Anybody familiar with what kind of qualifications A&M is looking for in an Engineering Honors applicant? Minimum GPA or SAT? Are extracurriculars important? Do they have set standards at all, or do they tool you around like many selective universities that just tell you to apply and "they'll let you know"?

Worked for TAMU Honors program from 2006 - 2010 and read several of these applications. They are mainly looking for the following:

• Geniune curiosity: Students who demonstrate a love for learning and have taken efforts to learn material beyond the curriculum presented to them.
• Creative writers. Normally, their essay questions are kind of off the wall, so they appreciate a student who can provide a fresh take on their prompt.
• Interdisciplinary Learning: Problems are not solved in a vacuum or the silo of an academic discipline. They appreciate students who can see the benefits of both the Arts and the Sciences.

There are two different programs - the regular honors program that includes people from a variety of majors, and the separate engineering honors program. Which were you working with?

BTW, you are auto admitted to engineering honors if you are a national merit semifinalist, so I assume they must care about your SAT score too. Any idea what kind of test scores these kids are getting?

I worked with University Honors Programs. You're totally correct about having strong SAT Scores. For Engineering Honors, they ask about the typical things, but one of the essay prompts specifically mentions research. It is ideal if the student pursues an opportunity that includes this experience, and there are several virtual programs that can help a student gain entry-level experience.

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oh come on.... it's a joke, it's a joke!