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How to Get Into Texas A&M University: Admissions Stats + Tips

What’s covered, how hard is it to get into texas a&m university, average academic profile of accepted texas a&m university students.

• What is Texas A&M University Looking For?
• How To Improve Your Chances of Getting Into Texas A&M University
• How To Apply To Texas A&M University
• Learn More About Texas A&M University

Founded in 1876, Texas A&M University has the distinction of being the oldest institution of higher education in Texas. Established initially as a military institution, Texas A&M’s Corps of Cadets (also founded in 1876) is the university’s oldest student organization and is the largest uniformed body of students outside the U.S. military academies. 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. 

Getting into Texas A&M University is a challenge. The university received 43,307 applications to its Class of 2025, of which it accepted just 27,287 students. This equates to a 63% overall acceptance rate. 

Texas A&M’s acceptance rate is low, but your actual chances of acceptance are centered on the strength of your profile. CollegeVine can help you better understand your odds of getting into Texas A&M. Our free admissions calculator considers a variety of factors—including your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars—to estimate your odds of admission as well as to provide tips to improve your profile!

The middle 50% SAT score of Texas A&M’s Class of 2025 is 1170-1380 . The middle 50% ACT score is 26-32 .

Texas A&M didn’t report the average high school GPA of its Class of 2025. However, understand that it largely consists of students with excellent academic profiles— 65.84% of the university’s Class of 2025 graduated in the top tenth of their high school. 

What is Texas A&M University Looking for?

Texas A&M University is a state school and, according to its 2020-2021 Common Data Set, considers state residency as “important” to admissions. In-state students make up the bulk of Texas A&M’s classes; in 2017, 94.8% of undergraduates in College Station were from Texas and all 192 Texas counties are represented in the school’s Class of 2025 . Texas residents are also favored with a particular admissions advantage—those who rank in the top 10% of their graduating class qualify for automatic admission to any state school in Texas, including Texas A&M.

While out-of-state students are in the minority at Texas A&M, they’re still a presence on campus, with 44 states represented in the university’s Class of 2025 . Applicants who don’t rank in the top 10% of their graduating class or who are from out-of-state are selected through a holistic admissions process. Admissions officers will consider academic and non-academic factors when evaluating these applicants in search of intelligent, inquisitive students who will add to the university’s vibrant student life.  

How Texas A&M University Evaluates Applications

According to their 2020-2021 Common Data Set, Texas A&M University considers the following factors “very important” :

• Course rigor
• Test scores
• Extracurricular activities 

These factors are “important” :

• First generation 
• State residence
• Geographic location 
• Volunteer work
• Work experience

These are “considered” :

• Recommendations
• Applicant interest

And these are “not considered” :

• Racial/ethnic status
• Religious affiliation

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting into Texas A&M University

1. achieve the best possible gpa while taking the most challenging classes available.

Texas A&M university places substantial weight on academics. The university considers both class rank and GPA “very important” to admissions. The university did not report the average high school GPA of its Class of 2025, however, it’s safe to assume it’s very good considering 65.84% of the class graduated in the top tenth of their high school. 

Selective schools that receive a huge number of applications, like Texas A&M, often use a tool known as the Academic Index to ease the admissions process. Academic Index is a summary of your entire academic performance represented by a single numerical score. If your Academic Index fails to meet Texas A&M’s standards, you risk being viewed as unqualified and not having your application receive serious consideration. 

If your GPA is substandard, and you’re early in your high school career, there is still time to raise it. Check out our tips for increasing your GPA . If you’re a junior or senior, it’s more difficult to bring your GPA up to standard. Rather, the best method to improve your Academic Index is to earn a high test score.

Great grades are important to Texas A&M admissions, but so are the courses you earned them in. The school views course rigor as “very important” to admissions decisions, and Texas A&M students commonly have taken the most challenging coursework available to them in high school. Competitive applicants will often have completed between five and eight AP classes in high school on their way to becoming an Aggie .    

2. Aim for a 1380 SAT and 32 ACT

Texas A&M University considers standardized test scores as “very important” to admissions. The middle 50% SAT/ACT scores of Texas A&M’s Class of 2025 are 1170-1380/26-32 . Any score in the middle 50% of accepted students is satisfactory, but the closer to the 75th percentile you get, the better your odds of admission become. 

Texas A&M will practice test-optional admissions for the Fall and Spring 2022 admissions cycles. That said, CollegeVine recommends taking either the SAT or ACT if you can do so safely and submitting scores that meet or exceed the 25th percentile of admitted students. Applicants who submit test scores are admitted at higher rates than those who do not. You can get recommendations on whether or not you should apply test-optional using our free chancing engine . 

Texas A&M does not superscore the SAT or ACT. Applicants should plan on taking one of the exams between two and three times to ensure they submit the best score possible. A 2016 study found that 57% of ACT takers who retested improved their scores . To improve your SAT/ACT score, check out these free CollegeVine resources:

• How to Get a Perfect 1600 Score on the SAT
• How to Get a Perfect 36 Score on the ACT
• More SAT Info and Tips
• More ACT Info and Tips

3. Cultivate strong extracurriculars

Extracurriculars are also “very important” to Texas A&M University admissions. To stand out among a crowded field of applicants, you’ll want a highly developed interest, known as a “ spike ,” with at least one or two impressive extracurricular activities (among a portfolio of more) . The four tiers of extracurriculars are a good way to understand how a college weighs your activities outside of the classroom: 

• Tier 1 is home to the most prestigious and rare extracurriculars. Tier 1 activities demonstrate exceptional achievement and great leadership and are highly valued by colleges. Tier 1 extracurriculars include winning a prominent national award, gaining national recognition for athletics or music, or attending a renowned merit-based summer program. 
• Tier 2 is where activities that demonstrate great accomplishment and leadership—but are more common than those found in Tier 1—are placed. Examples of Tier 2 activities include winning a regional award, earning state-level recognition in athletics or music, or serving in a top leadership position like student body president. 
• Tier 3 activities hold less weight than those found in the higher tiers and are better for showing your interests outside of the classroom rather than distinguishing yourself from other applicants. Tier 3 extracurriculars include captaining a varsity sport, getting selected for a regional ensemble, or serving in a leadership position such as class treasurer. 
• Tier 4 extracurriculars are the least influential to college admissions. These activities highlight your interests but lack the merits of those in the higher tiers. Examples of Tier 4 extracurriculars include playing a sport or instrument, participating in a club, holding an after-school job, and general volunteer work.

4. Write engaging essays

Along with extracurricular activities, essays are how you show colleges the parts of yourself that don’t come across through the rest of your application. Texas A&M University wants to learn “what makes you you” and views the essay as “important” when making admissions decisions.   

You’re required to complete the personal essay section of your application (either ApplyTexas or the Coalition Application). And if you’re applying to Texas A&M’s College of Engineering, you’ll also need to respond to a short-answer question. An attention-grabbing college essay is written in your unique voice and highlights both how you fit at a particular school and how that school will benefit from having you on campus. For Aggie-specific essay advice, check out our article, “ How to Write the Texas A&M University Essays 2021-2022 .”

5. Apply Early Action

With the exception of the College of Engineering’s Early Action (EA) admissions, Texas A&M University does not have an Early Decision or early application process in place. If you’re planning to apply to the College of Engineering, Early Action can give your odds of acceptance a boost. Texas A&M “considers” applicant interest when making admissions decisions and applying EA is a great way to show your enthusiasm for the university. 

How to Apply to Texas A&M University

Application Requirements

Texas A&M University accepts the ApplyTexas and Coalition Application. Other requirements include:

• Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR)

Other optional materials include: 

• SAT/ACT Scores 
• Letters of recommendation 

Learn more about Texas A&M University 

Interested in learning more about Texas A&M? Check out these other informative articles: 

• How to Write the Texas A&M University Essays 2021-2022
• What is the Academic Common Market? What Schools Participate?
• What Is Automatic Admission to Texas Schools?

Want to know your chances at Texas A&M? Calculate your chances for free right now .

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, queries about texas a&m admission requirements.

Hey guys, I'm really interested in applying to Texas A&M for next year and I was just wondering, what are their essential admission requirements? The website's a bit overwhelming.

Sure, let's break down the Texas A&M admission requirements into more manageable pieces.

1. High School Curriculum: Texas A&M requires you to have completed a specific set of high school courses — often called the Recommended High School Program (RHSP) or Distinguished Achievement Program (DAP). These include four years of English, Math, and Science, three years of Social Studies, two years of the same foreign language, and a year each of fine Arts and Physical Education.

2. Application: Texas A&M accepts the ApplyTexas, the Coalition Application, and the Common Application, with the ApplyTexas being the most common choice.

3. Essays: Depending on which application you use, you will have to write one to three essays.

4. Test Scores: As of the 2024-2025 application cycle, standardized test scores (ACT or SAT) are optional. If you feel your test scores enhance your application, you can choose to submit them, but they are not a requirement.

5. Letters of Recommendation : Texas A&M does not require letters of recommendation, but you can submit them if you wish.

6. Extracurricular Activities: While not a hard requirement, involvement in extracurricular activities can show evidence of leadership, personal initiative, and commitment — qualities that can support your application.

Remember that Texas A&M, like many universities, uses a holistic admissions approach, so while meeting these requirements are an important initial step, their complete review process considers many aspects of your whole person. Ensure that your application reflects your academic achievements, personal experiences, and the qualities that make you unique.

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• Ryan Murphy
• Sep 4, 2018

ApplyTexas vs. the Coalition Application

School is back in session, and for seniors, that means it’s time to buckle down and start college applications. But first, you may be wondering, which application type is better to send--ApplyTexas or the Coalition Application?

What? There is more than one kind of application that you can submit?

In short, yes. But the applications are more similar than they are different. Basically, when visiting websites for Texas colleges, you may have noticed that there are two options for submitting an application: ApplyTexas and the Coalition for College Access, Affordability, and Success (a.k.a., the Coalition Application).

Typically, ApplyTexas has been the application that most Texas colleges use (many private ones, such as Rice and SMU, use the Common Application), but over the past couple years, the Coalition Application has been offered as an alternative.

While having two kinds of applications for the same college can be confusing and make you wonder if admissions officers have a preference, you should rest assured that ApplyTexas and the Coalition Application are given the same value. It is all a matter of what works best for the student. That's YOU!

Then why, you may be wondering, do we have two in the first place? Great question! Let’s discuss generally what the two applications accomplish and why, in particular cases, one may be better than another.

What is ApplyTexas?

ApplyTexas is an online application system that allows you to create an account, input information about yourself (including essays), and apply to approximately 60 Texas colleges (all public Texas colleges, some private Texas colleges, and some Texas community colleges). While the system is not perfect, it allows you to apply to numerous colleges with relative ease, since you can reuse information about yourself from one college application to another, and most colleges share essay requirements (if essays are required at all).

What is the Coalition Application?

The Coalition Application is also an online application system, but it is more robust than ApplyTexas. For one, the Coalition Application envisions that students will use its system at the start of high school, during freshman year, and research colleges and plan in advance. In fact, the Coalition Application even has a virtual “locker” that lets students upload documents, including videos, so that they can keep track of all the projects and work that they do throughout their high school careers. In this way, the Coalition Application sees itself as more than simply an online system for applying to colleges; it is a hub for college planning, student documents, and counselor/parent interaction.

The Coalition Application also tries to simplify the application process, especially for students who come from low-income or disadvantaged backgrounds. Resources such as fee waivers for applications are made easier to navigate and other information about affordability is provided. But it isn’t like these things aren’t accessible to all students. Instead, the Coalition tries to ease anxiety and streamline anything that, say, first-generation college students may find challenging or simply would not know about. Fortunately, that streamlining benefits everyone, regardless of personal or family circumstances.

Are There Different Requirements for ApplyTexas and the Coalition Application?

At this point, you are probably wondering if these two applications differ in the actual requirements for colleges. The short answer is NO.

If you want more proof, let’s look at two examples of how ApplyTexas and the Coalition Application DO NOT differ when it comes to requirements:

Example #1 : University of Texas (Austin)

Here is a description of the overall requirements, which clearly show how both applications are no different:

The same goes for the “main” application essay:

And the short answers:

Example #2 : Texas A&M

Similarly, Texas A&M states that there is no difference between the two applications:

What about the Common Application vs. Coalition Application for Texas Colleges?

The Common Application and Coalition Application are also pretty similar. The one main difference is which essays they require, but even this difference is slight. The Common Application and the Coalition Application both have “main essays” and then colleges can require supplements. The “main” essay prompts are somewhat different, but the Coalition Application (as well as the Common Application) give students the option to submit an essay on the topic of their choosing, so if you want, you can recycle your Common Application “main essay” for the Coalition Application (or vise-versa).

Final Thoughts

The main takeaway from all of these applications is that it doesn’t really matter which one you use. ApplyTexas and the Coalition Application (and the Common Application) basically fulfill the same function: they get your application materials and essays in front of admissions officers. Colleges have no preference, and you shouldn’t worry about which one you use. It is all a matter of taste and using whichever application makes most sense for YOU.

No matter how you shake it, it is the quality of the materials and essays that matter, not the platform that you use to submit the documents. While the more streamlined and visually appealing application interfaces are great, it won't make a difference to admissions officers. Focus on revising your essays and polishing your resume!

School work piling up as your college applications remain incomplete? As deadlines quickly approach for Early Action/Early Decision, let us take a load off of your busy schedule and help you streamline the admissions process. We can review applications, resumes, essays, and any other documents you have, and we can guide you through the college application process. Learn more about our college admissions services!

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