Almost 9,000 admissions files wait to be reviewed by the Office of Admissions, as many applicants anxiously anticipate a decision.
Texas A&M recieved a total of 59,647 applications for fall 2023, and there are 50,255 complete admissions files, according to the Office of Admissions. Director of Freshman Admissions Brandie Eneks, Class of 1993, said the university expects to have all decisions released by mid-March.
It’s important for students to stay patient as they await a decision, Eneks said in an email to The Battalion.
“Our holistic review of applicants is thorough and takes time,” Eneks said. “We are working very hard and as quickly as possible to finalize admission decisions. There is nothing they need to do other than continue to monitor their admission status in the Applicant Information System.”
Once an applicant is admitted to A&M, Eneks said they should accept their offer and register for a New Student Conference, or NSC, as dates fill up quickly. However, if a student is extended an offer other than full admission, Eneks said she recommends they research the offer, read the material provided in the admission packet and contact an admissions counselor with additional questions.
“Students who are denied admission may also consider speaking with an admission counselor about future opportunities to become an Aggie,” Eneks said. “If [A&M] is ultimately where they want to be, there is a way to get here.”
Brazos Valley Admissions Advisor Irving Valdez said students should apply earlier rather than later.
“I’d recommend for students to take their time and review and double-check that everything is correct before hitting submit,” Valdez said. “It’s not a race, you shouldn’t feel hurried, but [students] should apply within [a] reasonable amount of time. Our application opens up on Aug. 1, so mid-September would be a good time to apply. But with that being said, students tend to rush through the application, put the wrong information, so we always tell them to take [their] time.”
Though originally a Texas resident, applicant Abigail Longo currently attends school in Germany. She chose to apply to A&M because she grew up knowing about the school, Longo said in an email to The Battalion.
“Both of my parents and various other family members attended and so it was a school that was always talked about,” Longo said. “I had also grown up going to the campus for football games, and as I got older, I just knew that the campus was the place for me and where I knew I would best fit in. I love the traditions and the spirit of Aggies which made it very appealing to me.”
Longo said the application was simple and ApplyTexas was available to provide her with all the resources to make the process run smoothly.
“While I didn’t talk to an admissions counselor during the application process, I did talk to one before to hear the whole process and how it worked, which was very helpful and definitely prepared me for the application process,” Longo said. “Overall, the process was very smooth and there was enough time to get everything submitted on time without having to rush.”
She was not qualified to apply as an Early Decision applicant, Longo said, and has not yet received an admissions decision.
“I am nervous about having not received a decision yet,” Longo said. “I know lots of people that applied around the same time I did, or even later, and have already heard back about their acceptance. It is definitely a mix of emotions because I am excited and hopeful of the decision to come, but because it has taken a while, it has made me nervous and anxious. Since A&M is the school I’ve always dreamed of, it would be very disappointing to get a rejection, but I am staying hopeful while I wait to hear back.”
The speed at which A&M is able to process applications sets the school apart from other universities, Valdez said.
“I guess the fact that we can process close to 60,000 applications, within the same amount of time that everyone else does, is pretty admirable, especially for our processing team,” Valdez said. “Just the sheer amount of majors and opportunities that Texas A&M has to offer; that makes us stand out against the competition.”
Because A&M does not offer interviews as part of the admissions process, Eneks said applicants should list every achievement, be thoughtful in their responses to short-answer questions and use the application and essay to tell their stories.
“Our freshman applicant pool continues to grow,” Eneks said. “We received more than 59,000 applications for fall 2023. Considering how many applications we receive, the fact that each applicant file in our holistic review is read by two individual reviewers is significant. In addition, the various admissions pathways we can extend [to] applicants is expansive compared to other universities. We have many different opportunities for freshman applicants to become Aggies.”
