SwissAgg
Your nephew will go through a process called ETAM (Apply To A Major) in April. Decisions are released around the end of June. On the application to apply to a major, he will list his top 3 and up to 5, preferred majors. He will have to earn his way to getting into the major he wants, not just merely listing it.
This explains ETAM
https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/entry-to-a-major/index.htmlThe analysis of Spring 2017 shows what it takes to earn a spot in each major. Understand that a cumalative 3.5 GPA gets him into his first choice major automatically. The analysis is for everyone who had less than a 3.5 cumulative GPA and they undergo holistic review for the major.
https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/entry-to-a-major/resources/analysis-spring-2017-admission-cycle/index.htmlCumulative GPA and Engineering Core GPA are considered. If Mechanical Engineering is his preference, as you see from the analysis, below a 3.0 cumulative GPA did not gain entry to MechE as well as the lowest GPA for the Engineering Core classes was 2.79.
All students are encouraged to see their advisor in Spring, prior to applying to a major so that they can apply for majors that suit their qualifications.
Good luck to your nephew. It is a very hard program and the first year can be tough on a lot of Freshmen. Tell him to hang in there. If he doesn't satisfy the requirements to get into a major in Spring, he will have other chances in Fall of the next year and even again in Spring of his Sophomore year.
https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/resources/fourth-semester-general-engineering-students.html