Howdy! The roads leading to College Station are different for everyone. You may hop on I-35, I-45, Route 6 or 21. You may enjoy the train ride or even purchase a plane ticket. There are so many paths that lead to Aggieland and regardless of the route you take, A&M has a place for you to succeed.
Texas A&M is the largest university in the state of Texas and one of the largest in the country. The comfortable and home-like campus feel, research opportunities and long standing traditions are part of what draw so many students to College Station. A&M’s inclusive spirit is evident in their admissions process, as they have a variety of paths for prospective students to become an Aggie.
Receiving over 59,000 applications and growing each year, Texas A&M is having to make many challenging decisions on admission to College Station (main campus). Each and every application is read and reviewed for their 1st and 2nd choice major at the main campus. If they are unable to offer admittance, don’t fret, as other options are provided to becoming an Aggie. Let’s dive into what those each mean.
Program for System Admission or PSA is an acceptance into another A&M system college to meet the program requirements before transferring to College Station. The 8 satellite campuses are: Prairie View A&M University, Tarleton State University, Texas A&M International University, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Texas A&M University-Texarkana and West Texas A&M University. In your admissions decision with PSA the campus(es) will be included based on enrollment numbers and major.
The program requirements outside of the transfer application and Fall & Spring enrollment are:
must complete at least 24 hours during the fall and spring semesters at the system institution
maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA at that school AND maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA on all transferable coursework (including dual credit).
Engineering participants must maintain a 3.25 cumulative GPA at the system institution AND a minimum 3.0 GPA on all other transferable coursework (including dual credit) to guarantee admission.
One important thing to keep in mind, Mays School of Business and the School of Nursing are not available through the PSA Program.
Aggie Gateway to Success is another admissions program you could be offered. This 5 week summer program is a residential early exposure curriculum with 4 course requirements, 2 standard core curriculum courses (3 credit hours each) 1 Academic Success Center class and 1 Gateway Learning Community course. Successful completion of these courses (passing) allows you to smoothly transition to Aggieland as a General Studies Major. One unique part of this program is the peer mentor, previous Gateway students come back and serve as mentors to help incoming Gateway freshman through their first year as an Aggie. A great community builder!
Texas A&M-Blinn TEAM, is one of the most well known admissions programs at Texas A&M. Blinn Community College campus is located in College Station just minutes from A&M main campus. Accepted students in this program will take classes at both Texas A&M College Station and Blinn Community College. In order to transfer to fully an A&M student you must complete a total of 60 total credit hours (minimum 36 hrs at Blinn and 15 hrs at A&M) while maintaining a gpa at or above a 2.5. Beyond that requirement students must meet the needs of their intended major at A&M, luckily there are no major restrictions in this transfer program.
As a student enrolled in both campuses you benefit from student groups, facilities, sporting events and academic services on both campuses. The program is commonly called Blinn TEAM because of the major assigned at Blinn College, you will declare a major at both campuses.
For those students interested in Engineering, one of the most popular majors at A&M, there are many pathways to Aggieland. The strong community college system in Texas as well as the A&M satellite campuses have various pathways for prospective students to consider in their admissions decisions.
Texas A&M Engineering @ Blinn, is similar to the Blinn TEAM program; however engineering specific courses work. As a Engineering student at Blinn and A&M, math and science courses are done through Blinn College, while Engineering courses are completed at A&M. Transferring into a specific A&M Engineering program can be done after year one. Declaring your engineering specialization after year 1 is common practice for all A&M Engineering students.
Community colleges throughout the state of Texas have partnered with Chevron and A&M to offer a direct pathway to Engineering. Students can apply to this program through Austin, Dallas, Houston and Tarrant County Community Colleges to name a few. After year one or year two, depending on the completion of Math and Science, students can transfer to A&M College Station Engineering. This program offers the opportunity for students to gradually enter the large college campus and ease into coursework while still pursuing their passion for engineering.
There are so many options available to prospective Aggies! With a lot of hard work and commitment, there is a path for you to College Station! Think through your admissions decision carefully and work with the advisors and mentors that A&M offers, they are a great resource for your success.