist and THEY on the phone told him he should select both)
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I agree and feel like the representatives for admissions need to lay things out clearly. Say that a test score is preferred or do not make it “optional”. Also clear explanations about the options offered when it comes to waitlist, TEAM or selecting both. Logically picking both sounds like a great idea, but some applicants last year got PSA after selecting both. Seems like it could all be executed better so applicants do not have to go digging for info.
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Don’t get me wrong, we are very thankful for Christi, 52Ag82 and others that share their info freely. We are honestly not sure how we could have gotten through two application cycles without them.
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I completely agree. I’m incredibly thankful there are people who give so freely of their time to share insights and educate those of us who are unfamiliar with this entire experience. My feedback is directed at one specific–but significant–part of the application process.
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I have a daughter that is getting ready to apply this summer. She has a good SAT score (1450) but her rank has fallen from 6% to a rank that is out of the top 10% but hopefully will still be in the top quarter at the end of her junior year. She had a very serious medical condition recently that has caused the drop. Will she still have a chance to get in and does anyone have any ideas of things we could do to improve her chances?
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I think she will be great. She can write about her setback in her essay. Tamu really looks at the whole student and their story.
Sorry to hear about her going through tough times, but sounds like she’s on the mend. Hang in there.
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I totally understand. We are Aggies too, CO ‘93. Crazy how it’s all gotten. In the fall of ‘89 I just filled out an application by hand (don’t remember it being long or even having an essay), mailed it off, and then received admission. No care or worries about getting in.
Times have certainly changed. Unfortunately we all raise our kids to bleed maroon and now it’s a much more complicated process. Both of my kids applied to other universities and had back up plans because of the way it is now.
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@TexAg96 & @misterhemmings i have no words of advice or wisdom…I’m just a current Aggie Mom (I’m also NOT an Aggie). I do feel your frustration tho.
As far as ‘test optional’ - In 2019, ACT/SAT was required. I do know when my Aggie took her tests (she took each test 2x), she didn’t automatically send her scores to the colleges she was applying to. She waited to get all her scores back, then asked the testing boards to send them (I assume that was a small additional fee? She did it all).
Even if a counselor had told her to submit automatically, she would’ve waited…why risk sending a low-or not best-score?
If a score was automatically sent, does that cancel out checking ‘test optional’ on A&M app? Curious 
@misterhemmings did your son know his SAT score when he sent it via the testing board (I seem to recall my Aggie paid extra-notice a theme😹 to expedite her scores). Did he take multiple tests, or only 1 time? It’s muddy waters, for sure.
As far as selecting WaitList, TEAM or both -
A&M Admissions is going to say to select both. That’s where forums like this, Reddit and others come in handy. @ChristiR93 and others have said MULTIPLE times, over the span of months, that historically the trend has been that those who selected TEAM only got an answer sooner. That isn’t printed on Admissions page, and in the grand scheme of A&M applicants, perhaps it really does even out. Those jumping on this forum are a super small % of the 45,000+ that apply. But from those Christi has helped, outside of this forum, and from stats she’s kept over a few years, checking TEAM only has gotten an answer sooner.
Wherever your kids end up, be sure to join FB Parent pages. That’s where you’ll find the real scoop, tips, in & outs. It doesn’t mean the university is being deceptive, just means real parents and students have gone before you, paved the way, and many times, learned lessons the hard way.
I wish I could wave a magic wand, and give everyone still waiting an admissions decision.
With March next week, my gut does say most decisions will be given.
Keep us posted 
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Well said
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My daughter received a Blinn Team offer on Tuesday. Posted above.
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I think I’m going to move away from this forum. I know you are trying to be helpful, but your entire post reads like a series of ‘It’s your son’s fault’ and ‘It’s your fault because you didn’t come here and ask Christi93 and others what the ‘tricks’ are. I will politely say that it shouldn’t be this opaque, and TAMU itself should be more transparent with kids. I appreciate some of the advice here, but it’s bad for mental health to repeatedly listen to people here say that everything is my kids and my fault for not discovering the sage wisdom of this message board before we made decisions based on my TAMU’s College Advisor at my kids’ school. We (and my son) literally listened to and did everything that Admissions and the College Advisor suggested.
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