tamu essay requirements

Texas A&M Supplemental Essays 2023-24

Texas A&M Supplemental Essays 2023-24

If you’re thinking about how to get into Texas A&M, you’ve probably come across the Texas A&M supplemental essays. Texas A&M is one of the top public universities in the country (currently ranked #20 by U.S. News). As such, the Texas A&M application is comprehensive, requiring students to respond to multiple Texas A&M essay prompts. The Texas A&M admissions essays are a critical part of your application narrative. The prompts allow you to provide valuable information to Admissions about why you would be a good candidate for admission.

Writing strong responses to the Texas A&M admissions essays can be tough. Throughout this article, you’ll find tips for how to respond to each of the Texas A&M supplemental essays. This includes specific details about each of the Texas A&M essay questions and things to keep in mind when writing. We’ll also discuss what the Texas A&M admissions committee is looking for when it comes to reviewing these essays. And finally, we talk more generally about how to get into Texas A&M beyond just the Texas A&M supplemental essays. We’ll give you key information about application deadlines and other Texas A&M admission requirements.

Ready to learn more about the Texas A&M admissions essays? Let’s dive in! 

Texas A&M Admission Requirements Quick Facts:

Texas a&m admission requirements: quick facts.

• Texas A&M Acceptance Rate: 63% – U.S. News rates Texas A&M as a more selective school.
• One long essay (max. 750 words)
• Two short answer questions (max. 250 words each)
• One Optional Essay (max. 250 words)
• Common Application
• Engineering Early Action Deadline: October 15th
• Regular Decision Deadline: December 1st
• Texas A&M Essay Tip: Start Early! There are many Texas A&M supplemental essays to complete for the Texas A&M admission requirements. The more time you give yourself to work on them, the better your essays will be.

Please note that essay requirements are subject to change each admissions cycle, and portions of this article may have been written before the final publication of the most recent guidelines. For the most up-to-date information on essay requirements, check the university’s admissions website.

How many essays does Texas A&M require?

For the 2023-2024 application cycle, there are three required Texas A&M admissions essays. In addition to the required essays, the Texas A&M essay prompts include one optional question. Students may answer if they feel the prompt is relevant to their life experience.

We will go into more detail with each of the Texas A&M essay prompts later on in this article. And, we’ll offer specific tips for how to answer each of the different Texas A&M essay prompts. 

How long do the essays for Texas A&M have to be?

Each of the Texas A&M essay prompts has a certain maximum word count that you must stay within. The first of the Texas A&M essay prompts has a maximum word count of 750 words. This means that your response to this Texas A&M essay should be absolutely no longer than 750 words. You don’t need to get as close to 750 words as possible in your long Texas A&M essay. However, you should also not submit a Texas A&M essay that is too short either. About 600-750 words is a good length to shoot for in this Texas A&M essay.

The shorter Texas A&M admissions essays have more strict word counts. Responses to these Texas A&M supplemental essays should not be more than 250 words. For these shorter Texas A&M essays, using as much of the word count as possible is beneficial. At the same time, make sure the words you use have purpose in providing new and relevant information. When writing a personal essay for college, be sure to pay close attention to maximum word counts.

Texas A&M Essay Prompt – Tell your story

Texas A&M University Essay Prompt #1

Tell us your story. what unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today.

The first of the Texas A&M supplemental essays asks students to share some opportunities or obstacles that they’ve faced. The purpose of this Texas A&M essay is to help the admissions committee learn more about the writer’s resilience. They want to see how they behave in the face of adversity, specifically during their high school years. While exciting, college represents a significant challenge in a student’s life. The Texas A&M supplemental essays provide students the opportunity to demonstrate how they have overcome challenges in their lives.

Brainstorming Ideas

The most important step in writing the Texas A&M supplemental essays is the brainstorming phase. Start by coming up with a list of challenges you have faced in your life. Then determine which one or two topics you want to focus on for your Texas A&M supplemental essays.

It can be very tempting to write your Texas A&M essays about all of the challenges you have faced. But in fact, it is better to focus on one or two specific examples. That way you can provide more engaging details and evidence about the moments you choose. And, you can avoid simply recycling information from the rest of your application. 

Connecting to Character Traits

Here’s another helpful way to brainstorm for your Texas A&M essays. Think of three character traits you would like for your Texas A&M admissions essays to say about you. Then, use the challenges you thought of earlier to illustrate those characteristics.

For example, maybe you would like to demonstrate strong leadership qualities in your Texas A&M essays. So, you may describe how, despite setbacks, you put on a successful school dance as head of the prom committee. Or maybe you want your Texas A&M supplemental essays to showcase your interest in community service. In that case, you may write about how you organized a fundraiser after a natural disaster struck your neighborhood. 

Telling a Story

So, you’ve determined what you want to write about in your Texas A&M essay. Now you need to think about how you want to tell the story of these challenges to your reader. Remember that your reader does not know you or your background outside of what you write in your Texas A&M essays. Be sure to pick the details that are most relevant to write about.

Make sure the focus of your Texas A&M essays is on you and what you felt and accomplished.

Avoid simply listing facts that your reader can find elsewhere in your application. Instead, think about showing the reader your character through the actions you describe.

Texas A&M Essay Prompt #2 – Life Event

Texas A&M University Essay Prompt #2

Describe a life event which you feel has prepared you to be successful in college..

The second of the Texas A&M supplemental essays asks students to reflect on a single life event. Specifically, one that has helped them to prepare for and be successful in college. This event can be anything you want it to be. However, make sure it’s a different experience than the one you wrote about in the other Texas A&M essays. This event should also demonstrate your college readiness by showcasing your maturity, academic skills, leadership, or resilience. 

As with the other Texas A&M admissions essays, your writing should focus on one defining event. Remember, this is one of the Texas A&M essays with a more limited word count. So, be sure to focus on telling a specific story of the specific moment in your life. You want your reader to feel like they’re experiencing the life event with you, so illustrate your points with vivid information.

Concurrently, use the details to illustrate the larger point that you would be a good fit for Texas A&M. No matter what the prompt for a personal essay for college actually says, they’re all asking “are you a good fit?” Each of your Texas A&M admissions essays should provide the reasons why you deserve admission to Texas A&M.

Choosing a topic for your Texas A&M essay

Deciding your topic for your Texas A&M supplemental essays is your first hurdle. For your Texas A&M essays, it is important to choose a moment that is personal and meaningful to you. With open-ended Texas A&M essay prompts, it’s tempting to write about what you think the admissions committee will find impressive. However, it’s always better to write about your authentic interests and let your true character shine through in your writing.

There is no specific formula for choosing your topic for the Texas A&M supplemental essays. Just make sure your topic is new and has not been discussed already in other parts of your application. And make sure you are writing about your passions in your Texas A&M supplemental essays.

Any experience can be compelling, so long as you make it clear why you’ve chosen to discuss it. For example, you may describe how an improv comedy show going badly wrong taught you how to handle adversity, think on your feet, and use creativity in a difficult situation.

Still need help coming up with a topic for your Texas A&M supplemental essays? Check out this webinar or this article for additional resources.

Texas A&M Essay Prompt #3 – Impactful Person

Texas A&M University Essay Prompt # 3

Tell us about the person who has most impacted your life and why..

This is arguably the hardest of the required Texas A&M essay prompts. That’s because it asks students to write about a topic other than themselves. The Texas A&M supplemental essays are all about getting to know the applicants on a more personal level. However, this is not easy to do when you’re writing about someone else. Therefore, it is important to both answer the prompt while keeping the focus on you.

The first step to writing this essay is choosing the person that it is going to be about. This is not about finding the most famous or well-recognized person you know. It’s about examining your life and identifying those who have genuinely pushed you to be the best version of yourself. You also want this person to have impacted your life recently so you can show details from your high school years. Or, if they are from your childhood, show how their influence has stayed with you during your high school years.

Let’s say you’ve found the person you will write about. Think about what you need your reader to know about this person in order to understand who they are. Remember that you have limited space in your Texas A&M supplemental essays. Avoid using too much of it simply describing who your person is. The central focus of your Texas A&M essays should be on you, the applicant. So, your job is twofold. Describe the person who has most impacted your life in your Texas A&M essays. Then, focus on what you learned from them and how you’ve used their influence in your academics, extracurriculars, or school community. 

How do I write the Texas A&M essay?

The Texas A&M supplemental essays will take time to complete. So, the best advice we have is to start your Texas A&M essays early. The Common App opens on August 1st, which is also when the Texas A&M essay prompts become visible. It’s never too early to start planning your responses to the Texas A&M essays! Often picking the topics for your Texas A&M essays can be the most difficult part of the process. Give yourself plenty of time to choose what your Texas A&M supplemental essays will be about.

We also recommend writing multiple drafts of your Texas A&M supplemental essays. And, it’s beneficial to seek help from others throughout the writing process from a teacher, parent, or college advisor. Sharing your Texas A&M essays can help you clarify your ideas and improve the grammar of your writing. And, a trusted editor may catch errors you did not see or offer insights you had not previously thought of. For additional tips and help on writing college essays, check out tips for writing better essays!

Optional Texas A&M Essay

Texas A&M University Optional Essay Prompt

If there are additional personal challenges, hardships, or opportunities (including covid related experiences) that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, which you have not already written about , please note them in the space below..

In addition to the required Texas A&M supplemental essays, there is also an optional Texas A&M essay. This is the most open-ended of the Texas A&M essay prompts. It asks students to describe any challenges they have faced, particularly those which may have negatively impacted their academic performance. This is the only one of the Texas A&M supplemental essays that is optional. However, it could still be well worth writing for many students.

The optional prompt for the Texas A&M essays is a great place to explain worrisome aspects of your application. Here, you can address any potential red flags directly with the admissions committee. Perhaps your extracurricular resume is not as strong as those of other applicants. But, that’s because you need to spend time after school taking care of younger siblings while your parents work late. Or, perhaps your grades dipped towards the C-range for a semester while you were dealing with a close personal loss.

This optional choice in the Texas A&M essay prompts gives you the opportunity to provide context. Providing details regarding these unflattering parts of your application can only benefit you. Don’t hesitate to show Texas A&M Admissions why they should still consider you for admission despite these facts.

Is this optional essay really optional?

Many students wonder whether the optional Texas A&M essay is truly optional. We recommend that you complete all the required Texas A&M supplemental essays and also the optional essay if you have a personal challenge that applies to the prompt. Do the optional essay only after you have finished all of the other required Texas A&M supplemental essays. Starting with these essays ensures you are prioritizing the Texas A&M admissions essays that are required for your application. The optional Texas A&M essay can be a helpful addition to your other Texas A&M essays. Especially if you have some extenuating circumstances that affect other areas of your application. 

So yes, the last of the Texas A&M essay prompts is truly optional. But, responding to this prompt is a good way to communicate additional details about your personal situation to the admissions committee. Completing all the Texas A&M essay prompts not only shows the school that you are a hard worker. It can also help them get to know you better and explain any anomalies in your otherwise stellar application.

Are the Texas A&M supplemental essays important?

The Texas A&M supplemental essays are an important part of your Texas A&M admissions application . Your Texas A&M essays are your only opportunity to give Admissions information beyond your grades and extracurricular activities. The Texas A&M essays also provide important information to the admissions committee about your readiness for college. And whether you would be a good fit for the culture of Texas A&M.

Strong responses to the Texas A&M supplemental essays can help increase your chances of admission to Texas A&M. These Texas A&M admissions essays are your golden opportunity to stand out from the rest of the applicants. Plan to spend ample time on your Texas A&M supplemental essays. They’ll likely be the most time-consuming portion of crafting your application.

When are essays for Texas A&M applications due?

Students need to submit their Texas A&M supplemental essays by December 1st. So, be sure to satisfy all of the Texas A&M admissions requirements ahead of the deadline. The deadline is different for students applying for the Early Admission Deadline for the College of Engineering. If that’s you, your Texas A&M admissions essays must be in by October 15th. For more information about the timeline and deadlines for your application, check out their admissions website !

Five Tips for Writing the Texas A&M Essays

Texas a&m university essay writing tips.

1. Start early

Because there are so many Texas A&M supplemental essays, get started on them as early as possible. This is especially true if you want to complete all of the Texas A&M essay prompts, including the optional one. You’re probably not going to put all of your best ideas into your first draft of the Texas A&M supplemental essays. Setting aside time for multiple drafts will help strengthen the writing of your Texas A&M admissions essays. 

2. Brainstorm ideas before writing

The Texas A&M admissions essays require personal reflection and thought to answer effectively. Because of this, take time to write down some of the most important events and people in your life. That way, you have a bank of topics from which to pull for your Texas A&M supplemental essays. (And you can choose the very best ones to answer the Texas A&M essay prompts). The Texas A&M essays are not long enough to capture every one of your unique life experiences and qualities. Choosing a few to focus on will help streamline your essays!

3. Show, don’t tell

Following this guideline can strengthen not only your Texas A&M admissions essays but also your writing in general. The idea is to use relevant examples to demonstrate the qualities showcased in your Texas A&M essays. These stories are powerful tools because they do two things. One, they help your reader see the kind of person you’ve become. Two, they provide perspective into the kind of student you would be at Texas A&M.

4. It’s all in the details 

This tip is related to the last, because no personal essay for college would be complete without vivid, specific details. These details help separate your essay from the crowd and allow the reader to transport themselves into your memories. The more descriptive and specific your language, the better your message will come across to your readers. Avoid stringing together several different stories with only surface-level descriptions for each one. When responding to the Texas A&M essay prompts, use as much descriptive language as possible!  

5. Ask for help

The Texas A&M supplemental essays are not easy. Writing college essays is a skill and is very different from writing a paper for class. So, it can be helpful to have some other people that you trust edit and review your essay. They might even catch mistakes in your Texas A&M supplemental essays or see improvements that you would not have considered. Just make sure that anyone you ask for help is not writing the Texas A&M supplemental essays for you! Admissions officers are trained to look for essays written by parents or siblings. Nothing someone else writes will come close to the power of your original, authentic voice.

Texas A&M Supplemental Essays – Final Takeaways

The Texas A&M essays are one of the most difficult parts of the Texas A&M admission requirements. However, with the proper preparation and guidance, anyone can write strong responses to the Texas A&M essay prompts. Any personal essay for college is important. So be sure to put your best foot forward in your Texas A&M supplemental essays. 

We at CollegeAdvisor are here to help you with your Texas A&M admissions essays. Our advisor network includes Texas A&M graduates who have personal experience with writing Texas A&M essays. By signing up for a CollegeAdvisor.com account, you get access to individual coaching for your personal essay for college. (And help from admissions experts and our Essay Editing team!) To register for an account and get help with your Texas A&M supplemental essays, click here .

This essay guide was written by senior advisor, Alex Baggott-Rowe . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

Personalized and effective college advising for high school students.

• Advisor Application
• Popular Colleges
• Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice
• Student Login
• California Privacy Notice
• Terms and Conditions
• Your Privacy Choices

By using the College Advisor site and/or working with College Advisor, you agree to our updated Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy , including an arbitration clause that covers any disputes relating to our policies and your use of our products and services.

Texas A&M University Catalogs

Application information.

Students can apply for undergraduate admission to Texas A&M University by using any one of several application services.

You may access the appropriate undergraduate application from the Texas A&M University admissions website http://admissions.tamu.edu .

Texas A&M University has several conveniently located Prospective Student Centers throughout the state, staffed with advisors ready to serve you. Please contact the center nearest you to learn more about admissions, financial aid, academic programs and student services. Texas A&M also has advisors who serve the Brazos Valley, Central Texas and El Paso areas as well as advisors throughout the U.S. to assist out-of-state applicants.  Visit the website admissions.tamu.edu/connect for more details.

Aggieland Admission Center 1 Texas A&M University 109 John J. Koldus Building 1265 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-1265 (979) 458-0950

Corpus Christi Regional Prospective Student Center 1 5350 South Staples, Suite 442 Corpus Christi, TX 78411 (361) 289-7905

Dallas/Fort Worth Regional Prospective Student Center 1 3900 Arlington Highlands Blvd., Suite 273 Arlington, TX 76018 (817) 375-0960

Houston Regional Prospective Student Center 1 1225 North Loop West, Suite 200 Houston, TX 77008 (713) 454-1990

Laredo Regional Prospective Student Center 1 6401 Arena Road, Suite 5A Laredo, TX 78041 (956) 795-0412

Rio Grande Valley Regional Prospective Student Center 1 500 N Jackson Rd, Suite A-7 Pharr, TX 78577 (956) 683-8647

40 NE Loop 410, Suite 605 San Antonio, TX 78216 (210) 212-7016

Se habla español. 

The admission guidelines presented here are for admission to the Spring, Summer or Fall 2023 semester. While they are the best guide available, admission criteria are subject to change. The Office of Admissions website ( http://admissions.tamu.edu ) contains the admission policies and procedures in effect for 2023 admission.

Types of Admission and Application Calendars

An applicant who has enrolled in a post-secondary institution since high school graduation, with or without credit earned, must apply as a transfer applicant.

Items Necessary to Complete an Application File

Please see the Readmission, Post-baccalaureate or Non-degree sections for other items required to complete the transfer application for those types of admission. U.S. citizens completing a non-U.S. high school program should refer to International Admissions for questions concerning transcripts, examination results, and foreign credentials.

An application is reviewed to make a decision about admission after all items listed below have been received. The items must be received by the appropriate closing date to qualify for consideration for admission.

In addition, freshman applicants must show proof of meeting the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy to qualify for review. If you attend an out-of-state high school or are a home schooled student, you are exempt from the Uniform Admission Policy.

Application submitted electronically via ApplyTexas or the Common Application 

Application fee (check, money order, visa, mastercard, discover or american express)—all fees are nonrefundable.

• Domestic Undergraduate - $75
• International - $90

Guidelines for requesting application fee waivers:

• Fee waivers are not available for international students.

Freshman Waivers

Applicants who qualify for federally funded free/reduced lunch programs may qualify for a fee waiver. Students must certify their eligibility on the application by answering Texas A&M's fee waiver question.  Please see our admissions website,  http://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/freshman , for additional  instructions for requesting a waiver.  Checking the fee waiver box on the application will not satisfy the fee waiver requirement.

Transfer or Readmit Waivers

To request a fee waiver, please provide your Student Aid Report (SAR), found within your current FAFSA, or a copy of an award letter from your current institution. The Office of Admissions does not have access to your FAFSA or SAR, you must provide a copy as part of your application file.  Checking the fee waiver box on the application will not satisfy the fee waiver requirement.

Please see our admissions website,  http://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/transfer , for additional information.

• Freshman applicants are required to complete Essay Topic A.
• Transfer applicants are required to complete Essay Topic A.

SAT or ACT Scores

• Required of all freshman applicants, including all international freshman applicants. **
• Scores should be sent directly from the testing agency and must be received by the posted deadline to be considered.
• The SAT code is 6003; the ACT code is 4198.
• Test scores must be from a test date within five years of the date of planned enrollment.
• The highest test score from one test date will be used in our review for admission. Texas A&M does not combine test scores from different test dates.  ** Due to the continued lack of availability of in-person testing opportunities, Texas A&M University will not require ACT or SAT scores for freshman applicants in the fall or spring of 2023. The submission of test scores will not create any unfair advantage or disadvantage for those students who provide them but may help satisfy TSI requirements if admitted.

Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR)

• Domestic freshman applicants must fill out and submit the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) indicating coursework, credits earned, grades, graduation plan/diploma type, grade point average and a numerical class rank (if available) at least through their junior year. Students should have a copy of their high school transcript available to use as a reference when filling out the SRAR. If admitted, the applicant will be required to submit a final transcript with graduation date by August 15 . Discrepancies between a student's SRAR and official final transcript will be thoroughly reviewed; depending on findings, this could result in a student's admission being rescinded. Freshman applicants who have already graduated from high school must also provide an official high school transcript with a graduation date as part of the application file.
• Access to the SRAR will be available on our admissions website when the application opens.
• Domestic applicants attending an international school which follows an academic curriculum patterned after the U.S. education system may fill out the SRAR.
• International students studying in the U.S. may fill out the SRAR.
• International students studying outside the U.S. must provide official academic records, see International Admission Criteria for details.
• The Office of Admissions reserves the right to require official transcripts from any student; students should check the Applicant Information System to ensure completion of their file.
• Freshman and transfer applicants who have graduated from high school at the time of application should submit an official high school transcript that includes grades and credits for all completed coursework, a numerical class rank (if available), date of graduation and graduation plan completed, or a certificate verifying completion of a GED program. 
• Post-baccalaureate applicants are not required to submit a high school transcript as part of the application file. Readmit applicants may be required to submit a final high school transcript if one is not currently on file with the university.
• To be considered official, a transcript must bear an original signature of a school official or an original school seal.
• Applicants who have attended high school both in the U.S. and out of the U.S. may complete the SRAR provided the courses and grades are present on the U.S. transcript; otherwise, official transcripts are required. Details for providing international transcripts can be found under International Admission Criteria.
• For students enrolled in the U.S., copies of official transcripts from other countries will be accepted provided the copies are on file and verified by the U.S. institution. 
• Faxed or emailed copies are not official and will not be accepted.
• Students graduating from a Texas high school who rank in the top ten percent must provide both the Self-Reported Academic Record and a high school transcript noting the student’s rank and class size or a transcript with a letter from the school on school letterhead signed by a school official noting the student's rank and class size to qualify for automatic admission. Documents may be uploaded in the Applicant Information System for processing. 
• Texas A&M's Office of Admission will assign a ranking to students from non-ranking high schools.

Official College Transcripts

• An official transcript is required from every post-secondary institution attended even if the applicant did not earn credit, receive a course grade or the course is not transferable. Coursework from one college posted on the transcript of another college will not satisfy this requirement. Failure to acknowledge attendance and provide transcripts from all schools attended may be considered a fraudulent admissions application resulting in a denial of the application. A college transcript for dual credit coursework earned in high school must also be provided.
• Official paper transcripts are to be sent by the sending institution in a sealed envelope. The transcript will not be considered official if the student has had access to the transcript.
• Requirements for submitting international transcripts can be found under International Admission Criteria.
• Faxed copies are not official and will not be accepted.
• For students enrolled in the U.S., copies of official transcripts from other countries will be accepted provided the copies are on file and verified by the U.S. institution.

Lawful Permanent Residents of the United States

An applicant who has applied for or been granted Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is eligible to submit an application as a Domestic Applicant. To qualify, you must include one of the following with the application:

• a copy of both sides of the DHS-issued Permanent Resident Card, or
• the I-551 Entry Stamp and Immigrant Visa in the passport, or
• an approved I-797 Notice of Action or I-797C Notice of Receipt.

If your parent is also a permanent resident, a copy of the parent’s proof of LPR status will be necessary to determine in-state residency for tuition purposes.

Note: If you have applied for adjustment of status to Lawful Permanent Residency and have not received your LPR card or Notice of Action that says Notice Type: Approval Notice, you will be considered an international student once you are admitted to the University. There are certain requirements that international students must fulfill in order to enroll. Please contact International Student Services at [email protected] for more information about these requirements.

Required Immunizations

Texas Education Code (TEC) 51.9192 requires all entering students (under the age of 22) to provide evidence of vaccination against bacterial meningitis received within the last 5 years or a signed affidavit declining the vaccine at least 10 days prior to the start of classes for any given semester. Learn more about bacterial meningitis at http://admissions.tamu.edu/meningitis .

Notification of Application Status

Check the Applicant Information System (AIS) at applicant.tamu.edu to verify your application has been received and to determine if any credentials are missing or are incomplete. Please allow at least two weeks to process credentials.

The Office of Admissions will make every effort to inform applicants of incomplete files through AIS. If incomplete credentials are received within one month of the closing date, there may not be sufficient time for the Office of Admissions to notify applicants. All items necessary to complete an admission file must be received by the Office of Admissions by the closing date (not postmarked) to assure consideration for admission.

Required Coursework

Applicants who graduate from an accredited Texas public or private high school applying to Texas A&M University must have completed the Foundation High School Program preferably with the Distinguished Level of Achievement and at least one endorsement.  The high school curriculum should be noted on the official high school transcript. Please visit https://admissions.tamu.edu/resources/future-students/college-readiness for a complete description of coursework including information for home-schooled and out-of-state applicants.

State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy

Texas Education Code (TEC) 51.803-51.809 ( State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy ) requires that all freshman applicants meet one of the following college readiness standards in order to be eligible to be considered for admission at a Texas four-year public institution.

• SAT – 480 EBRW and 530 Math for tests taken after February 2016
• ACT – 18 English, 22 Reading, 22 Mathematics and 23 Science
• Successfully complete the State of Texas foundation, recommended or advanced/distinguished high school program or complete the portion of the program that was available to them; or
• Successfully complete a curriculum that is equivalent in content and rigor to the foundation, recommended or advanced/distinguished high school program at a high school that is exempt from offering such programs.

Students attending an out-of-state/out-of-country high school or home school are exempt from the Uniform Admission Policy.

Additional Information for Freshman Applicants

• Extracurricular activities including time commitment and duration of involvement
• Leadership and/or exceptional talent as shown in extracurricular activities and/or work
• Community/volunteer work including time commitment and duration of involvement
• Awards and achievements earned while in high school
• Employment and/or internships including dates of work and hours per week
• Family educational background and household income
• Number of people in household
• Essay Topic A

Topic A on the application is required. 

Freshman Admissions

When all credentials necessary to complete a freshman applicant’s file are received during the admission application period, one of the following criteria will be used to determine who will be offered admission:

• Top 10% Applicants from Texas High Schools Applicants who are Texas residents or who are enrolled in recognized public or private high schools in Texas with a rank in the top 10% of their high school graduating class, on or before the admissions deadline, will be automatically admitted to Texas A&M University if they have successfully met the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy and have successfully completed the recommended or distinguished graduation plan or the foundation distinguished plan. Choice of major is not guaranteed. Applicants must submit all required credentials and a high school transcript verifying top ten percent ranking by the closing date in order to qualify for automatic admission.
• Review Applicants Applicants not meeting the above requirements for automatic admission but who have met the state of Texas Uniform Admission Policy will be considered for admission by holistic review of their application file, provided they submitted all required credentials by the closing date.

Information for all Freshman Applicants

• All applicants should use the application questions and the essay to present their academic background and personal strengths as well as personal circumstances.
• Letters of recommendation are optional. If an applicant chooses to submit letters of recommendation, only the first two received will be considered. The most helpful letters are from individuals who know the applicant well and who can write about what distinguishes the individual from other applicants in the areas of leadership, exceptional talent or special circumstances. Photocopies are acceptable.
• A competitive applicant who cannot be admitted to a major due to restricted enrollment will be offered admission to their second major choice. If the second major choice is full, then an alternate major must be chosen by the applicant after admission to the university.

Notice of Admission Decision

Texas A&M University receives many more academically prepared applicants for admission than we can accommodate. Admission decisions are made beginning September 1 and continue throughout the application period. A final decision may not be announced until early December for spring admission or late March for summer or fall admission. A limited number of applicants may be offered provisional admission that requires the successful completion of a summer school program at Texas A&M. In addition, some applicants may be considered for the Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen , Texas A&M Blinn TEAM Program ,  Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn ,  Texas A&M Engineering at Galveston , Texas A&M Engineering at McAllen , or the Program for System Admission .

Opportunity Admission Program 

The Opportunity Major initiative will allow for additional offers of admission to under-enrolled majors. A list of majors below the average student-to-faculty ratios or whose scheduled credit hours are below the student-to-faculty ratios will be known as “opportunity majors” to facilitate this process.   Students admitted into an opportunity major will follow the catalog of the year they are enrolled in the opportunity major. Opportunity majors will be updated each year to reflect changes to the list and offer maximum opportunity for students to enroll. The Opportunity Majors for the 2023-2024 academic year and general terms and conditions of participation are listed the  appendices  of this catalog. Students admitted to an opportunity major will only be allowed to change majors to another opportunity major with one exception. Students who complete 40 hours with a 3.75 GPA after one year with at least 30 hours in Texas A&M enrolled courses, will be provided the opportunity to apply to change major to a non-opportunity major based on the availability and selective process of the college/department.

Suspected Fraudulent Admission Applications

Applicants for admission to Texas A&M University should be aware that the information submitted as part of the application process will be relied upon by University officials to determine their status for admission and residency for tuition purposes. By signing and submitting an admission application, the applicant certifies that the information in, and submitted with, the application is complete and correct and may be verified by Texas A&M University.

All students applying to Texas A&M University are expected to follow the Aggie Code of Honor which states “An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do.” Applicants found to have misrepresented themselves or submitted false information on the application will receive appropriate disciplinary action which may include rejection of the application, withdrawal of any offer of acceptance, cancellation of enrollment or any other appropriate disciplinary action. In all instances of disciplinary action, the application fee is non-refundable.

Pursuant to Texas A&M Student Rule 24.4.1 , acts of dishonesty include but are not limited to:

• Withholding material information from the  University , misrepresenting the truth during a  University  investigation  or student conduct conference, and/or making false statements to any  University officials  or law enforcement officers in the course of their duties.
•  Furnishing false information to and/or withholding information from any  University official ,  faculty member , office, or law enforcement officers in the course of their duties.
•  Forgery, alteration, possession, or misuse of any  University  document, record, or instrument of identification.
•  The submission of false information at the time of admission or readmission is grounds for rejection of the application, withdrawal of any offer of acceptance, cancellation of enrollment, dismissal or other appropriate disciplinary action.

For prospective undergraduate students (admitted but not enrolled), the initial determination of whether an individual has submitted a fraudulent application will be made by the Director of Admissions Operations, with a right of appeal to the Executive Director of Admissions. All appeals will be considered by the Admissions Decisions Appeals Committee and a recommendation made to the Executive Director of Admissions.  For prospective graduate students, initial appeals will be made to the Dean of the Graduate and Professional School.

Enrolled students suspected of violating Student Rules will be reported to the Student Conduct Office.

Any University official who suspects that a prospective student or enrolled student has submitted a fraudulent admission application must notify the Executive Director of Admissions. 

Residence Requirement for Baccalaureate Degree

A student must complete at least 25% of semester credit hours applied to a baccalaureate degree in residence at Texas A&M University. 

Upper-level Residence Requirement: A minimum of 36 semester credit hours of 300-level and/or 400-level coursework must be successfully completed in residence at Texas A&M University to obtain a baccalaureate degree.  For the Bachelor of Science in Nursing - RN to BSN Track, a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of 300-level and/or 400-level coursework must be successfully completed in residence at Texas A&M University.  In all cases, a minimum of 12 of these 300-level and/or 400-level semester hours must be in the major.

Abbreviations for Texas A&M Colleges and Majors

See this catalog pertaining to your major for the specific science.

Choice available for transfer applicants only. Nursing and Dental Hygiene applicants must have completed or be enrolled in pre-requisite courses at the time of application. Courses may be completed at any accredited college or university.

All new students to the Schools of Architecture, Business, and Public Health enter the lower level.

Requires CHEM 120 ; MATH 168 , MATH 151 .

The curriculum leading to a professional degree in Architecture begins in the four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree program. This degree provides entry to the Master of Architecture program.

No spring transfer admission.

Choice not available for transfer applicants.

All students seeking elementary teacher certification will complete a baccalaureate degree in Education. There is no major in Secondary Teacher Education. All students seeking secondary certification (except those preparing to teach physical education or health) will major in an academic discipline other than Education (i.e., mathematics, English, computer science, biology, etc.) and take appropriate coursework for teacher certification in the School of Education and Human Development.

Apply through College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Pre-veterinary medicine is not offered at Texas A&M. If you plan to apply to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program, you should select a major that would be a good vocational choice if you do not later enter the DVM program. Any major may be selected; however, some curricula more closely parallel courses that must be completed before applying to the DVM program than others.

Change of Curriculum to Another Campus

In addition to main campus, Texas A&M offers certain undergraduate degrees at its branch campuses, Galveston and Qatar, and the Higher Education Center at McAllen.  While enrolled as a student in residence at any one of the Texas A&M locations, students may apply for a change of curriculum to another location for a future semester. Students must comply with the established change of curriculum procedures and requirements of their desired major, department, and college, and space must be available. Final approval is granted by the academic dean or departmental advisor for that major.

Transfer Admissions

Transfer applicants will be reviewed and receive a decision from the Office of Admissions provided they submit all required credentials by the closing date. 

Recommended/required coursework for all majors is available on the Transfer Course Sheets at http://admissions.tamu.edu/transfer/majors . Students are strongly encouraged to follow the guidelines and complete both the required and recommended courses as outlined on the Transfer Course Sheets and in the catalog. Applicants who begin a set of courses which have a two-semester sequence are encouraged to complete both courses in the sequence before planning to transfer to Texas A&M.

Admission Criteria

• Transfer applicants should have at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) on at least 24 graded semester hours of transferable coursework at the time of application to be competitive for admission.
• Transfer admission decisions are made based on the college or major requested and are competitive; thus, admission standards may change from one semester to another. Preference is given to the applicant with the highest grade point average (GPA) and the most courses completed for the major designated on the application. 
• Applicants who drop or withdraw from courses frequently and who do not routinely achieve satisfactory grades will be at a disadvantage in the review for admission.
• Spring grades may be used in the fall admission decision if requested by the Review Committee or in instances where the student did not meet the university requirements for review. Spring transcripts must be received by June 1 for review with spring grades. A complete application must be on file by March 1 to be considered for fall admission and to qualify for spring grade review. Spring grade review is not available for all applicants and is not an option for students studying outside the U.S.
• The entire application, including essay topic A, is considered in the review process.
• Some colleges consider second choice majors and some do   not  consider second choice majors. This is noted on the Transfer Course Sheets. The admission decisions follow the guidelines presented in the Transfer Course Sheets and the College Specific Information provided in the catalog. Space may be limited for those being reviewed for their second choice.   

Automatic Transfer Admission through SB 175

A transfer applicant who graduated from a Texas high school and ranked in the top 10% of their high school qualifies for automatic transfer admission to a 4-year university under the provisions of SB 175 if they meet the following guidelines:

• The applicant must have graduated in the top 10% of his or her high school graduating class from a Texas high school not more than 4 years prior to the semester for which the student is applying. The top 10% ranking must be stated on the final high school transcript, or the applicant must have been previously offered admission under the Top 10% rule to the institution to which the applicant seeks admission as a transfer student.
• The applicant must complete the core curriculum at a public junior college or other public or private lower-division institution with a 2.5 GPA on a four-point scale or equivalent.
• Transcript should note core completion.
• The applicant must expressly and clearly claim in the application that he or she is seeking admission under the transfer Top 10% rule (SB 175).
• The applicant must provide all of the documents required for transfer admission to Texas A&M by the posted deadline. Transfer requirements can be found at http://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/transfer .

Applicants qualifying for transfer Top 10% admission under SB 175 will be admitted to Texas A&M but the choice of major is not guaranteed. Students desiring admission to Business or Engineering are encouraged to select a second choice major of interest due to the limited enrollment capacity in these colleges.

For information concerning the Transfer Top 10% Admission, please see www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/81R/billtext/doc/SB00175F.doc .

College Specific Information

College of agriculture and life sciences.

Transfer admission requirements vary for the different academic programs offered by the College. Transfer admission decisions are made by major and are competitive. Most majors have required and recommended coursework to be completed by the student prior to application. It is highly recommended that prospective students contact the academic advisor for the major of interest to inquire about specific transfer admission requirements. Students should also refer to the Texas A&M University Admissions website  to review the Transfer Course Sheets for each major. Also, note that transfer admission GPA requirements vary by major and several exceed the minimum 2.5 GPA. Completion of the essay indicating why the major was selected and how a degree in this major will help meet career goals is required. For more information on transfer guidelines, coursework and contact information for all academic advisors, refer to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences website .

School of Architecture

Applicants must have completed 24 hours of transferable coursework at the time of application, and it is recommended that these courses be selected from the degree program electives described elsewhere in this catalog. The essay is an important component in the review process and should explain why the applicant is interested in either the Architecture, Construction Science, Landscape Architecture or Urban and Regional Planning degree. Depending on the program of interest, applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA are rarely admitted. For more information, visit the School of Architecture  website .

Enrollment in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Regional Planning is driven by available studio space. Additionally, there are eight sequential studios in those degree programs which makes it difficult for students that transfer with more than 36 hours to graduate in a timely manner.

MATH 1324 from some colleges will not be a direct equivalent to MATH 140 at Texas A&M University but will satisfy the core math requirement for this major.

College of Arts and Sciences

Competitive applicants will apply with at least 24 hours of graded transferable coursework and a minimum GPA of 2.5 at the time of application. Transfer admission GPA requirements vary by major, with the majority requiring at least a 3.0 to be competitive for transfer admission consideration. Applicants should complete the essay indicating why they are interested in admission into their selected major. Applicants who have special or extenuating circumstances they wish to share are encouraged to address these within the essay(s) as well.  Academic performance in courses relevant to the student’s prospective major are considered in admissions decisions. STEM majors pay close attention to performance in required math and science courses. Majors may have prerequisites that must be met prior to admission. The College of Arts and Sciences will consider second-choice majors. Students with 90 hours of college credit may not be considered for transfer admission to some majors. Refer to this catalog for all electives in each curriculum. For more information about majors, programs and curricular requirements, please refer to this catalog, the Transfer Course Sheets , and the College of Arts and Sciences  website .

See below for courses required for STEM related majors:

Mathematics

 statistics.

A grade of B or better is required on all courses. Requirements also include a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better.

 Must be completed with a C or better.

Meets major requirement. May be taken as time permits.

Mays Business School

Mays Business School offers transfer admission to the most competitive applicants. The transfer admission process identifies applications that evidence outstanding accomplishments, including academic credentials using the following guidelines.

Transfer admission to Mays generally requires excellence in the following set of ten specific courses. Applicants desiring to major in business are encouraged to plan early, and incorporate this entire body of coursework into their curriculum prior to applying. It is especially important to have credit for both required math courses before applying.

Mays admits transfer applicants for summer or fall admission. No spring transfer admission is available. Applicants are expected to have completed and excelled in substantially all of the 30 credit hours of Required Coursework. Applicants need a grade of A in most courses and a high overall GPA to be competitive. 

The entire record is reviewed for consistency in coursework and grades. Successful applicants include carefully written essays that demonstrate clarity of purpose, creativity, and an advanced writing style. Applicants are encouraged to use the required essay as an opportunity identify their past accomplishments, discuss what they hope to study at Texas A&M University, and describe how their undergraduate business education will help them meet goals after graduation. Applicants who have special circumstances they wish to have considered are urged to share all pertinent information, with appropriate documentation, in their essay(s).

REQUIRED COURSEWORK FOR ADMISSION:  Priority courses to be completed before transfer application to Mays Business School are:

Take Public Speaking in a classroom setting.

In lieu of MATH 1324 and MATH 1325, Mays accepts MATH 2414 and MATH 2413, respectively.

School of Education and Human Development

Transfer admission requirements vary for the different academic programs offered by the School of Education and Human Development (SEHD). Transfer admission decisions are made by major and are competitive. All majors have required coursework to be completed by the student prior to application. It is highly recommended that prospective students contact the SEHD Undergraduate Prospective Student Office to inquire about specific transfer admission requirements. Students should also refer to the Texas A&M University Admissions website at  http://admissions.tamu.edu/transfer/majors to review the Transfer Course Sheets for each major. Also, note that transfer admission GPA requirements vary by major and several exceed the minimum 2.5 GPA. Completion of the essay indicating why the major was selected and how a degree in this major will help meet career goals is required. For more information on transfer guidelines, coursework and contact information for the SEHD Undergraduate Prospective Student Office refer to the following website  https://education.tamu.edu/contact-us/  or email [email protected] .

College of Engineering

Applicants should complete at least 24 hours of graded, transferable coursework at the time of submitting their application, all with a grade of C or better. Transfer admission GPA requirements vary by major, with the majority exceeding the minimum requirements for transfer admission consideration to Texas A&M. Transfer admission course requirements also vary by major. 

Prospective transfer students should review the College of Engineering website for more information about each major. Transfer Course Sheets are available for each major in the College of Engineering to provide guidance on specific transfer admission requirements.

Field of Study Curricula

A Field of Study Curriculum is a set of courses that will satisfy lower-division requirements for a baccalaureate degree in a specific academic area at a general academic teaching institution. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board publishes information about Board-approved Field of Study Curricula ( www.highered.texas.gov/ ). Texas A&M University complies with requirements outlined in 19 Texas Administrative Code §4.32 regarding transfer of course credit for completed or partially-completed Field of Study Curricula. Per 19 Texas Administrative Code §4.32, following the receipt of credit, “the student may be required to satisfy the remaining course requirements in the field of study curriculum of the receiving institution, or to complete additional requirements in the receiving institution's program, as long as those requirements do not duplicate course content already completed through the field of study curriculum.”

Notification of Admission Decisions

Transfer admission decisions are made through a competitive review process. Applicants are notified of the admission decision on a rolling basis throughout the application season. For those applicants requested to submit spring grades for fall consideration, decisions should be announced by early July.

Additional Information for Transfer Applicants

• All applicants are encouraged to view the  Transfer Course Sheets  posted on the admissions website for information concerning required courses and GPA requirements for admission to a specific major. 
• A 2.0 GPA or better on coursework in progress during the semester (excluding summer terms) immediately prior to enrollment at Texas A&M is a condition of admission.
• Failing grades, repeated courses, WF, Incomplete, etc.
• Grades reported as Incomplete are computed as Fs.
• Plus and minus grade designations are not used; C+ is computed as a C, B- as a B, etc.
• Credit by examination courses which are transcripted from other colleges or universities may be transferred if sequential coursework with credit is also indicated. If there is evidence that the credit by examination courses are part of the student’s program of study at that institution, credit will be awarded for those courses that meet the transfer guidelines. Note: Credit by examination will not count toward the 24 hours required for consideration for admission.
• Coursework taken as credit-by-exam must be listed as a specific course and course number on an official college transcript to be considered for transfer of credit.

Transfer Course Credit Policies

Transfer credit on coursework complete at the time of application to Texas A&M University is determined when an official transcript from the originating institution is presented as part of the application for admission or readmission process. An official transcript is required from every post-secondary institution attended (including dual credit earned in high school) even if the applicant did not earn credit, receive a course grade or the course is not transferable.

The transfer of course credit is determined by the Office of Admissions on a course-by-course basis by application of policies set under the guidance of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, and under the guidance of faculty within the academic colleges. Credit submitted for transfer must be on an official transcript received by the Office of Admissions from the Registrar of the institution where the credit was earned. Course content will be determined from the catalog description or the syllabus. The transferability of courses will be based on the criteria below. All criteria are intended to be considered together; for example, criteria 10 may be qualified by criteria 7.

Undergraduate course credit will only be evaluated and posted for undergraduate applicants and undergraduate students, not for graduate level applicants.

Credit from Institutions Accredited by One of the Institutional Accrediting Agencies

• The course is applicable to a bachelor’s degree at Texas A&M.
• The course is similar to a course or courses offered for degree credit by Texas A&M.
• The course content is at or above the level of the beginning course in the subject matter offered by Texas A&M.
• A course that is intended for use in a vocational, technical or occupational program will not typically transfer. In certain cases, credit for occupational skill courses will be considered. Transfer of this credit requires that the student’s Texas A&M major is engineering technology or industrial distribution or that the student’s major department and dean approve the course for use in the student’s degree program after enrollment.
• Credit for support courses such as Math, Science and English intended specifically for use in an occupational program will not be transferred.
• Credit for courses must be shown on the official transcript in semester hours or in units that are readily converted to semester hours.
• A graduate-level course will not be transferred for undergraduate credit unless approved for use in the student’s undergraduate degree program by the student’s major department and Dean. This also applies for a course offered in a professional degree program such as Nursing, Law, or Medicine.
• Credit by examination courses which are transcripted from other colleges or universities may be transferred if sequential coursework with credit is also indicated. If there is evidence that the credit by examination courses are part of the student’s program of study at that institution, credit will be awarded for those courses that meet our transfer guidelines.
• Courses similar to ones offered by Texas A&M at the junior or senior level transfer by title only. Such courses may be used in the student’s degree program only if approved by the Department Head and Dean of the student’s major field. Validation of such credit, either by examination or the completion of a higher level course, may be required.
• A field experience, internship or student teaching course may be transferred by title only.
• Credit for cooperative education will not be transferred.
• A course that is substantially equivalent to a Texas A&M lower level course transfers as an equivalent course. Two or more courses may be combined to form one or more equivalent courses. If there is doubt about the equivalency of a course, the Texas A&M department offering the course subject matter may be asked to determine if the course is equivalent. STEM courses are often referred to the departments for evaluation.
• As a general policy, credit for admission will be given for transfer work satisfactorily completed with a passing grade at another properly accredited institution.
• Grade Point Average (GPA) for any period shall be computed by dividing the total number of semester hours of transferable courses for which the student received grades into the total number of grade points earned in that period. Credit hours to which grades equivalent to Texas A&M grades of W, WF, F, I or U are assigned shall be included; those having grades equivalent to Texas A&M grades of WP, Q, S, X and NG shall be excluded.
• In any case where a decision cannot be made using the above criteria, the Office of Admissions will determine the transfer of credit based on University policy, previous actions of the University and prior experience.

Resolution of Transfer Disputes for Lower Division Courses Between Public Institutions in Texas

The following procedures shall be followed by public institutions of higher education in the resolution of transfer credit disputes involving lower-division courses:

• If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied. A receiving institution shall also provide written notice of the reasons for denying credit for a particular course or set of courses at the request of the sending institution.
• A student who receives notice as specified in subsection 1 may dispute the denial of credit by contacting a designated official at either the sending or the receiving institution.
• The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with the rules and guidelines of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
• If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution that denies the course credit for transfer shall notify the Commissioner of its denial and the reasons for the denial.

The Commissioner of Higher Education or the Commissioner’s designee shall make the final determination about the dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.

Credit from Non-accredited Schools

Students who transfer to Texas A&M from an institution of higher education that is not accredited by one of the institutional accrediting agencies may validate the work taken at the institution by one of the following methods upon admission:

• Successful completion of a comprehensive departmental examination or nationally standardized examination that is approved by the department.
• Successful completion of a higher level course in the same subject area when approved by the Department Head and the Dean of the college or school.

Credit will be given to students transferring from non-accredited public colleges in Texas for work completed with grades of C or better if they earn a grade point of 2.0 (C average) on the first 30 hours of residence work at Texas A&M.

Credit from Foreign Institutions

Transfer work from institutions that do not follow the United States educational system with instruction in English will be evaluated on an individual basis. A-level examinations with a grade of C or better will result in the award of transfer credit. We do not award credit for Baccalaureate II examinations. Credit will be given for work satisfactorily completed at international institutions offering programs recognized by Texas A&M. Official credentials submitted directly from the Office of the Registrar and a listing of courses completed and grades awarded must accompany any request for transfer credit. Transfer work will be awarded by course title unless previous arrangements have been made using the Texas A&M University Transfer Credit Study Abroad Pre-Approval Form. Courses must be equivalent in character and content to courses offered at Texas A&M. Credit will not be awarded from international institutions which are not academically accredited by the Ministry of Education or other appropriate authority in the home country.

No English composition courses will be transferred from institutions located in non-English speaking countries. American history and American political science (government) courses will not transfer from foreign institutions.

Courses taken at language training centers or language institutes are generally not awarded transfer credit. A transcript from such an institution must be issued through the Office of the Registrar at a Texas A&M recognized university, institute or language training center. Credentials of all language training centers and institutes are carefully reviewed.

Credit for Military Experience

State law (Texas Education Code Section 51.3042) and Texas A&M University policy awards credit for military service to eligible veterans. To receive credit, student veterans must submit proof of eligibility to the Office of Admissions.  Up to 12 hours of general elective credits may be awarded, as needed for the student’s degree plan.

Proof of eligibility includes:

• DD Form 214 showing 1 year active duty and an honorable discharge OR
• Military orders OR
• Disability discharge documentation AND
• Documentation of high school completion (final high school transcript or General Educational Development certificate)

Military transcripts are evaluated at the time of application and credit for military experience/training is awarded based on recommendations contained within the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services published by the American Council on Education (ACE).  Texas A&M University will award KINE 198 and KINE 199 credit for completion of Basic Training if applicable to a student's degree plan.  Credit under this policy does not prohibit Texas A&M University from awarding additional credit.  The Military Transcript Credit Appeal form shall be provided to the Office of Admissions with approval of the academic advisor and veteran. 

• Official military transcript (JST or CCAF)

Military Service Credits are irrevocable once awarded. Potential consequences should be identified and understood before a request is submitted. Students must consult their academic advisor for advice on the number of credits from military service that can be used in their degree program to avoid excess credit accumulation and possible negative effects.

Extension and Correspondence Courses

Students may apply a maximum of 30 semester hours of approved extension class work and correspondence study toward a degree. Students may apply up to 12 hours of correspondence credit earned through an accredited institution toward the requirements for an undergraduate degree, even though Texas A&M does not offer courses by correspondence.

Correspondence courses taken through the Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES) may be accepted and included in the 12 hours allowed.

In order for a student in residence at Texas A&M to receive credit for correspondence work toward a bachelor’s degree, he or she should:

• obtain advance written permission from the Dean of their college or school;
• present appropriate evidence of having completed the course.

Testing Services is authorized to act as an agent to receive correspondence courses.

International Admission Criteria

Transcripts/examination results.

Official academic records (transcripts, marksheets, diplomas, etc.) are required for all secondary and any university coursework completed. Records should include all courses taken in high school and every college or university the applicant has attended.

Official records require the original school seal or an original signature of a school official (Registrar, Principal, Headmaster or Director of Student Records, Controller of Examinations, or the Ministry of Education). Official records should be mailed from the school directly to Texas A&M University, Office of Admissions. Examination results should be sent directly from the examination agency. In addition to the original records in a language other than English, Texas A&M requires official translations in English. Translations sent directly from the institution attended or from a recognized translator will be accepted. Transcript evaluations that include a certified copy of the original transcript and a word-for-word translation from an evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services are strongly recommended and will allow faster processing of files. We recommend a document-by-document evaluation (with a GPA) for high school credentials and a course-by-course evaluation for college/university transcripts from non-U.S. institutions. Credential evaluations that include a word-for-word translation will be considered as an official translation but will NOT  be accepted as a substitute for required transcripts. For students enrolled in the United States, we will accept copies of official transcripts from other countries that are on file and verified by the U.S. institution. Unofficial photocopies, fax copies, and notarized copies of records, examination results, or translations will not be accepted. Uploaded transcripts and diplomas indicating graduation from secondary school (final high school transcripts) will not be accepted. These transcripts must be mailed. 

Admission Criteria for International Applicants with U.S. Based Credentials

International applicants who are completing their education at an institution that is accredited by the U.S. will be reviewed in accordance with the guidelines determined for domestic admission. However, these applicants must still meet international deadlines and testing requirements. (See item 2 below.)

Admission Criteria for International Applicants with Foreign Credentials

International applicants who are completing their education at an institution that is not accredited by the U.S. will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• International applicants are expected to complete an educational program that will allow them to be considered for admission to a university in their home country. Examples include the completion of Grade 13, Form 6 or 3 A-level exams following the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Predicted A-level exam results must be received by the application closing date.
• Applicants must submit proof of high school graduation, typically a diploma, leaving certificate, or official examination results. Students that complete the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exam must provide the necessary information for Texas A&M to verify the WAEC results, typically a WAEC scratch card or results checker, by the application closing date.
• Successful applicants will rank near the top of their country’s educational system (B average or better) and score well above average on national exams.
• Secondary school courses: Appropriate college preparatory coursework is required.
• TOEFL internet-based test score of 80 or higher (taken within two years of date of intended enrollment)
• IELTS with a 6.0 overall band score (taken within two years of date of intended enrollment)
• SAT Evidence Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score of 560 or higher 
• ACT English score of 21 or higher
• Completed all four years of high school within the U.S.
• Transfer from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education with at least 30 semester credit hours including the equivalent to Texas A&M’s ENGL 103 or ENGL 104 with a grade of C or better. 
• Please view the admissions website for information concerning acceptable English language testing for 2023.
• Leadership positions held
• Honors/awards received
• Major national, state or Texas A&M scholarships received

Additional Requirements for International Applicants After Admission

If admitted, international students should review the International Student Services Channel, howdy.tamu.edu - Applicant tab, for next steps concerning enrollment at Texas A&M University. Additional information is available on the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) website.

Scholarship Information for International Students

There are a limited number of scholarships, fellowships, grants and loans available to international students, both in the admission process and throughout their enrollment. Some of these come from academic departments, particularly for graduate applicants, but there are also forms of financial aid available through International Student Services and Scholarships & Financial Aid. International applicants with financial need are encouraged to complete the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) . This form must be resubmitted annually for continued consideration for aid.

One special opportunity that a student may be eligible for upon admission to Texas A&M University is the Texas/Mexico Education Scholarship. Texas law allows a limited number of admitted applicants who are citizens of Mexico, and who can document financial need, to pay the same tuition as the residents of the State of Texas. For more information regarding how to apply for this scholarship, please refer to International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) website.

For additional information regarding financial assistance and other scholarships available to International Students, please contact:

Scholarships & Financial Aid Texas A&M University P. O. Box 30016 College Station, TX 77842-3016 (979) 845-3236 [email protected] http://financialaid.tamu.edu

For additional information, please contact:

International Student and Scholar Services Office Pavilion Room 110 Texas A&M University 1226 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-1226 USA (979) 845-1824 Fax (979) 862-4633 [email protected] http://iss.tamu.edu

Admission Criteria for Other Application Types

Readmission criteria.

Admission decisions for readmission are based on the following:

• GPA on Texas A&M coursework;
• GPA on coursework since leaving Texas A&M;
• desired major; and
• information presented in the application and essay/statement of purpose.

If you were previously admitted but did not enroll and attend class through the official census date, you do not qualify as a readmit, and you must apply as either a freshman or transfer student.

If you were previously enrolled at Texas A&M but did not attend class through the official census date of the previous long semester, then you must apply for readmission.

Transcripts from institutions attended since the last enrollment at Texas A&M are required as follows:

Post-baccalaureate Undergraduate Criteria

Admission is limited and intended for applicants with a degree who wish to apply for further study at the undergraduate level to pursue a second bachelor’s degree.

Additional requirements to complete a post-baccalaureate application:

• an official transcript indicating the receipt of a recognized baccalaureate degree
• a statement of purpose explaining why enrollment at Texas A&M is necessary
• official transcripts from all colleges attended (official high school transcript not required)

Admission decisions for post-baccalaureate undergraduates consider:

• GPA on transferable college coursework
• completion of prerequisite coursework
• information presented in the application

Priority is given to qualified applicants for their initial degree; therefore, post-baccalaureate undergraduate admission may be limited or may not be available . Mays Business School and the School of Public Health  do not  consider applicants for post-baccalaureate study. Students are encouraged to contact the major to determine if post-baccalaureate study is allowed. See the Classification section of this catalog for the enrollment rights and privileges of this classification.

Undergraduate Non-degree Criteria

Admission is limited and intended for applicants with a high school diploma (with the exception of High School Enrichment Program participants) or for degree applicants who do not intend to pursue a baccalaureate degree at Texas A&M. This includes:

• local residents or University employees taking courses on a part-time basis
• applicants completing established Texas A&M University requirements for teacher or other certification
• applicants completing a prescribed set of courses as preparation for application to graduate study or professional programs (i.e., medical school, veterinary school, law school or CPA exam)
• others as deemed appropriate by the Office of Admissions and the college or program of admission

Additional requirements to complete an undergraduate non-degree application:

• a statement of purpose explaining why enrollment at Texas A&M is desired
• an official college transcript showing the latest collegiate coursework attempted or a complete, official high school transcript if no college work has been attempted after high school graduation
• additional information presented in the application may be considered

Priority is given to qualified applicants for their initial bachelor’s degree; therefore, non-degree admission may be limited or not available. Students are encouraged to contact the major to determine if non-degree seeking study is allowed for any given semester. See the Classification section of this catalog for the enrollment rights and privileges of this classification.

Transient Session Only Criteria

Admission is considered for applicants who wish to attend summer only, present appropriate credentials for the level of specified coursework, and apply within the processing period for the specific session. The School of Public Health does not allow transient admission. Students are encouraged to contact the major to determine if transient study is allowed.

Additional requirements to complete transient session only application:

High School Enrichment Program

Texas A&M University is pleased to offer the High School Enrichment Program (HSEP) for qualified high school students in the Bryan/College Station area that will provide college credit and may also provide credit toward high school graduation. Admission for this program is on a space-available basis. The applicant pool is competitive, and admission into this program is not guaranteed.

This program provides a chance to further your knowledge in a subject you have completed in high school and earn valuable credit for graduation at both levels. For example, if you are interested in Physics and you have completed all of the classes your high school offers, you may qualify to continue to study Physics at the college level.

To be considered for this program, students must have completed all levels of related coursework offered at their high school. Each student is eligible to take one course per fall or spring semester, and course registration will be completed by the Texas A&M departmental advisor. No summer classes are offered at this time. Classes will be held on the Texas A&M campus, and students and their parents/guardians will be responsible for any transportation considerations.

Eligibility requirements:

• You must be a junior or senior in high school in the Bryan/College Station area.
• You must have a minimum SAT score of 1270 or an ACT score of 27.
• You must provide a recommendation form from your high school counselor to participate.

Academic Fresh Start Policy

Applicants for admission or readmission to Texas A&M may choose to have academic coursework that was completed at least 10 years prior to their term of application removed from consideration in the admission decision (Texas residents only). All other admission requirements apply. Should a Fresh Start applicant be admitted, he or she will forfeit all credit earned prior to 10 years from the term of admission. Academic Fresh Start must be requested as part of the application process. It cannot be requested after an applicant is admitted or enrolled. 

Academic work done subsequent to ten years will be used in the evaluation of the applicant for admission.  Applicants with subsequent coursework are required to submit the transfer application along with transcripts for all college level coursework as well as all additional required documents by the posted deadline. If a student does not have coursework subsequent to ten years, he or she will be considered for admission based on the guidelines for new entering freshmen.  See https://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/academic-fresh-start for additional requirements. 

Admitted Fresh Start applicants have “Academic Fresh Start” indicated on their official Texas A&M transcript, are required to satisfy TSI requirements, and will follow the academic requirements of the Undergraduate Catalog of record for the term of admission.

Forfeited coursework cannot be considered as prerequisites but placement examinations are allowed for courses which were not considered for admission because of the Fresh Start Policy. Once admitted on Academic Fresh Start, the applicant or student cannot subsequently request that the Fresh Start policy restrictions be removed.

If an applicant has used the Academic Fresh Start Policy at a previous school, the Academic Fresh Start will remain in effect at Texas A&M upon transfer.

Note: For financial aid purposes all previously taken coursework will be included when evaluating aid eligibility.  In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not recognize the Academic Fresh Start program.  Students cannot be certified for courses they have successfully completed.  Students using VA educational benefits should coordinate with the Veterans Services Office.  

Entry to a Major – College of Engineering

Students in General Engineering , Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn ,  Engineering at Galveston , Engineering at McAllen , or the Texas A&M Engineering Academy Programs  pursue a common first year engineering curriculum to provide them opportunities to explore the various engineering  majors . Students are introduced to the different engineering majors in the first year engineering courses, ENGR 102 , ENGR 216/PHYS 216 and ENGR 217/PHYS 217 . Additionally, students are encouraged to leverage additional resources, including the Career Center, faculty, and academic advisors, to gain more information about engineering majors. Students must complete the following first year engineering curriculum requirements over the course of at least two semesters before applying to an engineering major: two engineering courses, two math courses, and two science courses. 

The entry-to-a-major (ETAM) process  enables students to take ownership of their future by identifying at least three majors that are a good match for their academic and career goals. The ETAM process is designed to place students in the highest rank major possible based upon academic performance, ETAM application content, and program capacities.  Students are encouraged to be in a major as early as possible. Students in  General Engineering ,  Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn ,  Engineering at Galveston ,  Engineering at McAllen , or the  Texas A&M Engineering Academy Programs must be in a major by the end of the fourth semester.

Transfer students are admitted directly to a degree granting major through the admissions process.

Upper-Level Entry to the Schools of Architecture and Business

Transfer students.

Transfer students, who meet the University entrance requirements and who desire to enter a major field of study in the School of Architecture, will be admitted based on available space and current School of Architecture entrance criteria. Following admission, some departments place transfer students on a 2.5 GPA probation for a minimum of 12 credit hours to substantiate competency in required lower-level courses. Departments with lower-level classification will admit transfer students into the school with a lower-level classification. Students may apply for upper-level status after at least one semester at Texas A&M University.

Change of Major

Students currently enrolled in another major at Texas A&M University with fewer than 60 hours who desire to change their major field of study into the School of Architecture must fill out a Change of Curriculum application found on the Howdy portal under the "My Record" tab. See Student Rule 5. 

The best-qualified applicants will be admitted based on the number of spaces available in their program of choice . Enrollment in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban and Regional Planning is driven by available studio space. Additionally, there are eight sequential studios in those degree programs which makes it difficult for students that transfer with more than 36 hours to graduate in a timely manner.

Lower-level business (BUAD) students are encouraged to complete the freshman and sophomore sequence of courses as listed under Program Requirements.

The BBA Upper-Level (UL) entry requirements and application procedures are as follows:

• Submitted application for UL admission no later than preregistration for the expected UL entry term. NOTE:  For summer UL entry, all requirements must be completed BEFORE the first class day of the FIRST SUMMER SESSION.
• BUAD students may preregister for UL business courses in the semester for which they have applied for UL. However, students who fail to complete UL requirements shall not be permitted to remain registered in UL business classes.
• Transfer Students:  Transfer students admitted to Mays Business School enter as lower-level business (BUAD) students until they complete all requirements listed previously in item 1, at which time they may apply for admission to an UL BBA major. Transfer students may immediately apply for UL when admitted to Mays Business School if, and only if, they meet all UL requirements at that time.
• On-Campus Change of Major Students:  Texas A&M students who change major into Mays Business School from another college or department at the University will enter as lower-level business (BUAD) students until they complete all requirements listed previously in item 1. Change of major students who, when admitted to the business school, qualify to apply for admission to an UL BBA major may do so.
• Junior- and Senior-Level Business Courses: Preference for available seats in junior- and senior-level business courses will be given to students who have been admitted to a BBA granting major in Mays Business School. All ineligible students who preregister for UL business classes are subject to cancellation of their registration in these courses.

Texas Success Initiative (TSI)

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) was instituted to ensure that students enrolled in Texas public colleges and universities possess the necessary academic skills to perform effectively in college and to provide diagnostic information about reading, writing and mathematics skills of each student. All undergraduate students who did not meet one of the allowed exemptions must take the approved TSI Assessment.

Students who do not meet established cutoff scores or other approved exemptions for the TSI Assessment are required by Texas law to be enrolled in, and actively attend, an academic skills course and/or program each semester prior to completing all TSI requirements. Academic skills courses in each of the three TSI areas are offered by Texas A&M. Failure to meet the attendance requirements of the academic skills course will result in withdrawal from Texas A&M. The hours for these courses will not count toward any degree program but may count toward determining full-time status.  See  https://asc.tamu.edu/TX-Success-Initiative for specific information.

Students required to take the TSI Assessment should provide their score reports to the Academic Success Center at Texas A&M University at the address below.

Academic Success Center 1133 TAMU College Station, TX 77843-1133

Email score reports to:  [email protected]  

More information can be obtained from testing centers at most Texas public colleges and universities or by contacting:

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board P.O. Box 12788 Austin, TX 78711-2788

Undergraduate Studies’ units have modified services available to students enrolled via distance education, at branch campuses, or at other instructional locations.

School of Dentistry – Caruth School of Dental Hygiene

Basis for acceptance.

All applicants will be considered using the following criteria. In addition, the applicant must be able to perform the essential functions required in the curriculum. The quality of the applicant’s academic achievement is a prime consideration. A grade point average (GPA) is computed based on all courses taken in college.

Preference for admission is given to students with:

• A cumulative GPA and Science GPA indicating ability to succeed in the program.
• Attention given to detail when completing the application.
• A comprehensive biographical sketch that includes information that will help the Admissions Committee know the applicant better. Details about the dental hygiene procedures that have been observed, a description of the community service projects in which you have participated and information concerning your interests, abilities and attitudes that have motivated you to make the commitment required for a career in dental hygiene are examples of information that might be included.

The application deadline is January 5. The Office of Recruitment and Admissions encourages applicants to submit the online application forms by December 1. All materials related to the application must be received in the Office of Recruitment and Admissions by February 1.

• Application for Admission
• Secondary Application
• List of courses in progress and those planned prior to enrollment in the dental hygiene program
• Biographical sketch
• Application Fee ($35.00)
• Photograph sized 2 X 2 (does not have to be a passport picture - can be regular photograph cut down)
• Transcripts from high school and all colleges attended (if you attended a foreign high school, you do not have to submit a copy)
• Scores from Texas Success Initiative (TSI). (Or if exempt, SAT/ACT or TAAS– usually scores are listed on high school transcript; you do not have to submit scores separately.)
• Observation Verification Form (minimum 16 hours required)
• Recommendations: these evaluation forms should be completed by 1) a college instructor, 2) a dental hygienist and 3) an individual who has known applicant for some time; for example, an employer or supervisor.
• An application is valid for one academic year only.
• Official transcripts are required and will be accepted only when sent directly from each school the applicant has attended.
• It is the responsibility of the applicant to keep the application file current. Failure to supply grades, transcripts or recommendations may be perceived as an indication that the applicant is no longer interested in admission.

Processing of applications begins the year prior to entrance into the professional program and continues until the class is filled. The applications are evaluated, and an invitation for an interview may be extended. The purpose of the interview is to determine the applicant’s knowledge of the dental hygiene profession. It also provides an opportunity for the applicant to see the facility, meet with the Admissions Committee and to ask questions about the Caruth School of Dental Hygiene program.

All prospective students are encouraged to contact the college with questions regarding prerequisite courses or the program.

To Access the Dental Hygiene Application Forms:

The applicant will need to create an account on the Banner Admissions Management Framework (BAMF) website . The applicant will be required to complete and submit the School of Dentistry Dental Hygiene Application, the Secondary Application and the Ethnicity Form.

The application for the Dental Hygiene Program will be available on the BAMF website from July 15 to January 5.

Download Forms (Adobe PDF files):

The Evaluation Form and Observation Verification Form are available for download. You will need to print these forms and submit them with signatures through regular mail.

• Evaluation Form – top section to be filled in by applicant
• Observation Verification Form

Mail forms and transcripts to:

Office of Recruitment and Admissions Texas A&M University School of Dentistry 3302 Gaston Avenue, Room 525 Dallas, TX 75246-2013 USA

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit will be determined by each component in conjunction with the staff of the college on a course-by-course basis from official transcripts submitted in the competitive admissions process. Course content will be determined by the catalog course description or course syllabus.

Course acceptability is guided by these criteria:

• They are acceptable as credit for a bachelor’s degree at a regionally accredited institution.
• Course content is at or above the level of courses specified in the requirements for admission.
• Courses intended for use in a vocational, technical or occupational program normally do not transfer; general courses within this type of program may transfer.
• Credit on the transcript must appear in semester hours or credits that may be converted to semester hours.
• Credit by examination courses may be transferred if accepted by another college and followed by sequenced coursework.
• Equivalency of coursework is determined by content found in catalog course descriptions or syllabi of courses. In case of doubt, departmental faculty will determine equivalency. The final determination is left to the Program Director.
• As a general policy, coursework with a passing grade may be transferred, but the applicant must keep in mind that admission to the hygiene program is on a competitive basis and grades of F are calculated into the grade point average.
• Course hours will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis but will be transferred as a block of hours, and the grades do not calculate into the GPA for the hygiene program.
• Online courses are accepted.
• Typically, credit will not be given for courses completed at institutions not accredited by a regional accrediting agency.
• The school does not accept non-credit coursework to be used in lieu of coursework taken for academic credit.

Dental Hygiene Program (BS)

School of nursing.

Three different tracks lead to a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The traditional BSN track is for students seeking their first degree in college. The second-degree BSN track (post-baccalaureate) is for individuals who have already earned a bachelor’s degree in another field of study. The RN to BSN track is for registered nurses who hold an associate degree in nursing. Prerequisite courses, which are the essential foundation for nursing, must be completed before entry into upper-division nursing courses through a competitive admission process. In addition, all students must meet the core curriculum requirements for Texas A&M University if not already completed at another institution. 

The following documents are required for an application to be considered complete and eligible for review:  

Application  

Application fee  

Official college transcript(s)  

Timed verbal and written assessment  

Completion of prerequisite courses by the time of enrollment with a grade of C or better  

Admissions Assessment (HESI A2) entrance exam required for traditional and second-degree BSN applicants only 

Reference and professional resume required for RN to BSN applicants only  

RN to BSN applicants must provide proof of RN licensure in good standing  

Copy of permanent resident card, if applicable  

Official TOEFL Scores are required for international applicants and must be taken within the past two years. Test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to be considered official.  

The most current information regarding application to nursing can be found on the  School of Nursing   (SON) website. Applications must be received by the posted deadline. No late documents will be accepted. Admission to the school is competitive. At the time of application, students must be enrolled in or have completed all prerequisite course requirements which includes University Core Curriculum and nursing prerequisites. Admission offers may be made to students finalizing courses and will be contingent upon successful completion of all prerequisite requirements and students presenting a clear criminal background check and a negative drug screen.  

If the student completed a core curriculum from another Texas public institution in a previous degree program, they are not required to complete the school’s Core Curriculum. Students transferring from out of state, from a private institution, those with an international degree or anyone with concerns about this requirement, please contact an academic advisor at the School of Nursing for further clarification. Students will not be considered for admission unless the required coursework will be completed by the time of enrollment.  

Additional Requirements for International Applicants and Applicants with Foreign Credentials

In addition to each program's stated application requirements, applicants with foreign transcripts must also include a transcript evaluation from an evaluation service which is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. A course-by-course listing that reflects U.S. grade point equivalencies and semester credits is required. These reports must be sent directly from the evaluation agency in the original sealed envelope to NursingCAS. Send to: NursingCAS, P.O. Box 9201, Watertown, MA 02471. If sent via UPS or FEDEX, send to NursingCAS Transcript Department, 311 Arsenal Street, Suite #15, Watertown, MA 02472. Students may wish to speak with an advisor to determine transfer credits based on results of the evaluation.  

If admitted to the School of Nursing, applicants with foreign transcripts must submit the native language transcript along with an official English translation. These documents must include all original seals and/or signatures and be approved by the Texas A&M Office of Admissions prior to enrollment in the program.  

English Proficiency and other Requirements for International Applicants

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit proof of English proficiency to be eligible for review. English proficiency can be demonstrated through various criteria. See more on this requirement on the  international admissions website . International applicants will be expected to present declaration of finances, F-1 travel documents and additional documentation upon acceptance to the School of Nursing. All deadlines required by the Office of International Student Services must be met.  

School of Nursing (Health Science Center)

Traditional, second degree and rn to bsn, course credit, testing services.

Testing Services serves as the center for credit by examination, placement testing and correspondence testing, as well as national standardized testing. Other services include posting of test scores and evaluation of tests for college credit.

Credit by Examination

Undergraduate students at Texas A&M may earn course credits by demonstrating superior achievement on tests offered through several examination programs. Credit by examination is available to freshmen who plan to enter the University and to students who are currently enrolled. Credit earned by examination does not contribute to a student’s grade point ratio. The University awards credit for scores on certain tests published by the Advanced Placement Program (AP), the College Level Examination Program Computer-Based Testing (CLEP CBT), the SAT Subject Tests, DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Texas A&M also offers qualified students opportunities to earn credits by taking departmental examinations prepared by the faculty. Information concerning credit by examination may be obtained from Testing Services , (979) 845-0532.

Please note these regulations concerning credit by examination:

• Test scores and/or credit eligibility must be reported formally to Testing Services for credit by examination to be awarded. Credit is posted to the academic record once appropriate scores are received by Testing Services, the student has officially enrolled in the University and the student has accepted the credit. For information regarding current procedures for accepting credit, please visit the Testing Services website.
• Students may not receive credit by examination for courses that are prerequisites to courses for which they already have credit except with the approval of the department authorizing the examination.
• A student may not have credit posted for credit by examination for a course in which he or she is currently registered. If a student has acquired a grade or exercised First-Year Grade Exclusion on a course, then the student will not be eligible to take the equivalent departmental exam. Eligibility will not be affected if a student has a Q, W or NG in a course.
• Please note that once any credit has been accepted it cannot be removed.

Advanced Placement Program (AP)

Examinations offered by the AP Program are administered during late spring by high schools. Students usually take the examinations after completing Advanced Placement courses, although experience in an AP course is not required. Interested students should contact their high school counselors for information concerning registration and test sites. High school students and currently enrolled students should have the College Board forward their scores to Testing Services, institution code: 6003. Advanced Placement scores of entering freshmen are generally received in July. Students will need to log onto their Howdy portal under My Records and then Credit by Exam to accept the credit earned via AP tests. Testing Services suggests visiting with your advisor before you accept credit.

The following list includes all AP examinations currently accepted for credit.

Students must consult their academic advisor for advice on the number of credits that can be used in their degree program to avoid excessive credit accumulation and possible negative effects.

Variable credits up to a maximum of 3 credit hours.  Students must consult their academic advisor for advice on the number of credits that can be used in their degree program to avoid excessive credit accumulation and possible negative effects.

Engineering majors should accept credit for PHYS 206 and PHYS 207 only, (not 226 and 227) a 2 hour lab is required for their degree plan

For instructions on accepting AP credit, please visit T esting Services .

College Level Examination Program Computer-Based Testing (CLEP CBT)

CLEP CBT tests are designed to evaluate nontraditional college-level education such as independent study, correspondence work, etc. Both enrolled undergraduate students and entering freshmen may receive CLEP CBT credit for the courses which are listed below. Only examination titles below are currently accepted. The minimum scores listed below are based on the current version of CLEP CBT Examinations. Students will need to log onto their Howdy portal under My Records and then Credit by Exam to accept the credit earned via CLEP tests. Testing Services suggests visiting with your advisor before you accept credit.

For instructions on accepting CLEP credit, please visit Testing Services .

Dantes Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) Program

The DSST Program is available to all interested persons. Enrolled undergraduate students and entering freshmen may receive DSST credit for the courses listed below. For more information about the test, please contact Testing Services.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Texas A&M University, in compliance with SB111, will grant at least 24 semester credit hours of course-specific college credit in subject-appropriate areas on all International Baccalaureate (IB) exam scores of 4 or above as long as the incoming freshman has earned an IB diploma. While some course credit will be awarded regardless of a student’s IB diploma status, some course credit at Texas A&M University may be subject to the successful completion of the IB diploma.

Entering freshman students should submit their International Baccalaureate transcript to Texas A&M University, institution code: 01355, for review. Students should contact Testing Services regarding their eligibility for course credit. Students should work with an academic advisor to determine the use of the IB credits in their individual degree plan and the impact accepting the credit may have upon tuition rebate eligibility, tuition charges for excessive total hours, and preparedness for sequential coursework based on IB test scores. Students will need to log onto their Howdy portal under My Records and then Credit by Exam to accept the credit earned via IB tests. Testing Services suggests visiting with your advisor before you accept credit.

Texas A&M University will notify IB applicants of their eligibility to receive credit by posting information on the website,  Testing Services , and by establishing links to other web pages.

The evaluation of IB courses in order to identify the appropriate course credit is continuing and will be posted as it becomes available. The following list includes all IB examinations currently accepted for credit.

Credit for MATH 151 may be substituted for  MATH 142  or MATH 171 . 

For instructions on accepting IB credit, please visit Testing Services .

SAT Subject Tests

Credits are offered to entering freshmen who score high on the SAT Subject Tests. High school students who are interested in taking these tests should contact their school counselors or write College Board ATP, Box 592, Princeton, NJ 08541.

The minimum score required is based on the re-centered scale. Students who took tests before April 1, 1995, should contact Testing Services to determine the minimum score required. For instructions on accepting SAT Subject credit, please visit Testing Services .

Departmental Examinations for Entering Freshmen and Currently Enrolled Students

Qualified entering freshmen may take departmental tests after being officially admitted into Texas A&M University. Currently enrolled students can also take the exams throughout the year. Contact  Testing Services for registration information. The tests are prepared by participating Texas A&M departments. Current offerings include:

Graduate Admission

For information related to  graduate admission, please contact:

Office of Graduate Admissions Texas A&M University P.O. Box 40001 College Station, TX 77842-4001 (979) 845-1060 [email protected] http://admissions.tamu.edu/apply/graduate

Please reference the  Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional Catalog on this  website .

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

2 Terrific Texas A&M Essay Examples by an Accepted Student

Founded in 1876, Texas A&M University has the distinction of being the oldest institution of higher education in Texas. Texas A&M has grown considerably since its founding as an Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) college—today, it’s home to 17 academic colleges and offers more than 130 undergraduate degrees. 

Texas A&M’s wide range of academic offerings, and national reputation as an athletic powerhouse thanks to their success in the Southeastern Conference, makes it desirable to many applicants. To help yourself stand out from the crowd, you’ll want to make sure your essays are as strong as possible. Here, we’ll provide you with two examples of essays submitted by a student who was eventually accepted to Texas A&M, to give you a clearer sense of what admissions officers are looking for.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Read our Texas A&M University essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Essay Example 1 – Success in College

“How much are you looking to make.” This was the question I had feared; a wrong answer could’ve meant I wasn’t ready for the job, and I’d look like a fool, but if I answered wrong for myself, I’d be stuck knowing I could’ve asked for more. 

Walking into my first job ever, I had immediately begun to shake; it had hit; this had been my first ever job interview, and the person I was about to meet would decide how my summer would go. I shook hands, sat down, and introduced myself. After a couple of questions, I was offered the position, but then that million-dollar question came. I had gone over this question several times during the car ride here. After an extensive debate with myself, I decided it wouldn’t look good if I were to shoot too high, but I also did not want to undervalue myself. I wanted to get the job; I said a number I thought was fair, making sure not to shoot ‘too’ high.

“We start everyone at the same pay.” It turns out I underestimated myself; I had told him something I thought he’d want to hear for the sake of the position. I learned not to underestimate or doubt myself, to always believe in myself, and reach for whatever I dreamed of. Now in life, I always try to achieve the highest level and believe in myself, never selling myself short and always having faith in my capability.

What the Essay Did Well

The author does a great job of centering their essay around a down-to-earth anecdote which still contains a life lesson that directly relates to their future success as a college student. With this prompt, many students will likely write about awards and achievements, but by choosing a more “ordinary” moment, the student shows that they have the ability to reflect on and learn from daily life as well.

As a quick aside, with that being said, you want to be authentic in your college essays. If you’re brainstorming for this prompt, or a similar one, and you feel your strongest response would be about an award or achievement, that’s completely fine! We just want to highlight that sometimes, writing about something less stereotypically impressive can be an incredibly effective way of humanizing yourself for admissions officers.

Another strength of this essay is the author’s personal, conversational writing style, which allows us to step into their shoes and imagine the situation as if we were there. By describing their thoughts and feelings with lines like “I immediately began to shake” and “then that million-dollar question came,” the writer keeps us invested in their story.

Finally, the student also does a great job of both telling a complete story and leaving enough space to reflect on their experience. That reflection leads to clear takeaway lessons which they explicitly connect to the prompt, so there’s no risk of the admissions officer finishing the essay wondering what the point was.

What Could Be Improved 

One small change this student could make is in the final paragraph, where they reflect on how they “ learned not to underestimate or doubt [themself], to always believe in [themself], and reach for whatever [they] dreamed of.” While the first lesson, to not underestimate themself, is a logical takeaway from the experience, the next two feel tangentially related at best. 

The lack of a clear connection makes the end of the essay feel a little too much like a Hallmark Card. Since readers don’t have anything to anchor the second and third lessons to, they seem generic, when the whole point of the college essay is to set yourself apart. While you do want to maximize the limited space given to you in college essays, this is an example of a place where less is more.

Essay Example 2 – A Teacher’s Impact

Walking into my first class of senior year, Securities and Investments, I thought, “Just another class with just another basic teacher.” Mr. Anderson was standing outside the classroom, I walked in and saw no one, I knew no one. All of my friends were in separate classes, it was just me.

He started the class immediately after the bell rang by telling us, “Ok, class, let’s go outside.” Instead of just doing a regular old lecture, Mr. Anderson teaches outside and around the school. I was immediately hooked: to me, a class where I didn’t have to sit in a rock-hard chair for 90 minutes every other day seemed thrilling. However, it wasn’t just the outdoors that intrigued me, but the content: investments we can make throughout our lives, and how to benefit from the stock market. I was attached; I was drawn to business; I was drawn to the financial aspects, technological aspects, all the aspects of a business. Finally, a class that I yearn to be in, a class about the inner workings of the stock market and business.

Mr. Anderson taught me to keep an open mind when doing anything new, from joining a new class to researching a stock. That mindset has led me to new opportunities, such as volunteering for Wells International Foundation to create clubs. Now, whenever I’m feeling apprehensive about something new, I remember how much I ended up loving Mr. Anderson’s class, and do my best to change my apprehension into anticipation.

This essay’s greatest strength is that the writer has chosen someone who has clearly made a genuine impact on their life. While that may seem like a strange thing to highlight, since that’s the whole point of the prompt, a pitfall some students fall into is trying to impress the admissions officers by choosing someone famous, or a historical figure, who hasn’t actually been that important for their growth. 

But for this prompt, who you choose doesn’t matter–what does is that you can articulate why they’ve been influential in your life, which this student does an excellent job of. The overall lesson of keeping an open mind clearly follows from the student’s description of Mr. Anderson’s unconventional teaching style, and also connects to another aspect of the student’s life (their work with Wells International Foundation).

Additionally, in the first two paragraphs the author builds a personal connection with their readers by letting us in on their thoughts and feelings in real time, through lines like “a class where I didn’t have to sit in a rocking chair” and “finally, a class that I yearn to be in.” This open, honest tone helps us better understand just how impactful the student’s experiences with their teacher were.

While the student clearly lays out the bigger picture lesson they learned from Mr. Anderson in the final paragraph, the first two paragraphs lack detail about how his actions, or personality, helped them learn that lesson. Talking about the outdoor class is a great start, but that’s just one example, and this prompt is asking about “the person who has most impacted your life.”

The student hints at Mr. Anderson helping them engage with topics they initially didn’t find interesting, but in the college essay, hinting isn’t enough–remember, your readers are complete strangers, so they don’t have any background context to fall back on if they don’t fully understand something. The essay would be much stronger with a concrete example of a time Mr. Anderson helped motivate the student academically, like:

“Before I was taught by Mr. Anderson, ‘investments’ was just a word I heard my dad occasionally say while reading the newspaper. I had never cared to learn more, but that disinterest died the day Mr. Anderson put us into teams and had us try to invest responsibly even as he rolled a die to trigger random misfortunes or windfalls.”

This anecdote provides readers with the detail we need to understand how Mr. Anderson specifically encouraged this student’s budding interest in business and finance, which is the connection that’s missing in the original essay.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay

Want feedback like this on your Texas A&M essay before you submit? We offer expert essay review by advisors who have helped students get into their dream schools. You can book a review with one of our experts to receive notes on your topic, grammar, and essay structure to make your essay stand out to admissions officers.

Haven’t started writing your essay yet? Our advisors also offer expert college counseling packages . You can purchase a package to get one-on-one guidance on any aspect of the college application process, including brainstorming and writing essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Texas A&M University

• Cost & scholarships
• Essay prompt

Want to see your chances of admission at Texas A&M University?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Texas A&M University’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Impactful person short response.

Tell us about the person who has most impacted your life and why.

Opportunities and Challenges Essay

Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?

Life Even Short Response

Describe a life event which you feel has prepared you to be successful in college.

Overcoming Challenges Short Response

If there are additional personal challenges, hardships, or opportunities (including COVID related experiences) that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, which you have not already written about, please note them in the space below.

College of Engineering Essay

Describe your academic and career goals in the broad field of engineering (including computer science, industrial distribution, and engineering technology). What and/or who has influenced you either inside or outside the classroom that contributed to these goals? It is important to spend time addressing this question as it will be considered as part of engineering review process.

ApplyTexas Essays

Schools using ApplyTexas will have specific guidelines for how many of the following essays are required, if any. Some schools are also on the Common App, so you may respond to those prompts instead in that case.

Most students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. Tell us about yourself.

You’ve got a ticket in your hand – Where will you go? What will you do? What will happen when you get there?

(specific to majors in architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education): Personal interaction with objects, images and spaces can be so powerful as to change the way one thinks about particular issues or topics. For your intended area of study (architecture, art history, design, studio art, visual art studies/art education), describe an experience where instruction in that area or your personal interaction with an object, image or space effected this type of change in your thinking. What did you do to act upon your new thinking and what have you done to prepare yourself for further study in this area?

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

• University Future Students
• University Current Students
• University Faculty & Staff
• Former Students
• University Catalog
• Applicant Type
• Admission Application
• Required Documents
• When To Apply
• Acts of Dishonesty

FRESHMAN ADMISSIONS

How to apply,  applicant type.

You are a domestic freshman if you:

• are a current high school student (with or without college credit) OR a high school graduate with no college credit earned after high school AND
• are a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or have applied for permanent residency OR are graduating from a Texas high school after three years in residence in Texas.

Additional information for international freshmen   is available here .

Back to top Back to top

 ADMISSION APPLICATION

Texas A&M University at Galveston only utilizes ApplyTexas for its application for admission.

 REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Your documents must be received by the deadline   (see   When to Apply   below).

• ESSAY Complete Essay A ApplyTexas Essay: Tell us your story.  What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today? Average length is a page to a page and a half.  - BEST>>:  S ubmit as part of the application. - OTHER>>:  Upload at  Applicant Information System (AIS)  via the Upload Documents tab.  
• PREFERRED>>:  Pay through  ApplyTexas
• Check or money order by mail
• Checking the Fee Waiver box on the application is not sufficient.
• SAT Fee Waiver   or   ACT Fee Waiver   OR
• PREFERRED>>:  Upload in  AIS
• OTHER METHOD>>:   Mail
• Emailed copies will NOT be accepted.
• If still in high school must submit a complete, official transcript through their junior year/6 semesters
• If graduated from high school must submit an official transcript that also includes senior courses, a graduation plan and date of graduation
• Home-schooled students must submit a complete, official transcript through their junior year/6 semesters which includes grades earned for all completed coursework.
• If your school does not rank, a school profile from the high school must be provided along with your transcript and Texas A&M will assign a class rank based on reported GPA.
• PREFERRED>>:  Electronic transcripts sent by TREx (available only to Texas high schools)
• PREFERRED>>:  Upload a copy of current high school transcript in  AIS  (after you graduate, your final high school transcript  cannot be uploaded  through AIS; it must be mailed.)
• Faxed or e-mailed copies will not be accepted.
• You must send your scores through the testing agency.
• Your highest total score from a single test date will be considered for admission.
• SAT and ACT scores expire after 5 years.
• Optional essay/writing portion is not required.
• Allow 2-4 weeks for scores to be received.

* For admissions purposes only, Texas A&M University is test optional and will not require ACT or SAT scores for freshman applicants. We encourage students who have test scores to send them. The submission of test scores will not create any unfair advantage or disadvantage for those students who provide them. Applicants may submit SAT/ACT test scores to demonstrate compliance with the   Texas Success Initiative Program   with regards to college-level readiness in reading, writing, and mathematics. 

IF APPLICABLE

• High School Curriculum Requirement   (Texas private high schools only) Students who do not meet the   State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy (UAP)   must provide   Exemption Form 3 . - BEST>>:    Upload at  Applicant Information System (AIS)  via the Upload Documents tab.  - OTHER>>:    Mail  
• Permanent Resident Card or I-551 Students who are not U.S. citizens but are permanent residents (or have applied for permanent residency) need to provide a copy of the card. - BEST>>:    Upload at  Applicant Information System (AIS)  via the Upload Documents tab.  - OTHER>>:    Mail
• Senate Bill 1528 Affidavit - BEST>>:   Upload at  Applicant Information System (AIS)  via the Upload Documents tab.  - OTHER>>:   Mail
• Letters of Recommendation Once submitted, you will not be able to see your letters of recommendation.  We will only review the first two letters we receive. Letters of recommendation typically do not play a pivotal role in the decision process.  - BEST>>:    Upload at  Applicant Information System (AIS)  via the Upload Documents tab.  - OTHER>>:    Mail  
• Resumes Resumes should only be used if you run out of space on the application. - BEST>>:    Upload at  Applicant Information System (AIS)  via the Upload Documents tab.

 WHEN TO APPLY

SPRING August 1 - December 1 DEADLINE:   December 1

FALL August 1 - May 1 DEADLINE:    May 1

• All other required documents will be accepted through May 15. 
• Spring application dates differ for incoming   International Freshman .
• If the deadline falls on a weekend, the application will remain open until 11:59 PM (CST) on the following Monday. Additional required documents will be accepted until 5:00pm (CST) on that Monday.

NOTE:   On average, it takes 3-5 business days from the time your application is successfully submitted for Texas A&M to receive it. Monitor your email address which you provided on the application for the Application Acknowledgement communication.

 ACTS OF DISHONESTY

All students applying to Texas A&M University at Galveston are expected to follow the Aggie Code of Honor which states “An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do.” Applicants found to have misrepresented themselves or submitted false information on the application will receive appropriate disciplinary action. Pursuant to the current undergraduate catalog and Texas A&M student rule 24.4.1, acts of dishonesty include but are not limited to:

• withholding material information from the University, misrepresenting the truth during a University investigation or student conduct conference, and/or making false statements to any University official
• furnishing false information to and/or withholding information from any University official, faculty member, or office
• forgery, alteration, or misuse of any University document, record, or instrument of identification

The submission of false information at the time of admission or readmission is grounds for rejection of the application, withdrawal of any offer of acceptance, cancellation of enrollment, dismissal or other appropriate disciplinary action.

Texas A&M University 2023-24 Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

Regular Decision: 

Regular Decision Deadline: Dec 1

You Have: 

Texas A&M University 2023-24 Application Essay Question Explanation

The Requirements: Two required essays of 250 words each; one optional essay of 250 words

Supplemental Essay Type(s): Oddball , Additional Information

Describe a life event which you feel has prepared you to be successful in college. (250 words)

This prompt is incredibly vague, which is kinda awesome because it sets you up to talk about almost anything you want. Which life event has sparked personal growth? What do you think it takes to be successful and how do you embody those qualities? Maybe a parent’s fragile health situation challenged you to take on more responsibilities than the average teenager, preparing you for the hard work ahead. Or perhaps you learned to love your football team’s playback sessions, as they forced you to routinely examine your mistakes, welcome constructive criticism, and guide you toward self-improvement. Whatever story you choose to tell, be sure to infuse it with personal details that no one else could include in their essay.

Tell us about the person who has most impacted your life and why. (250 words)

Who is the first person to come to mind when you read this prompt? The person you write about can be someone in your immediate circle, larger network, or on the world stage. Remember that the person you choose is going to say a lot about what you value and respect in others. Maybe an adult in your life has served as a mentor and role model for you, or perhaps the person who has impacted you most is a close friend and confidant. Once you identify the person you’d like to write about, be sure to summarize who they are to you, how they have impacted your life, and how you’ve changed as a result of knowing them.

If there are additional personal challenges, hardships, or opportunities (including COVID related experiences) that have shaped or impacted your abilities or academic credentials, which you have not already written about, please note them in the space below. (250 words)

Let us start by saying: this prompt is not for everyone. If your GPA has not dramatically increased or decreased during your high school career, move along. If, on the other hand, you’re thinking, “Yes! An opportunity for me to explain!” then read on.  Your transcripts are like Garfield Minus Garfield . Sure, we can see that something’s changed from frame to frame, but we don’t know why. Grades need context. Admissions doesn’t know why or how things happened—good or bad—so ake a look at your grades and note any anomalies or odd jumps/drops. Think back to that time in your life and tell your story. Maybe your family struggled with financial instability or the loss of a loved one. Maybe you started meeting virtually with a tutor and climbed from a fall semester C in geometry to a spring semester A. No matter your story, you are not alone in your journey of ups and downs—high school is a veritable war zone of distractions and possibilities. And, remember, everyone loves a comeback. 

About Kat Stubing

View all posts by Kat Stubing »

Check out our YouTube Channel!

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a * Student Parent Potential Partner School Counselor Private College Counselor
• Name * First Last
• Phone Type Mobile Landline
• Street Address
• Address City State / Province / Region Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, the United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye US Minor Outlying Islands Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)? High school senior High school junior College student College grad Other
• How did you find CEA? Internet Search New York Times Guidance counselor/school Social Media YouTube Friend Special Event Delehey College Consulting Other
• Common App and Coalition Essays
• Supplemental Essays
• University of California Essays
• University of Texas Essays
• Resume Review
• Post-Grad Essays
• Specialized Services
• Waitlist Letters
• Private School Essays
• General College Counseling
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
• Agnes Scott College
• Alvernia University
• American University
• Amherst College
• Babson College
• Bard College
• Barnard College
• Baylor University
• Bennington College
• Bentley University
• Berry College
• Bethany College
• Bishop’s University
• Boston College
• Boston University (BU)
• Bowdoin College
• Brandeis University
• Brown University
• Bryn Mawr College
• Bucknell University
• Butler University
• California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
• California Lutheran University
• Capitol Technology University
• Carleton College
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Catawba College
• Centre College
• Chapman University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Clark University
• College of Mount Saint Vincent
• College of William and Mary
• College of Wooster
• Colorado College
• Colorado School of Mines
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Culver-Stockton College
• D'Youville University
• Dartmouth College
• Davidson College
• Drexel University
• Duke University
• Earlham College
• Elon University
• Emerson College
• Emory University
• Flagler College
• Fordham University
• George Mason University
• Georgetown University
• Georgia State University
• Georgia Tech
• Gonzaga University
• Harvard University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Haverford College
• Hillsdale College
• Hofstra University
• Illinois Institute of Technology
• Illinois Wesleyan University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ithaca College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Kalamazoo College
• Lafayette College
• Lehigh University
• Lewis and Clark College
• Linfield University
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
• Lynn University
• Macalester College
• Malone University
• Manchester University
• Marist College
• Mary Baldwin University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Meredith College
• Monmouth College
• Moravian University
• Morehouse College
• Mount Holyoke College
• New York University (NYU)
• North Park University
• Northwestern University
• Occidental College
• Oklahoma City University
• Olin College of Engineering
• Pepperdine University
• Pitzer College
• Pomona College
• Princeton University
• Providence College
• Purdue University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rice University
• Saint Elizabeth University
• Santa Clara University
• Sarah Lawrence College
• Scripps College
• Seattle Pacific University
• Smith College
• Soka University of America
• Southern Methodist University
• St. John’s College
• Stanford University
• Stonehill College
• Swarthmore College
• Syracuse University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas Christian University
• The College of Idaho
• The George Washington University
• The New School
• Trinity College
• Tufts University
• Tulane University
• University of California
• University of Central Florida (UCF)
• University of Chicago
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Colorado Boulder
• University of Florida
• University of Georgia
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Maryland
• University of Massachusetts Amherst
• University of Miami
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Oregon
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Pittsburgh
• University of Richmond
• University of San Diego
• University of San Francisco
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Texas at Austin
• University of Tulsa
• University of Vermont
• University of Virginia (UVA)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Villanova University
• Virginia Tech
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Washington University in St. Louis
• Wellesley College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
• Yale University

Want free stuff?

We thought so. Sign up for free instructional videos, guides, worksheets and more!

One-On-One Advising

Common App Essay Prompt Guide

Supplemental Essay Prompt Guide

• YouTube Tutorials
• Our Approach & Team
• Undergraduate Testimonials
• Postgraduate Testimonials
• Where Our Students Get In
• CEA Gives Back
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Private School Admissions
• International Student Admissions
• Common App Essay Guide
• Supplemental Essay Guides
• Coalition App Guide
• The CEA Podcast
• Admissions Stats
• Notification Trackers
• Deadline Databases
• College Essay Examples
• Academy and Worksheets
• Waitlist Guides
• Get Started

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

The Next Frontier? Philosophy in Space.

By Joseph O. Chapa

Dr. Chapa is a U.S. Air Force officer and the author of “Is Remote Warfare Moral?”

The window to apply to be a NASA astronaut — a window that opens only about every four years — closes this month, on April 16. Though I’ve submitted an application, I don’t expect to make the cut.

The educational requirements for the astronaut program are clear: Applicants must possess at least a master’s degree in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), a doctorate in medicine or a test pilot school graduate patch. Though I have a Ph.D., it’s in philosophy. (And though I’m an Air Force pilot, I’m not a test pilot.)

I hesitate to tell NASA its business. But I think its requirements are closing the astronaut program off from important insights from the humanities and social sciences.

Of course, the requirement for astronauts to have technical training makes some intuitive sense. NASA was founded in 1958 “to provide for research into problems of flight within and outside the earth’s atmosphere.” Who better to solve flight problems than scientists and engineers? What’s more, NASA’s space missions have long conducted science experiments to learn how plant and animal life behaves in the far-flung emptiness between us and the moon.

But the need for STEM in space might be waning — just as the need for humanities and the social sciences waxes. After all, the “problems of flight” that once tethered us to this planet have largely been solved, thanks in no small part to all those scientist and engineer astronauts who blazed the trail to space.

By contrast, the future of our relationship with the cosmos — a colony on the moon? Humans on Mars? Contact with intelligent alien life? — will require thoughtful inquiry from many disciplines. We will need sociologists and anthropologists to help us imagine new communities; theologians and linguists if we find we are not alone in the universe; political and legal theorists to sort out the governing principles of interstellar life.

Naturally, some scholars can study these topics while still earthbound. But so can many of today’s astronauts, who often end up working on projects unrelated to their academic training. The idea behind sending people with a wider array of academic disciplines into the cosmos is not just to give scholars a taste of outer space, but also to put them in fruitful conversation with one another.

My own discipline, philosophy, may be better suited for this kind of exploration than some might think. To be sure, much philosophy can be done from an armchair. Descartes arrived at his famous conclusion, “I think, therefore, I am,” while warming himself by the fire and, as he noted, “wearing a winter dressing gown.”

But some of the greatest philosophical breakthroughs occurred only because their authors had firsthand experience with extreme and uncomfortable conditions. We might not have the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus had he not faced the hardship of slavery in Nero’s court. We might not have Thomas Hobbes’s “Leviathan” (and his principle of the “consent of the governed,” so central to the American experiment), but for his flight from the English Civil War. And we might not have Hannah Arendt’s insights on the “banality of evil” had she not attended the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a chief architect of the Holocaust.

Not all philosophers who want to learn what it means to be human in this vast and expanding universe need to experience living in space. But perhaps some of us should.

Throughout the history of Western philosophy, space has often served as stand-in for life’s deepest truths. Plato thought that the things of this world were mere images of true reality, and that true reality existed in the heavens beyond. What inspired admiration and awe in Immanuel Kant was not just the moral law within all of us but also the “starry heavens above.” The Platos and Kants of today are in a position to take a much closer look at those very heavens.

In general, the work of philosophy is to ask, “And suppose this proposition is right, what then?” When faced with a proposition — say, “The mind and body are separable,” or “One must always act to achieve the greatest happiness for the greatest number” — the philosopher takes another step and asks, “What are the implications of such a view?”

Though Earth has been our only home, it may not be our home forever. What are the implications of that proposition? What might that mean for our conception of nationhood? Of community? Of ourselves and our place in the world? This would be the work of space philosophers.

These days, unfortunately, the prestige of STEM continues to eclipse that of the social sciences and humanities. It seems unlikely that NASA will buck this trend.

That would be bad news for me, personally — but I think also for humanity at large. One day we may all echo Jodie Foster’s character in the sci-fi movie “Contact . ” When the mysteries of space-time were unfurled before her, all she could manage to say was, “They should have sent a poet.”

Joseph O. Chapa ( @JosephOChapa ) is a U.S. Air Force officer and the author of “Is Remote Warfare Moral?”

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .