Hi, I've been accepted both to Blinn college, and to Texas A&M Glaveston. I've posted on this topic before but I wanted to get some opinions as I near making a decision. My goal is to make it to Texas A&M college station campus by fall 2016. I have no dual credit/college hours. I want to major in in AGLED, I've been told that if I keep a 3.2 GPA I will be automatic to TAMU as a transfer via TPA. My other option is TAMUG where I would need to have at the very least, a 2.5 and then I could change majors to TAMU guaranteed after one year. Although I would prefer to be in college station at Blinn, I want to know the safest/easiest route to TAMU. I've heard of people going to Blinn and getting decent to good grades and then being denied by TAMU. Also, I am interested in the corps of cadets, any insight on the corps at TAMUG would be appreciated! Thanks!

Coming to the main campus would mean a change of curriculum if coming from TAMUG (instead of a transfer) since you would already be in A&M. You would then be talking to your academic adviser in Galveston and an academic adviser for your dept. in College Station. I would suggest calling TAMUG directly about the Corps at Galveston. We get a lot of students from Blinn but as you pointed out, it is no guarantee of acceptance here. For transfers, academic depts. focus on two things: a high GPA and whether you have been taking the courses from their course sheet. You can see those at http://admissions.tamu.edu/transfer/majors. Please call 979-458-0950 during normal business hours and ask to speak with an admissions counselor (we're closed until Monday for Spring Break). A counselor will be glad to discuss your best options for your particular situation.

Got to Galveston for a year. Get auto transfer into A&M CS. Join Corps as a fish. Lots of people have done this.

Tough call.

I did Blinn for a year and transferred into A&M. But when I applied for fall 2003 I was given the early transfer program as an option. Basically had to go to any public school in Texas for a year and get a 3.0 and then I could pretty much transfer in automatically. I don't think this is offered anymore.

I really enjoyed my time at Blinn and took classes from a couple of the best profs I had in college. The class sizes are small and the profs are actually teachers and not there for research. Most of the profs spent some time at A&M as well. Biggest pro is that you're in College Station. But you really have to stay motivated because as you mentioned it is not a slam dunk these days transferring in from Blinn. My year at Blinn was probably one of my toughest because of the pressure to perform to get into A&M. A lot of people go to Blinn and never make it to A&M because they forget the reason they are there. Some of the classes were actually harder than the same classes my future wife at the time was taking at A&M. But because the caliber of students wasn't as great as A&M it was easier to do well in classes that curved their grades. Everything ended up well for me, I went on to graduate with a degree in Electrical Engineering and took a really good job out of school. Two of the guys I studied with in my calculus classes at Blinn went on to get degrees in Civil Engineering and actually ended up at the same company as me. While I wouldn't have originally picked it, I'm proud of the path I took. In some ways I think it helped me stay focused on school when maybe I wouldn't have taken it as seriously as if I started at A&M.

Now my sister who is getting her Aggie ring today decided to go to the TAMUG route. SHE LOVED IT THERE. Almost too much. She actually spent 2 years in Galveston, not because she had to, but because she wanted to! If they had a major that really fit her she would have graduated from Galveston. She was trying to fit herself into the curriculum at Galveston finding any reason to stay.

Finally, my sister conceded that it was the best for her personally to transfer to College Station. I can tell you that TAMUG students are as redass as they come, much more so than I ever was. They get great football tickets and carpool to the games in College Station. They follow most of the same traditions with a few of their own mixed in. They have a really nice new on campus dorm. I'd recommend living on campus, my sister still keeps in touch with all of her Galveston friends that she met living on campus. I'll admit its not the nicest campus, but there's a pride there with the students that it is their campus. Knowing what I know now, I'd probably go the TAMUG route as it is the safer bet and you're already a TAMU student.

Being in college station and trying to fit in with people that go to A&M while at Blinn can be difficult. There's a bit of stigma to overcome and sometime you're looked down upon. But that just made me work harder. Its hard to make long lasting friends with people at Blinn because you may be on a different path, and its harder to make friends at A&M because you didn't get that on campus bonding. Transferring in you feel like an outsider who doesn't know what to do at football games. Nothing that can't be overcome though. If you do decide to go to Blinn I'd recommend living in a private off-campus dorm near A&M. I stayed at the Tradition in Northgate. That way you'll be exposed to new people easier.

You should talk to the ALED advisor.
Use the following link to schedule an appointment.
http://alec.tamu.edu/academics/advising/usal-led-advising/
The current ALED advisor is leaving in May. The USAL-LED advisor is covering ALED for the near future.

They will be able to give you some good information.

Go to Galveston. You can take classes at both A&M campuses at the same time and you can buy sport passes. Then you only have to change majors to one that is on the College Station campus. If you go to Blinn, you will have to make the grades, apply for transfer into A&M, and hope they accept you.

TAMUG.


Don't go to Blinn.

I was in your same spot 3 years ago. I went to Galveston for a year. It was kinda tough since I didn't like it down there, but it's easy to get a really favorable class schedule down there. Thus I scheduled no Friday classes both semesters and just drove up to College Station every Thursday afternoon.

Obviously do what you want, but looking back, it's a no-brainer. A&M Galveston is easy money and easy grades (as long as you don't do any of the maritime stuff). Also, you can pick to "change majors" into an easy major with low requirements just to get on campus, then work on doing the major you want once you're here.

If you have any questions, PM me.