What Texas A&M's Latest Numbers Actually Tell You About Applying
Applications are up, the admit rate is down, and most of what's circulating online is a cycle out of date. Here's what Texas A&M's admissions office, ABPA, and Common Data Set actually say right now.
College Admissions Data
What Texas A&M's Latest Numbers Actually Tell You About Applying
Joseph Green | Green College Admissions
Every year, a new batch of Texas A&M admissions numbers gets passed around Facebook groups, Reddit threads, and Instagram comment sections, usually a cycle or two out of date by the time they circulate. Here is what is actually true right now, straight from admissions.tamu.edu , the university's institutional data office (ABPA), and its Common Data Set filing, along with a few things about how admission really works that most of those recycled posts leave out entirely.
The Numbers
The Numbers Behind the Surge
Texas A&M received 89,422 applications for Fall 2025, according to the university's Academic and Business Performance Analytics office. That is up from 66,346 in 2021, a 34% increase in five years. Over that same window, the admit rate has fallen steadily, from 59.4% in 2021 to 51.3% in 2025. Of the students admitted, 20,725 enrolled, a 45.2% yield rate. Put simply, more students are applying every year, and the university is not growing its class size to match. That combination is the actual story behind "A&M is getting more competitive," not any single scary statistic on its own.
Once You're In
Once You're In, You're Staying
This is a number that almost never makes it into these roundups. Getting in and belonging once you are there are two different questions, and the data below answers the second one.
Retention and Graduation
According to Texas A&M's most recent Common Data Set filing, 94.3% of students who entered as first-time freshmen in Fall 2023 were still enrolled a year later. Six-year graduation rates sit at 84%, and roughly 61% of students graduate in four years or less. A&M's admissions process is genuinely more selective than it was five years ago, but students who make it in tend to stay and finish at rates most universities would envy.
The Part Families Miss
Getting Into A&M Isn't the Same as Getting Into Your Major
Some Top 10% students assume automatic admission settles everything. It does not. Automatic admission guarantees a spot at the university. It does not guarantee a spot in your first-choice major. Texas A&M's own admissions office spells this out directly for one college in particular: every applicant to the College of Engineering, including students who qualify for Top 10% automatic admission, is placed into General Engineering first, not directly into a specific major like Mechanical or Computer Science. Students move into their intended major later, through a separate internal process, based on academic performance once they are already enrolled. The takeaway for any family targeting a competitive college at A&M: do not treat "I'm Top 10%, I'm fine" as the end of the planning conversation. University admission and major admission are two different gates.
The Essay
The Essay Isn't What Most Students Think It Is
A lot of students assume they can recycle their Common App personal statement for every school on their list. Texas A&M does not work that way. Whether you apply through Common App or ApplyTexas, A&M replaces the standard essay entirely with its own required prompt: "Tell us your story. What unique opportunities or challenges have you experienced throughout your high school career that have shaped who you are today?" up to 750 words. Your Common App personal statement is not read, even if you submit it alongside your application. If you want the full breakdown, Part 1 covers the main essay in depth, and Part 2 walks through the five supplemental prompts, both worth a read before you start drafting.
This Cycle
Key Dates for This Cycle
For students applying for Fall 2027 admission to the College Station campus, straight from Texas A&M's Office of Admissions:
Application Window
Application opens August 1, 2026. The application deadline is December 1, 2026. A $75 application fee applies.
Document Deadline
All required documents, including your STARS record (Texas A&M's self-reported transcript system, where you enter your coursework and grades directly), are due December 15, 2026.
Test Scores
Texas A&M remains test-optional. SAT and ACT scores are never required, and submitting them will never work against you if you choose to send them.
Common App or ApplyTexas
The application platform you choose does not affect your admission decision either way. Choose whichever one you are already using for your other schools and keep your effort focused on the essay and your STARS record instead.
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UT Austin Admissions: Myths vs. Reality
UT Austin families, here are 5 things the admissions website says directly that most people never read. From Early Action to demonstrated interest to supplemental essays, these facts come straight from admissions.utexas.edu.
Myths vs. Reality
5 Things Families Misunderstand Regarding UT Austin Admissions
By Joseph Green | June 28, 2026
Every year, families across Texas and beyond invest significant time preparing for the UT Austin application and still walk in with assumptions that simply are not accurate. Most of the time, these misunderstandings are not the family's fault. The information is out there, but it is buried, scattered, or contradicted by well-meaning people who are also guessing. This post pulls directly from admissions.utexas.edu to set the record straight on five of the most common myths, plus several additional facts that do not get nearly enough attention.
Myth 01
"A 4.0 and top 5% guarantees my child their desired major."
The Reality
Top 5% guarantees admission to UT Austin as a university. It does not guarantee placement into your child's first-choice college or major. McCombs, CNS, Cockrell School of Engineering -- these are separate decisions made through holistic review. UT Austin says explicitly that no class rank, test score, or single factor by itself ensures admission to a specific program. Getting in and getting your major are two entirely different outcomes. For a full breakdown of what holistic review actually considers at UT, read this.
Myth 02
"Applying Early Action improves my child's chances."
The Reality
UT Austin states this directly on their website: the Early Action deadline does not provide an advantage in the review process, nor is it binding. Applying by October 15 earns your child an earlier decision date -- nothing more. The review process is identical regardless of when the application is submitted. Families who stress about hitting EA believing it helps their chances are redirecting energy that belongs in the application itself.
Myth 03
"The Common App personal statement is all you need."
The Reality
Beyond the personal statement, UT Austin requires two supplemental short answer essays. The first asks why your child is interested in their first-choice major. The second asks which activity they are most proud of and why. Both are required to submit the application. These are not optional, and they are not the Common App essay. Students who treat these as an afterthought are missing one of the most direct opportunities to speak to the admissions office about who they are and what they want to study. For more on how UT evaluates supplemental writing, read this.
Myth 04
"Sending SAT or ACT scores from multiple test dates helps."
The Reality
UT Austin does not superscore the SAT or ACT. They use the highest composite score from a single test date. This is a critical distinction for families planning a multi-sitting test strategy. If your child has a 1420 from one date and a 1390 from another, UT sees the 1420 -- not a combined best-section total. Knowing this before your child begins testing changes how you approach the schedule entirely.
Myth 05
"Campus visits and emails to admissions help your child's chances."
The Reality
UT Austin does not consider demonstrated interest in the holistic review process. Campus tours, emails to admissions counselors, attending virtual info sessions, opening their marketing emails -- none of it factors into the decision. This is not true at every school, which is why families often assume it applies everywhere. At UT, it does not. Redirect that energy into the application itself, specifically the essays and short answers where your child actually has a voice.
Additional Insights
What else families should know
The five myths above made it into the reel. The following facts did not, but they are equally important for families navigating this process.
No Interviews
UT Austin does not conduct admissions interviews for general freshman admission. Families who expect an interview component -- particularly those familiar with private university processes -- should know that the written application is the only direct communication channel your child has with the admissions office.
Resume Is Optional
The resume is optional for freshman applicants. UT recommends submitting one if your child feels the activities section of the application did not provide a full picture of their involvement. If submitted, it should include work experience, extracurriculars, accomplishments, awards, and family responsibilities. There is no preferred format or length requirement.
No Separate Scholarship Application
There is no separate scholarship application at UT Austin. All freshman applicants who apply for admission and complete the FAFSA or TASFA are automatically considered for aid through the Texas Advance Commitment program. Families who spend time searching for a standalone scholarship portal are looking for something that does not exist.
Appeals Are Not Accepted
If your child is denied admission, UT Austin will not reconsider the decision through an appeal. Admission decision appeals or requests for additional reviews are not accepted. The only option for denied applicants is the waitlist, which is unranked and does not guarantee reconsideration. Knowing this in advance underscores why the initial application must be as strong as possible.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of recommendation are optional at UT Austin, with a maximum of two. If submitted, UT encourages recommenders from outside the high school. They are looking for information that expands on what is already in the application, specifically around academic potential, leadership, persistence, cultural engagement, and preparation for the intended major. A letter that simply restates the transcript adds little. One that reveals something the application cannot is worth submitting.
The bottom line
Knowing what UT Austin is actually looking for, and what it is not, gives your child a meaningful advantage before the application opens. Common App opens August 1. If your child is applying to UT this fall, the time to understand the process is now, not after the deadline passes.
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Should Your Child Submit a Standardized Test Score to Michigan?
Michigan went test-optional in 2024. Here's what the published score ranges actually mean, what they leave out, and how to make the right submission decision for your child.
Should Your Child Submit a Standardized Test Score to Michigan?
Michigan went test-optional in 2024. Only half of applicants submitted scores. Here is what the data actually means and how to make a decision that helps, not hurts.
At Green College Admissions, we work with families navigating exactly these decisions. After operating under a test-flexible policy since 2020, the University of Michigan formally adopted a permanent test-optional policy in February 2024, effective for students entering Winter 2025 and beyond. For the first full cycle under that policy, just over half of applicants chose to submit a standardized test score. That number, 51%, tells you something important, but probably not what you think it does.
This post is not a list of score cutoffs. Michigan does not publish cutoffs, and anyone who gives you a single number and calls it a threshold is overstating what the data can actually tell you. What this post does instead is explain what the published score ranges mean, what they leave out, and how to think about the submission decision in a way that actually helps your child's application.
Sources: U-M Office of Budget and Planning First-Year Class Profile, Fall 2024 and 2025; 2024-25 Common Data Set.
What the Published Numbers Show
Michigan's Office of Budget and Planning publishes a detailed first-year class profile each fall. For the Fall 2024 enrolled class, here is what the score data shows for students who chose to submit:
| Test | Middle 50% Range | Submission Rate |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Total | 1360 to 1530 | 51% of enrolled class |
| ACT Composite | 31 to 34 | 18% of enrolled class |
| GPA | 3.9 to 4.0 | Average enrolled student |
Source: U-M First-Year Class Profile, Fall 2024 enrolled class, obp.umich.edu. Score ranges reflect enrolled students who submitted scores only.
At first glance, these numbers look like a benchmark. A 1360 SAT or a 31 ACT is the 25th percentile floor for submitted scores. That is useful context. But reading those numbers as a submission threshold misses something critical about how this data was generated.
What the Numbers Do Not Show
The published score ranges reflect enrolled students who chose to submit. Students who submitted strong scores but enrolled elsewhere are not in this data. Neither are admitted students who chose not to submit scores at all.
That distinction matters enormously. The 51% of enrolled students who submitted scores were a self-selected group. High scorers are more likely to submit their scores, because submitting a strong score is a rational application decision. The result is that the published middle 50% range skews upward relative to the full admitted class.
Layer on top of that: students who scored above 1530 and were admitted to Michigan but chose to enroll at a different school are also absent from this data. Michigan's published ranges describe a very specific population: students who applied, were admitted, chose to enroll, and chose to submit scores. That is not the same as the full picture of who Michigan admits, and it is certainly not a complete picture of who gets in.
- Enrolled submitters only. The ranges reflect students who submitted a score and chose Michigan. Students admitted with strong scores who enrolled at peer schools are not in this data.
- Self-selected pool. High scorers are more likely to submit. The full admitted class includes non-submitters whose scores are invisible in Michigan's published data.
- Context, not a cutoff. Michigan publishes no score threshold. These numbers describe who showed up, not who got in, and not what your child should do.
What Michigan Actually Says About Test Scores
Michigan's test-optional policy is genuine, not performative. The university rates standardized test scores as "Important" in its Common Data Set, one tier below GPA and course rigor, which are rated "Very Important." Students who do not submit scores will not be penalized. Michigan's admissions office has stated that applications are reviewed holistically regardless of whether a score is present.
That said, Michigan is not test-blind. Submitted scores are considered in context. A strong score from a student at a school with limited AP offerings reads differently than the same score from a student at a highly resourced school with a full slate of rigorous courses. Admissions officers are trained to evaluate numbers in context, and that context includes everything else in your child's file. If you want to go deeper on how holistic review works at Texas's flagship schools, our post on holistic admissions strategy at UT Austin and Texas A&M covers the same framework in detail.
How to Actually Think About This Decision
Rather than anchoring to a specific number, there are three questions worth working through before your child decides whether to submit:
Does the score help tell the story?
A strong score confirms something the rest of the application already suggests: that your child can handle rigorous academic work at a competitive university. If the score is consistent with the academic record, it reinforces the narrative. If it is significantly below the rest of the profile, it may raise questions the application does not answer.
Is the score within range of enrolled submitters?
At or above 1360 SAT or 31 ACT, your child's score is within the range of students who submitted and enrolled. Below that, the score is below the 25th percentile of a self-selected pool of already-strong submitters. That does not mean it hurts automatically, but it shifts the calculus. A score well below the range adds less than the absence of a score in most cases.
What does the rest of the application look like?
Test-optional works best when the application has something else to carry it. For a deeper look at what that means in practice, see our post on building a competitive test-optional application. Exceptional essays, meaningful activities, demonstrated impact, and strong teacher recommendations are what fill the space a score might otherwise occupy. If those elements are strong, the absence of a score is less consequential. If those elements are thin, submitting a competitive score provides a useful data point for the reader.
The Bottom Line
Michigan's published score ranges are a starting point, not a verdict. They reflect a narrow slice of the applicant pool, filtered three times over, and they do not capture the full range of students Michigan admits each year. A student with a 1320 who does not submit scores is not disqualified. A student with a 1400 who submits is not guaranteed anything.
What the data does tell you is this: Michigan is a 16% school with 109,000 applicants and a genuinely holistic review process. Every piece of the application matters. The score decision is one part of a larger strategy, and it deserves more thought than a single number can provide.