How to Get into Texas A&M: SAT and ACT Scores, GPA and More

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Rachel Kapelke-Dale

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Texas A&M Admissions - image by Magoosh

Want to be an Aggie? (That’s a Texas A&M student, in case you were wondering! It stems from the school’s origins in agriculture.) If you’re looking for a big school with the nation’s largest ROTC program, a strong Greek system, and a community-spirited student body, Texas A&M might be right for you—but are you right for it? If you’re wondering how to get into Texas A&M, look no further. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at what you need to know about Texas A&M admissions, including how to get into Texas A&M, Texas A&M SAT scores, Texas A&M ACT scores, and much more.

Don’t judge a book by its outside cover! Or in this case, don’t judge a book by the way it looks. Texas A&M, while being a very old university (the oldest in Texas as a matter of fact) has some really modern, advanced technological applications in its buildings and classes. So definitely make sure you visit schools of your choice; don’t just apply there because “everyone is doing so!” — aj280598, AdmitSee

First of all, here are the vital stats.

Texas A&M at a Glance

Texas A&M SAT Scores (middle 50%) 1160-1390
Texas A&M ACT Scores (middle 50%) 26-31
Texas A&M admissions rate 58%
Texas A&M GPA average N/A; 70% are in the top 10% of their class, 93% are in the top 20%; 99% are in the top 50%.

Texas A&M SAT Scores

The average Texas A&M SAT scores are 1160-1390. However, that really only gives us part of the picture! The average score is only so helpful. Take a look.

Math (middle 50%) 590-700
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (middle 50%) 580-680

So what does this mean for you? There’s a big caveat with Texas A&M test scores. The school admits students in the top 10% of Texas high school graduating classes, no matter what their test scores are.

However, you can also apply through “review admits,” in which case your application will be reviewed (get what they’re doing with the name there?) as a whole, including taking your essay and extracurriculars into consideration. There is no minimum score for admission for review admits, unless you don’t meet the State of Texas Uniform Admission Policy, but the higher your score, the better chance you have.

Start your sat prep today.

Texas A&M ACT Scores

If you didn’t get a 30 on the ACT, don’t worry; Texas A&M ACT scores run a wide gamut. Here are the middle 50% for admitted students.

English (middle 50%) 24-33
Math (middle 50%) 25-30
Reading (middle 50%) N/A
Science (middle 50%) N/A
Composite (middle 50%) 26-31

However, a high ACT score will definitely help, as the students in the review admits pathway have their scores considered. So get that score as high as you can!

Start your act prep today.

Texas A&M Acceptance Rate

Texas A&M’s acceptance rate was 58% in 2020. This means that applicants have a slight better than a 1 in 2 shot of getting accepted! Be careful about reading too much into this, though, because certain programs (like engineering) are more competitive. In addition, remember that Texas A&M has different admissions programs, meaning that somebody who meets the requirements for the top 10% track will be accepted with relative ease. This can be a big plus for you if you’re in the top 10% of your class (woohoo!), but if you’re not, it means that you should still take care to put your best possible foot forward on your application.

Texas A&M GPA Average

Texas A&M doesn’t release average GPAs for admitted students, but we do have information about class percentiles. As we mentioned, 70% of admitted freshmen were in the top 10% of their class, 93% were in the top 25%, and 99% were in the top 50%.

Does that mean you can’t get into Texas A&M if you’re not in the top 50% of your class? Well, 1% of Texas A&M students did…but we can’t possibly know what their circumstances were. Maybe they’re Olympic athletes. Maybe their parents are generous alums. If you can get your grades up before applying to Texas A&M, all the better! Also, it’s good to note that 0%–nobody–was admitted to Texas A&M from the bottom 25% of the class.

If your grades are wobblier than you’d like but Texas A&M is your dream school, don’t let that stop you from applying…but keep in mind that other areas of your application should be outstanding. Control the factors that you can control at this point: get killer test scores, great letters of recommendation, and write an awesome essay.

Texas A&M Freshman Profile

At this point, you’ve seen both ways students can be admitted to Texas A&M: Top 10% admits, academic admits, and reviewed admits. So what does Texas A&M’s Freshman class look like? Taking a look provides an important answer the question “How to get into Texas A&M?”

Out of 23,840 total admits for the class of 2019 (the most recent info Texas A&M admissions has on their website for Freshman Profiles), around 11,000 came from the Top 10% program. 4,648 were admitted as Academic Admits, and 4,114 were offered full admission under Review Admit, with an additional 1,874 admitted to TEAM, and 449 admitted to Gateway.

FAQ

Does Texas A&M have more than one campus?

Yes! So glad you asked (well, you didn’t, but you know). Texas A&M has ten associated institutions throughout Texas, although the flagship is in (the appropriately named) College Station. Other institutions include:

  • Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi
  • Texas A&M University—San Antonio
  • Texas A&M University—Kingsville
  • Tarleton State University
  • Texas A&M International University
  • West Texas A&M University
  • Texas A&M University—Central Texas
  • Texas A&M University—Texarkana
  • Texas A&M University—Commerce
  • Prairie View A&M University

How to get into Texas A&M will vary slightly by campus, but in this post, we’re focused on the flagship school.

Does Texas A&M have a waitlist?

Yes, they do. They’re relatively new, so there aren’t a lot of stats that, though. If you don’t get in as a freshman applicant, you can apply as a transfer student, so keep that in mind as an option.

Does Texas A&M accept the Common App?

Another no. At the moment, Texas A&M accepts ApplyTexas and The Coalition applications.

How to Get Into Texas A&M

If you’re wondering how to get into Texas A&M, one of the most important factors is your GPA, particularly as it affects your class rank. For your best shot at admissions, do the best you can to raise your GPA in the time you have. However, even if your GPA isn’t where you want it to be, scoring at the upper end of Texas A&M SAT scores or Texas A&M ACT scores will give you a big leg up. Finally, don’t forget that reviewed admits will have even more factors, including essays and recommendations, taken into consideration—so it’s not all about the numbers. Good luck!

Author

  • Rachel Kapelke-Dale

    Rachel is a Magoosh Content Creator. She writes and updates content on our High School and GRE Blogs to ensure students are equipped with the best information during their test prep journey. As a test-prep instructor for more than five years in there different countries, Rachel has helped students around the world prepare for various standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT, and she is one of the authors of our Magoosh ACT Prep Book. Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Brown University, an MA in Cinematography from the Université de Paris VII, and a Ph.D. in Film Studies from University College London. For over a decade, Rachel has honed her craft as a fiction and memoir writer and public speaker. Her novel, THE BALLERINAS, is forthcoming in December 2021 from St. Martin’s Press, while her memoir, GRADUATES IN WONDERLAND, co-written with Jessica Pan, was published in 2014 by Penguin Random House. Her work has appeared in over a dozen online and print publications, including Vanity Fair Hollywood. When she isn’t strategically stringing words together at Magoosh, you can find Rachel riding horses or with her nose in a book. Join her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!

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