Changes to Admission Standards for the
Summer and Fall Semesters 2006

The following changes in admission standards will apply to those students applying for freshman admission to Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University at Galveston for the Summer or Fall semesters of 2006, or earlier if permissible by State Law.

All freshman applicants will be required to complete essay questions A and B on the Texas Common Application. (Currently, applicants are asked, at their option, to complete essay question C. With this change, freshman applicants will no longer be asked, at their option, to complete essay question C.)

Students submitting a complete application to Texas A&M University or Texas A&M University at Galveston as freshman applicants and who meet the following requirements will be granted automatic admission to the respective institution:

1. Present standardized test scores consisting of:

a. a combined SAT math and SAT verbal test score of at least 1300, with a test score of at least 600 in each of these components of the SAT. (Currently, the student must simply post a combined test score of 1300. With this change, the student is expected to perform to a higher level on each component than what was previously required.); or

b. ACT test results with scores in the ACT math, ACT English, and ACT composite corresponding to scores of SAT math 600, SAT verbal 600, and SAT total 1300, respectively. (The corresponding ACT scores will be determined by the SAT/ACT concordance in effect at the time.);

2. And, be in the highest quarter of the student's high school graduating class (This raises the standards since, currently, students must only be in the top half of their Texas high school or in the top quarter of their non-Texas high school.);

3. And at a minimum, successfully complete the following college preparatory course work. (This does not represent a change, but is included to indicate that automatic admission would still require students to complete this track of study in high school.):

a. Four years of college preparatory English

b. Three and a half years of mathematics to include Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and 1/2 unit of advanced math

c. Three years of science with at least two courses from Biology I, Chemistry I or Physics I

We also recommend:

d. Two years of the same foreign language

A complete application for freshman applicants must include either SAT or ACT test results, or both, at the applicant's discretion. In either case, the applicant must submit the scores of the writing component as a part of the SAT or ACT test. (This change reflects the upcoming addition of the writing component to the SAT and ACT tests.)