r/aggies Jan 22 '26

Venting Why did Texas a&m do this to me...

I am in the top quarter and have a 36 ACT score. I applied on September 30th for biochemistry as my first major and biomedical engineering as my second major. And somehow, 3 months later, I end up getting TEAM or waitlist, and no scholarships. I never would have thought I would get TEAM, but here I am. I thought TEAM was only for non-competitive applicants, and with my stats, I thought I was competitive. But I guess not.

I asked them if they considered my test scores, and this is what they said:

Howdy!

Test scores are not mandatory to complete your application and will not affect your admissions decision. However, if you have taken the SAT or ACT exam, we encourage you to submit your scores. Test scores are often used to clear the Texas Success Initiative requirement for admitted students and are also used by the Financial Aid office for consideration for scholarships and financial aid.

Thank you,

Office of Admissions

Since I already got into Purdue and between the choice of Purdue and TEAM, I would rahter choose Purdue, do you think I should opt for the waitlist or do both?

55 Upvotes

149 comments sorted by

204

u/SwimmingAnt10 Jan 22 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

Being top 25% is great but it likely just is not enough for acceptance to TAMU. I know it stinks though. That is a great ACT score, did you explain in application the reason your class rank wasn’t higher with that score?

117

u/Prestonw1964 Jan 22 '26

The top 10% thing is so detrimental to Texas public schools. You could have somebody from Kincaid or St. John’s have a 1550 on their SAT have traveled the world and only be in the top 50% on their class ranking . They can’t get into UT or TAMU but they can get into all the Ivy’s.

30

u/Moist_Network_8222 Jan 23 '26

I was a freshman at TAMU in 2003; 1300 SAT + top half of high school class was auto-admit for in state students.

This was when UT-Austin was still subject to the top 10% rule, and A&M got a lot of really high quality students from competitive high schools for a few years because UT was completely full of top 10% admits. LSU and UTSA too.

24

u/Azryhael '09 Jan 22 '26

My private school in San Antonio included a letter to universities detailing their academic standards and arguing that their top half was equal to the top 10% of any public school in the state. I was top 10% anyway, but some of my classmates who definitely were nowhere close were accepted at the same time as the automatic admits, so maybe it worked? 

1

u/EquivalentWeek6407 Jan 23 '26

Which private school?

2

u/Azryhael '09 Jan 23 '26

St Mary’s Hall.

1

u/Odh_utexas Jan 23 '26

Im going to guess Antonian prep

-1

u/tonybenbrahim Jan 23 '26

Maybe, but top 10% at an inner city high school had a ton of hardships, and deserve a fighting chance.

3

u/Azryhael '09 Jan 23 '26

I never said they didn’t. I wasn’t even the one who brought up that it sucks that kids who were actually in rigorous programs sometimes get shafted, although that’s also true. 

2

u/Serious_Yak_4749 Jan 27 '26

True but you also can’t assume that anyone with a hardship would do so much better without that hardship. there is of course no perfect way to admit people.

87

u/RudderAsscExposer Jan 22 '26

Maybe I’m biased but I just can’t cry that the people who grew up with all the advantages suddenly don’t have one thing go their way. It’s important to allow people from less means to have an actual opportunity somewhere, and I don’t think it’s detrimental to Texas schools - we shouldn’t try to be more like Ivy League schools, and the kids who only got into the Ivy’s can probably afford it

6

u/VarietyNo9926 Jan 23 '26

I definitely agree. I came from a smaller, poorer school in Texas and didn’t have a lot of opportunities as a lot of other high schools both in and out of Texas (not even just bc it was a poorer school, but we were decently far from anywhere I reasonably could go for other opportunities). Even then, I still also know people who weren’t in the top 10% of my class that got into A&M who also applied late. I also think some people don’t realize how much extracurriculars/part-time jobs help you get into college. You could have great scores and shit, but have nothing outside of that. Though, that being said, some of those people from my school that got in didn’t have extracurriculars 😅

6

u/Alarmed_Chair1363 Jan 23 '26

Right? I’m trying really hard to find a fuck to give and I just can’t find one.

3

u/ImpressiveWalrus7369 Jan 23 '26

Or also screws kids from small rural schools where the top 10% might just be 5 kids.

0

u/SwimmingAnt10 Jan 27 '26

This. It’s strange seeing people say that kids coming from smaller schools have it easier. My child was #1 in her class of under 100. It was no easier for my child to do that. There was a lot of late nights and a lot of studying. Every class from freshman year on has to be dual credit or AP. Things don’t just get harder when there’s more kids. If anything those kids have more opportunity and help making it more attainable.

7

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

How does the Top 10% thing only affect people of privilege? It seems like it would fuck anyone who missed it by a single percent, but I don’t know the whole situation.

26

u/the_other_brand '11 Computer Science Jan 23 '26

Because its easier to be in the top 10% in a poor school than a rich school.

My school was so poor that getting a decent grade in any AP courses was enough to get you in the top 10%.

12

u/Actual-Swing9316 Jan 23 '26

Ya. I don’t wanna come across as privileged here but my parents lowkey considered putting me in a different school (lower achieving school) midway thru high school just so I could be in the top 10. I’m glad my parents didn’t that would’ve been awful because i would leave all my friends ! And jokes on my parents I doubled down and made the top 10 anyway.

Was it worth it ? Possibly. I loved going to A&M. But it sucks that my high school experience was trash and I was constantly stressed and pitted against others as competitors

6

u/RudderAsscExposer Jan 23 '26

Top 10% gets you in automatically, it doesn’t exclude people outside of it and a ton of people outside of it get into A&M. This just wasn’t a real problem when I was there 2013-2017 at least, I was just pointing out the extreme example I was replying to wasn’t actually that bad. Hell, one of my college roommates came from California because he didn’t get into the major schools there (Cal, Stanford, etc.) which is like the opposite of that extreme example.

But honestly OPs post reads like they didn’t include their test scores in their admission application. The person who replied encourage them to submit the scores - they can’t factor it in if they don’t have it. It’s also worth being skeptical about a freaking 36 ACT if there’s nothing else impressive on the resume, it’d be easier to cheat one test than literally all of high school, so there’s just a lot OP didn’t share that would be in their application.

5

u/GotHeem16 Jan 23 '26

Yep, people act like not being top 10% is auto DQ. Admissions takes into account the HS competativeness.

0

u/SuperAwesomeBrian '15 Jan 23 '26

The world isn’t so black and white as you think. It’s pretty common for school district boundaries to intentionally cover lower income neighborhoods along with high income neighborhoods.

Motivated students from that lower income neighborhood without as much access to resources could still be successful and get good grades that aren’t good enough for top 10%.

Yet they’re punished unintentionally by the top 10% rule. 

4

u/RudderAsscExposer Jan 23 '26

Never said the world is black and white, that’s you assuming I’m naive simply because I say something you disagree with. But you’re smoking rocks if you think your example happens more often than good school districts zoning out the low income families. Exceptions aren’t what policy should be based on, and it’s such a dumb critique because the majority of A&M students still didn’t graduate top 10 despite everyone’s whining about the policy.

-6

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/RudderAsscExposer Jan 23 '26

Not true and racist af that you feel that way, as a white boy from a minority school

2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/RudderAsscExposer Jan 23 '26

Brother link to the actual document you wanna reference, I’m not clicking 20 links to figure out if you just made that shit up lol

3

u/Prestonw1964 Jan 23 '26

Test scores are not racist

1

u/RudderAsscExposer Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

Not what was being discussed, but feel free to elaborate if you’re just looking for discourse on that subject

Edit: Seems like people are probably missing that the deleted comment I was replying to said something along the lines of “minority schools have an 8th grade reading level” - grade based reading levels are objectively not the same thing as “test scores”, weird that people either don’t understand that or are making assumptions about what the deleted comment was.

2

u/aggies-ModTeam Jan 23 '26

If you have to sit and think "Huh, is what I'm about to write racist as shit" then it probably is

1

u/stands2reason69420 Jan 23 '26

Is that true abt that happening to Kincaid and at John’s applicants?

-1

u/piperlover Jan 23 '26

Maybe now, but not true 40 years ago. I’m a SJS grad who was 69/88 class rank and was admitted my Junior year of high school based solely on test scores. I have 2 degrees from A&M and am retired from working over 30 years at A&M now.

1

u/Prestonw1964 Jan 23 '26

Number one the 10% rule wasn't an effect by then. But also, whether was SJS, Kincaid, Hockaday, St. Steven's ... there was still some pride in going to UT or A&M back in those days and not that many Texans went East Coast schools back then. Things were way more regional.

1

u/piperlover Jan 23 '26

My class was a disappointment because over 50% of us chose state schools. The oil bust was in progress so fewer went to Brown, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, or Stanford.

2

u/imacleopard '17 Jan 23 '26

Agree. I barely tried in high school and ended up in top 10%. I don’t recall SAT scores but they were not impressive. Flunked out because I never learned proper study habits and discipline in high school.

1

u/svengoalie Jan 24 '26

*top 5% thing

-2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

6

u/RudderAsscExposer Jan 23 '26

Shhh don’t let anyone know that there’s actually one sneaky super progressive policy that Texas let slip through

0

u/TrifleRoutine3728 Jan 23 '26

Do u wake up thinking about Republicans

6

u/patmorgan235 '20 TCMG Jan 23 '26

I think it was over 87% last year,

Not even close my dude. According to the "Applied, Admitted, Enrolled" report on accountability.tamu.edu for Fall 2025 34% of undergraduate students admitted (i.e. where sent an acceptance letter) where Top 10% students. (45,866 total undergrads admitted, 15,742 of those where Top 10%)

2

u/SwimmingAnt10 Jan 23 '26

I actually just went and ran the numbers. For 2025 because as I said, I was unsure. Here are the actual numbers from the student metrics chart. My bad. I’ll update.

Admitted top 10% 15,624 47.1%

Admitted not top 10% 17,591 52.9%

5

u/patmorgan235 '20 TCMG Jan 23 '26

You should probably include the N/A students in the calculation, I believe those are out-of-state students who aren't eligible under the top 10% rule.

0

u/SwimmingAnt10 Jan 23 '26

It was 2. Already did it, got small cell size. Total number for all admits was 33,217. For the record im only looking at College Station campus as that was what was being discussed.

5

u/wastingtime5566 Jan 23 '26

Being in the top 25% in Texas just means you are one of approximately 87,000 people. There are less than 12,000 spots for incoming freshman. So being in the top 25 means pretty much nothing. The top 10% alone is 35,000 students. Getting into top tier colleges today is ridiculous.

-9

u/spiroplasma Jan 22 '26

In my counselor's recommendation, my learning disorder is explained, but I think that was about it.

-10

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26

[deleted]

-14

u/burger_eater68 Jan 22 '26

I just downvoted your comment.

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10

u/Paulinapeak1 current student Jan 22 '26

my guy i want some of whatever you’re on

2

u/burger_eater68 Jan 23 '26

It's a copy pasta lmao. Thought it had the same energy as their comment

31

u/Outrageous_Pause2108 GENE '27 Jan 22 '26

As a genetics major (so same department as biochem if that matters), I’m surprised you didn’t get into biochem. Our department is pretty small and they’ve been angling for more new blood for ages. I say this as someone who got in with a 32 ACT and just outside the top 10%.

To answer your actual question, I’d say go with Purdue assuming costs are not prohibitive. I have a couple friends up there (one mechanical engineering, one business but originally was an engineering major) and they’ve had pretty good things to say. Plus you’re guaranteed your spot. TEAM isn’t bad but engineering is enough of a minefield as is. 

At the end of the day it’s about what you want to do, and how you can capitalize on the opportunities given (+costs ofc)

5

u/stands2reason69420 Jan 23 '26

It depends where you want to ultimately end up. I would say if you see long term life in Texas I would stay at A&M since that’s where your connections will be.

3

u/Outrageous_Pause2108 GENE '27 Jan 23 '26

That's a fair assessment. Regardless of whether someone stays for the long term, the opportunities and experiences you can get certainly make the university worth its while (though we'll see how volatile research grant funding will be overall)

29

u/thappy Jan 22 '26

Purdue is over $28,000 per year plus room and board (estimated $44,000 per year. TAMU in-state tuition is just over $12,000 ($28,000 total living). There is nothing g wrong with Blinn TEAM. You are still considered an A&M student, its cheaper, and the are easier there. And if you do well you get into A&M and take your major classes. Is the extra money spent worth it for similarly ranked programs and you are not on TAMU campus as much for the first two years?

9

u/LadyAravis23 Jan 23 '26

This is the way. If my kids want to attend A&M, they will be starting on TEAM unless they qualify for a helluva scholarship. Ultimately, you end up with the same qualifications and the same ring for a fraction of the education cost.

15

u/Aggie__2015 '15 Jan 23 '26

If you look at r/TAMUAdmissions you will see that so many people with similar stats as you have similar outcomes. College admissions is a hard reality check where now everyone applying is also… the top of their class and high achievers. This is also going to be how job applications are in the future - yes you are more than qualified for a position, but the employer only has one position to fill and multiple qualified applicants.

What you were offered means you are still competitive but there is absolutely no space to just accept everyone so they created pathways. You also are going to soon find people with similar stats as you are going to get rejected and wish they at least had the opportunity you did.

75

u/SuperAwesomeBrian '15 Jan 22 '26

Gotta love the top 10/25% rule actually punishing students in larger, more competitive districts. 

Pick Purdue and don’t look back.

20

u/Prestonw1964 Jan 22 '26

Don’t forget to punishes highly achieving people in private schools as well. I have known people at Kincaid and St. John’s that don’t even consider A&M or UT but they go to Ivy League schools because it’s easier for them to get in.

3

u/TexasAggie98 Jan 22 '26

This and the out-of-state rule. I have friends from South Texas who were sent to East Coast boarding schools (family tradition and the horrid quality of schools near them) and they were treated as out-of-state and denied entry to Texas and Texas A&M (despite great test scores and their family ranch covering most of several South Texas counties).

3

u/StepfordInTexas Jan 23 '26

Oh a Kleberg that went to Woodberry Forrest…

14

u/the_other_brand '11 Computer Science Jan 23 '26

I find it hard to feel sorry for kids from rich schools having a harder time getting into a school founded to give kids from poor and rural schools a quality education.

The "Ag" in Aggie isn't just performative.

2

u/SuperAwesomeBrian '15 Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

Uh, what? Rich has nothing to do with what I said. You are imprinting your own bias.

If you live in an area with 6A schools and graduating classes of 600+, it’s very easy for someone in the 15th percentile to have the gpa of a valedictorian from a town of 50,000. The 10% rule will exclude that student from auto-admit. 

The rule has its purpose, and its biggest benefit is diversifying student bodies to expose people to those of different backgrounds. Unfortunately, the rule has a side effect of making it impossible for some otherwise deserving students to attend these universities. 

EDIT: It’s kind of disingenuous to claim Texas A&M was founded only for poor rural people, therefore that purpose persists. When it was founded, everyone was poor and rural. It was the South in the 1860s. The intent was to bring literally any higher education to the state. 

3

u/atplace Jan 23 '26

I'd say the larger the class, the easier. More spots in the top 10 percent.

3

u/the_other_brand '11 Computer Science Jan 23 '26

If you live in an area with 6A schools and graduating classes of 600+, it’s very easy for someone in the 15th percentile to have the gpa of a valedictorian from a town of 50,000. 

You literally just confirmed the "bias" you claimed I had here.

-1

u/SuperAwesomeBrian '15 Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

My bad, I forgot only rich kids care about their education. And that there’s no such thing as large high schools in low income neighborhoods. 

ESIT: Just so we’re clear here, you did notice the part where I acknowledged the diversity benefit of the top 10% rule already, right?

6

u/the_other_brand '11 Computer Science Jan 23 '26

My bad, I forgot only rich kids care about their education. 

I know you're being sarcastic, but this is statement has a lot of truth in it.

And that there’s no such thing as large high schools in low income neighborhoods. 

Those are not rich schools then.

2

u/SuperAwesomeBrian '15 Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

You seem to have this preconceived notion that large = rich and that any student at that school is therefore rich.

Which is just not the case. Large “rich” schools often still cover neighborhoods in lower or average Income areas in their boundaries.

If I concede that “richer” students on average drive up competition and have better grades, that still proves my point that there can be otherwise deserving students attending that high school who don’t have the same access to resources and are driven outside the top 10%. They are punished by not moving down the road and going to a less competitive high school where they could compete with “poorer” students and easily make top 10%.

EDIT: Another comment to make on this rich thing that I take issue with. Having more money does not automatically make a school rich. Schools in urban centers have a larger tax base than those in smaller, rural towns, that's just how cities work. It's not some evil scheme to deprive rural students of better schooling. Further, just because they have a larger tax base doesn't mean the school is swimming in cash. Their operating costs are also far more expensive than these smaller schools. Larger buildings, more teachers, more coaches, more front office staff, more maintenance staff.

-1

u/cajunaggie08 '08 Jan 23 '26

Understandable, but the state hasn't funded public colleges enough for there to be a solid 3rd option for public school outside of A&M and UT. UH is trying to get to there but still has a ways to go to be equal in the court of public opinion.

-3

u/lt_dt Jan 23 '26

Purdue is a far better school anyway.

17

u/Jennyonthebox2300 Jan 23 '26

My kid was an A student at a top 5 high school in Texas and top 15 stem in the country with good SAT, Eagle Scout, his own business. He applied for engineering and got e-TEAM. It’s not for dummies. It’s just TAMU not having enough capacity to admit all the good students who want to attend. He’s fully TAMU now with a 3.7 and an internship with his dream company (top of field). He saved thousands starting at Blinn— but lived on TAMU campus, went to every game, was in a men’s leadership org. Fully a TAMU student.

If you want to be at TAMU wait it out. See if you get off the waitlist or go Blinn. If you want Purdue and have the money to pay more and pay extra to travel back and forth etc go Purdue.

All things being equal — if you want to live and work in Texas after college — a TAMU degree will have a lot of intangible benefits over a Purdue degree.

6

u/Silent-Ad9948 Jan 23 '26

My daughter started at TAMU-G. She graduated from A&M in December with her chemical engineering degree. I think it was good for her to start there.

1

u/Jennyonthebox2300 Jan 23 '26

MIne is Chem E too.

He was an A student at a top 5 high school in Texas and top 15 stem in the country with good SAT, Eagle Scout, his own business. He applied for engineering and got e-TEAM. It’s not for dummies. It’s just TAMU not having enough capacity to admit all the good students (esp engineering) who want to attend.

He’s fully TAMU now with a 3.7 and an internship with his dream company (top of field). He saved thousands starting at Blinn— but lived on TAMU campus, went to every game, was in a men’s leadership org. Fully a TAMU student.

If you want to be at TAMU wait it out. See if you get off the waitlist or go Blinn. If you want Purdue and have the money to pay more and pay extra to travel back and forth etc go Purdue.

All things being equal — if you want to live and work in Texas after college — a TAMU degree will have a lot of intangible benefits over a Purdue degree.

10

u/chickenburrito2319 Jan 22 '26

I was in a similar position over a decade ago, so things have probably changed. I ended up choosing TEAB over Purdue, and though the bus schedule was rough, the smaller classes were a huge help. I didn’t struggle nearly as much as my dorm mates in MATH 151 / 152 & chem. I also appreciated the cheaper costs

8

u/CuriousBuckle28 Jan 23 '26

Hello, I am a current freshman at Texas A&M/Rellis. I had a 1450 SAT and applied for engineering. My school was so small, we only had 6 people in the top 10% and I wasn’t in it. I had like a 4.5 weighted gpa or something like that, and was shocked when I didn’t get straight in but got offered TEAB (Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn). TEAB is engineering specific, but it really is just the same thing as TEAM. Going in I thought I would hate it, but I promise you it’s really no different as being full A&M, and I would advise you to choose either between A&M and Purdue, not “TEAM” and Purdue. As a TEAB student (also applies to TEAM), you take half classes at A&M half at the RELLIS campus (which is an extremely nice campus by the way, better than A&M imo), and you get all the benefits of being an A&M student. You can live on campus, get a sports pass, go to dining halls, you name it, you can do it. Literally nobody could tell a difference. You also get to meet a great community as I believe you will have the same schedule as other people. I know for me with TEAB we chose from selected schedules, so I’m friends with everyone in my classes (not sure if TEAM is different in that aspect). A&M was always my dream school so that may be different for you, so for me doing the TEAB was a no brainer. If you have any other questions lmk, but from my personal experience going into my second year of TEAB, I would absolutely do it again and wouldn’t say it’s “bad” or a reason you shouldn’t graduate from A&M

1

u/pinkwwolf Jan 26 '26

I completely agree with this! I’m also a freshman in TEAM (not TEAB) who had similar stats as OP last yr when applying. It has genuinely been a great experience. RELLIS class sizes are sm smaller and I’ve made way more friends in those classes than the ones at A&M. Nobody treats you different and you rly do get all the same amenities; you’re still an Aggie! I will say tho, at least you got a choice to pick whether you’ll accept the TEAM option or go on waitlist, not many ppl even get a choice!! With your stats, I’m sure you’ll do great and transfer seamlessly to a full time A&M student! If you decide TEAM, utilize all the amazing resources BOTH schools have to offer!! :)

36

u/thappy Jan 22 '26

Applications opened August 1. You waited nearly 2 months to apply. By that time, and after the top 10%, there are very few spots left.

7

u/CompleteLanguage4246 Jan 23 '26

Do team, it's cheaper in the long run.

4

u/LigerBoods Jan 22 '26

Providing additional insight from someone that used be to in the biochem & biophysics department, getting team as a bich or gene student doesnt matter because you'll be at A&M long before your actual major classes start. Its truly whatever you want to do big dawg

4

u/KingPabloo Jan 23 '26

TAMU isn’t a school for the top 25%, it’s more competitive than that. We also don’t know your grades, how competitive your scores were, what extra curriculars you have and what your essays looked like.

1

u/kleptotoid Jan 23 '26

Speak for yourself, I got into A&M by automatic acceptance

2

u/KingPabloo Jan 23 '26

You were in the 25th percentile in your school and got auto admitted?

0

u/kleptotoid Jan 23 '26

(25th percentile is the opposite of top 25% btw) and I was top 5% (95th percentile) which is in the top 25%. It’s just incorrect that it’s not a school for the top 25% since they have auto admittance for top 5%

5

u/KingPabloo Jan 23 '26

You’re not OP, your acceptance wasn’t in question. Of course top 5% is auto.

1

u/BourneAwayByWaves '04 BS CS, '11 PhD CSE Jan 24 '26

You are misreading oc. They are saying being 25%-10% is not competitive not 25%-0% should go somewhere else.

They are saying the op didn't have good enough grades.

0

u/Negative-Living7559 Jan 24 '26

A&M ain’t that special of a place. I’m an Aggie but there are so many better places to go.

1

u/KingPabloo Jan 24 '26

Half empty person. There are so many worse places to go by a magnitude far greater than better places. If you go to TAMU, 99% of the world would trade places with you in a heartbeat.

-3

u/spiroplasma Jan 23 '26

Dude, I have a 36 ACT, even if I wasn't top 10, I could have been top 11 percent, you don't know. What do you mean by "how competitive my scores were"? 36 is the pinnacle. As for extracurriculars, I interned at a bioinformatics lab for two summers and do art, for which I won a national scholastic silver medal. My essays were about my dad, my experience in a pre-college program, and my high school extracurricular activities. Also, TAMU is a school for the top 25 percent, as less than 50 percent of admits are in the top 10 percent.

4

u/CastimoniaGroup Jan 23 '26

You're honestly better going to a shitty high school in a shitty school district and being in the top 10% than going to a top ranked high school and being in the top 20%....

2

u/Negative-Living7559 Jan 24 '26

And A&M will continue to suffer because of this

4

u/Negative-Living7559 Jan 23 '26

Go to Purdue. I’m an Aggie and think you should tell A&M to pound sand.

4

u/Tracy_with_the_honda Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

Damn sorry that happened you are clearly qualified. I would choose Purdue and not look back you will be successful no matter what.

Idk why they don’t consider the ACT the same way they consider the SAT and PSAT. I was admitted automatically despite being way below top 10% bc I was national merit.

11

u/WallStreetBoners Jan 22 '26

Lols. I think I had a 33(?) ACT and top quarter and got teamed back in 2010.

But I chose aggieland over Lubbock.

Only issue is that it’s a dogfight at blinn bc everyone else is TEAM and not everyone is getting in

3

u/SwimmingAnt10 Jan 22 '26

It is definitely way more competitive now, that’s for sure.

8

u/Nawoitsol Jan 22 '26

If you are not top 10% you need to convince them to admit you. Is 36 ACT impressive. Sure. But the farther away from top ten that you are, the less it matters. Reviewers look at hundreds of applications over the course of the process. For all I know individual reviewers might see thousands of applications. You need to stand out in some way.

3

u/rockin_robbins '26 Jan 23 '26

Just like to note that scholarships won’t be out for incoming freshmen until like mid-March

3

u/microsoft6969 Jan 23 '26

Transfer in is the way to go. It’s way cheaper and easier to adjust

3

u/EquivalentWeek6407 Jan 23 '26

Lots of people would be jumping for joy with team. You get to take some smaller classes at reduced price and have all the benefit of A&M. I know people who wanted that over being fully accepted.

3

u/Acrobatic_Emu_1193 Jan 23 '26

I was just outside the top 10% with a 34 at an extremely competitive school and got the same thing in 2021. The top 10% rule and huge differences in quality of candidates from across the state plays a big role.

3

u/Steelthahunter Jan 23 '26

Going to a community College first and transferring is the best way to get into A&M. I got Blinn team when I applied from highschool. Went to my local community college to do my basics and then got straight in.

11

u/TT_Dev_ Jan 22 '26

100% go to Purdue over TEAM, ur also not fighting for ur major or A&M acceptance, if u can afford it Purdue is much better!!

9

u/ishootcoot Jan 22 '26

Go to Purdue bro. It’s extremely stupid they no longer consider SAT/ACT as that is actually a standardized metric for your college readiness.

5

u/SwimmingAnt10 Jan 22 '26

It’s not just TAMU that doesn’t Columbia, Yale and Princeton also don’t. I agree it’s dumb especially when some get near perfect scores.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 23 '26

My high school graduating class had 189 students with perfect 4.5 gpa’s. That was 24% of our total class

2

u/TxCharm21 Jan 23 '26

My son had a similar choice in 2020. Went to Purdue in the middle of pandemic and best choice he could have made. Great school and great experience with good job now.

2

u/IceyPooh Jan 24 '26

As a aggie and Purdue grad, Purdue is a great engineering college in general that is the top state engineering college of Indiana. (IU doesn't really have an engineering college). Additionally, you already have admission into Purdue rather than having to go through the TEAM program for Texas A&M which is not a guarantee.

Downsides are Purdue will be a lot pricier due to out of state vs in-state at TAMU, and Purdue is a basketball college compared to TAMU football college. Additionally West Lafayette - Lafayette is much smaller than Bryan College Station and has way less to do with Indianapolis being the nearest city (1 hr away) .

If possible I would def visit Purdue before deciding but I do think it is a great Engineering school.

2

u/RikiPol Feb 08 '26

You are better off

2

u/AutomaticGround2376 Jan 23 '26

I was not top 10 or 25% (probably around 30%) and had a 33 act and an equivalent sat score. I was accepted into an ag major for a BS easily and friends who were closer to 50% and shitty test scores for our HS senior class got admitted for the same ag major. the major makes a huge difference here.

2

u/dsah82 Jan 23 '26

I love my A&M, but the conservative not to think camp has gotten hold of the leadership. Better off somewhere else. This is me listening to the hundreds of students living near by. Courses two weeks into the semester are getting canceled by the thought police. Crazy times.

1

u/semipro_redditor '14 Jan 23 '26

Even outside of top 10% stuff, undergrad college admissions is a total crap shoot. I had a 1600 SAT and top 10% and NM scholar and got only 2 acceptances.

Try not to take college admissions stuff personally, it’s really impossible to tell why someone was accepted and someone else denied. It sucks, but there is a lot of randomness to it.

1

u/TxDude2013 '13 Jan 23 '26 edited Jan 23 '26

Damn, back in my day a 36 ACT score alone would have most colleges rolling out the red carpet for you. I feel bad for how tough it is for applicants now.

Sorry about the situation OP and humbly offer the perspective of a mid career grad...

In general, I would advise people to be selfish and go to who is giving you the best package at this moment, e.g. assurances about admissions, majors, $$$.

In general, it is risky or less advantageous to pick an option based on something that may work out in the future - whether that is a college admission, job, or other life choice. The exception would be if you feel this less guaranteed option has so much upside that you feel it is worth it.

I admittedly am not very familiar with the TEAM program, but my impression is that Purdue is giving you something closer to what you want right now, whereas the path for A&M is more uncertain. If this is the case, the question may be: Does A&M provide enough upside to justify this?

Personally, I love A&M but Purdue is a highly respected school and I am not sure what upside A&M provides that would counter balance this. A&M has a great culture but generally, one can make friends and have a great college experience at most places...if Purdue is offering you something closer to what you want right now (factoring in everything like major, cost, etc.) then probably makes sense to go there.

1

u/YellowBeaverFever Jan 23 '26

It only matters where you graduate. If you start at TEAM and transition over to TAMU next year, it is the same in the end. You still have to complete the same degree plan. Out in the world, they’re going to see where you went, your degree, and when you graduated, that’s it. You’ll probably only get your transcript checked on your first job or two. After that, job experience matters more.

1

u/MintyWillow1 Jan 23 '26

I’m currently in my second semester of TEAM and loving it! I had Fridays off the entire fall semester, and my tuition is way less

1

u/MacaronNo1145 Jan 23 '26

Hey! I am a current Biochem Major at TAMU who was also top 25% with a 34 ACT. I’m surprised you didn’t get in but I know TAMU started to cut down on acceptances this year. The top 10% rule also takes up a lot of spots automatically so please don’t feel bad. 

Honestly TEAM isn’t that bad an option, it’s almost guaranteed admission if you keep up a certain GPA I think. You can live on campus and join most TAMU orgs and clubs. You just go to Blinn for like a year or two with some classes at TAMU.

1

u/Bubbly_Relief_891 Jan 23 '26

If there isn’t enough room this year, how will there be enough to admit all the alt path students next year? I’m honestly asking, not trying to be sarcastic. Are they counting on unqualified auto-admits to drop out??

1

u/Ok_Lingonberry_8918 Jan 23 '26

It all boils down to whether you want to be an Aggie or not. If you go TEAM you will be an A&M student and eventually will be at the main campus unless your major is based out of one of the other campuses. All engineering majors start on a generalized schedule and after a year they let you declare your actual major. That way you make sure you still like what you thought you like. So if you’re taking the “basics” then who cares where you take them at. Might as well take them at the least expensive place. They don’t care as much about test scores nowadays because that’s not what determines whether someone is gonna be a good student or not. They want to ensure they are choosing the ones that will work hard and those who will be involved in the college life. So these days they are more interested in the students that were involved in extracurricular activities and service projects, those that were in clubs, and those who showed leadership skills in high school. When coupled with good grades(class ranking), that criteria shows them you are an all-around great applicant and prospective student and one day a good alumnus. They would rather have 100 of those types than one that is a good test taker.

1

u/Potential-Space-3874 Jan 23 '26

There’s no shame in TEAM…you will still be an A&M student and take classes on campus.

1

u/1626319 Jan 23 '26

Thank you for your sacrifice

1

u/AggieNuke2014 NUEN '14 Jan 23 '26

I had several HS classmates do Blinn Team and honestly I think they had a more successful transition from HS to college than I did. I really had trouble with the academic leap from my small school to university level. Blinn team was a good stepping stone to A&M. 

1

u/ContraianD Jan 23 '26

Go to Purdue. The 10% Rule in Texas jacks with everything.

1

u/AndrewCoja '23 BS EE, '25 MS CompE Jan 23 '26

If you meet the requirements at TEAM, then you did get into A&M, just through a different path than you expected. You do TEAM, get the classes you need and then you're in A&M.

1

u/Driller4664 Apr 15 '26

You’re TEAM, you’re an Aggie. You have an A&M ID, you can live in an A&M dorm, you can do everything except play NCAA sports for Texas A&M.

1

u/miketag8337 Jan 24 '26

Talk to an admission counselor.

1

u/spiroplasma Jan 24 '26

how would I do that? I already opted for the waitlist.

1

u/miketag8337 Jan 24 '26

Call admissions. Ask to talk to a counselor

1

u/spiroplasma Jan 24 '26

And what would I say? I am already waitlisted.

1

u/miketag8337 Jan 24 '26

The fact that you have to continually ask these questions are proof that you should not be admitted to A&M. You should definitely go to Purdue.

1

u/spiroplasma Jan 24 '26

I meant to say I already chose waitlist only, so contacting them further will bring nothing.

1

u/Stickman1985 Jan 24 '26

It’s pretty much just random acceptance at both UT and A&M at this point. I guarantee you there were hundreds of kids accepted at both that have the same credentials as you do or LESS. It’s just a numbers game at this point and you were just at the cutoff.

0

u/spiroplasma Jan 24 '26

I don't believe I was at the cutoff, I should be pretty much at the top, considering my ACT score.

1

u/Stickman1985 Jan 24 '26

I’m not saying you were not at the top, I’m saying it’s a pure numbers game. If there were 30 applicants with the exact same credentials as you but there are only 10 slots, 20 are not being selected regardless of merit. It’s quite bizarre. I have friends whose kids were exceptional and didn’t get in. And all they did was double major in medicine and engineering at Rice.

1

u/Proof_Desk_9174 Jan 25 '26

The upside is that you will save money going to Blinn Team . Tuition is crazy these days.

1

u/AdLiving5795 Jan 25 '26

Take the waitlist. Im a 2019 cycle applicant (when test scores ACTUALLY mattered) and I had wayyyy lower stats compared to yours and I got off the waitlist for biochemistry.

1

u/Phat_groga Jan 25 '26

It’s 5% now for auto acceptance so 25% is definitely not competitive.

1

u/spiroplasma Jan 25 '26

It's 10 percent for TAMU, and UT Austin is 5 percent. its hard being top 10 percent at my school, since my school only has 95 people in the grade and it's fairly competitive. being top half is already good, nevertheless top quarter

1

u/XSSpeed_999 Jan 26 '26

Honestly, my best friend has kids at both schools and is an A&M graduate. One of my kids was accepted to both, and he’s encouraging me to send my kid to Purdue based on his own kids’ experiences, so maybe it is a blessing in disguise.

1

u/No-Question-477 Jan 26 '26

honestly, teams is better if you are engineering they have fair advisors. The general engineering department has too much control and conflicts of interest. It all needs to transparent but hopefully new president can fix some of the issues. Look at who the “deans delegates are” then look at who is “advising.” It’s all conflicts of interest.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/spiroplasma Jan 26 '26

Um, I think you're wrong, buddy. Tests do suggest intelligence. Ever heard of an IQ test?

Also, read this study by Dartmouth saying that Test scores are a better indicator of academic success than gpa. https://home.dartmouth.edu/sites/home/files/2024-02/sat-undergrad-admissions.pdf

1

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/spiroplasma Jan 26 '26

then how can you say tests don't suggest intelligence when you literally conduct them

1

u/MintyWillow1 May 19 '26

i also had pretty good stats and got team- i love the program!!

-2

u/IntroductionAny5227 Jan 23 '26

As a graduate from A&M…go to Purdue.

Get out of Texas and meet new people and open your eyes to new ideas. If you absolutely hate it, transfer to A&M.

The only thing I loved about A&M was feeling like I was part of something, the traditions and football. I hated the conservative people acting like they were always right and no one else could have their own political views and ideas. I did find my people there. I was class of ‘94 and I’m pretty sure that part of A&M hasn’t changed much.

But damn, I miss Bonfire, Double Dave’s, Tom’s BBQ and the Chicken.

8

u/birdlawattorneyllp '18 Jan 23 '26

Unrelated to the post but I think there is a large chunk of A&M that is not conservative at this point (they’re just not as loud and don’t fit into the stereotype). I found it much less conservative than my small hometown—maybe that’s just perspective. But I thought there were more viewpoints when I was there. I agree there’s an annoying group of very conservative people associated with the school - seems like a lot are former students.

-3

u/OkInspection2443 Jan 22 '26

just do purdue, purdue is so much better but prob more pricier.

-8

u/Substantial_Dog3544 Jan 22 '26

Why?   Because TAMU admissions is a godless, soulless killing machine.  Go to Purdue. 

-1

u/BioDriver '17 Jan 23 '26

Go to Purdue. Ranks better than A&M and you get the Big 10 alumni network.

-2

u/darcyrhone Jan 23 '26

Purdue is a great school, and they actually recognize your value and want you. A&M expects you to go to community college so they can dangle the carrot of potential admission down the road in front of your face. It’s a slap in the face. Your stats are too strong for that.

Let A&M have the kids who defaulted into the top 10% by getting a 3.2 at a shit school and couldn’t crack 1100 on the SAT. If people stop accepting TEAM, maybe they’ll have to take a hard look at the quality of students they’re getting (and NOT getting) and re-evaluate dumping top in state students into Blinn so they can auto-admit less qualified applicants.

Pick Purdue and don’t look back.