Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes. All new undergraduate students are required to complete a New Student Conference in order to complete enrollment at Texas A&M University (not required for Graduate, Post-Baccalaureate, Re-Admits, or change of curriculum students from Texas A&M Galveston). Registration for your conference costs $225 (non-refundable) for freshmen and $153 (non-refundable) for transfer students. Texas A&M University is committed to the orientation and academic transition of each new student. A new student will receive academic advisement, an opportunity to learn and sign up for different university services and register for classes at their New Student Conference. Failing to complete a conference will prohibit you from registering for classes and attending Texas A&M University. Those who do not complete a NSC forfeit their admission to Texas A&M University and must reapply for a future term.
No. The New Student Conference is only mandatory for new undergraduate students and is not required for Graduate, Post-Baccalaureate, Re-Admits, or Change of Curriculum students from Texas A&M Galveston or McAllen. However, your college may request you complete the NSC. If so, please contact us so we can have materials ready.
Yes. In order to provide a comprehensive orientation experience, you are required to complete the entire NSC. Conference sessions build upon each other in order to prepare you for your transition to Texas A&M and to complete course registration. Failure to complete your full NSC will result in your being blocked from registering for your first semester courses. Transfer students registered for a 1-day conference must attend the entirety of their NSC.
We interpret registration in a New Student Conference as a confirmation that you will be attending Texas A&M. If you decide not to attend after registering for a conference, please withdraw your application via the Howdy portal. Your conference fee is, however, non-refundable.
You are required to attend the conference date for which you are registered. Students are not allowed to participate in a conference they are not registered for in advance. You can change your conference date as long as dates are available on the NSC registration website, accessible through the Applicant Information System (AIS). As conferences are filled, they are removed from the site and are no longer available due to capacity limits.
Students will not be forced into conferences to accommodate changes in their personal schedule due to work conflicts or travel. Appeals to change into a restricted or full conference are only granted for military orders, medical emergencies or extreme extenuating circumstances which students can substantiate with written documentation.
Appeals are submitted online via AIS by going to the “Contact Us” tab, clicking “Ask A Question,” selecting a subject type of “NSC Appeal” and completing the required fields.
Freshman
Admitted students may request a change of major via the Howdy Portal by the deadlines posted below. Go to the “Applicant” tab and select “Manage Applications.” Some colleges and majors have enrollment limits and will not accept a change of major once filled. Students may choose from only those colleges and majors with space available at the time of request, but a change of major is never guaranteed and majors can fill prior to processing your request.
Gateway, Blinn TEAM, and Engineering at Blinn students cannot change majors.
Summer/Fall 2024 NSCs | Change of Major Deadline |
---|---|
May 21-22 | May 14 |
May 22-23 | May 15 |
May 29-30 | May 22 |
May 30-31 | May 23 |
June 3-4 | May 27 |
June 4-5 | May 28 |
June 11-12 | June 4 |
June 12-13 | June 5 |
June 13-14 | June 6 |
June 17-18 | June 10 |
June 20-21 | June 13 |
June 24-25 | June17 |
July 9-10 | July 2 |
July 10-11 | July 10 |
July 11-12 | July 4 |
July 16-17 | July 9 |
July 17-18 | July 10 |
July 22-23 | July 15 |
July 23-24 | July 16 |
August 14-15* | August 7 |
*Students attending the August 14-15 NSC will be pre-registered for classes in mid-July. Major changes requested after July 16 may be impacted by pre-registration.
Transfer Students
Transfer students are reviewed for and admitted to a specific major. Changes of major will not be considered for at least one full semester. Many departments and colleges have grade point and course requirements that must be satisfied to be eligible for a change of major. For change of major requirements, see tap.tamu.edu.
Your course registration at your New Student Conference will be limited to the degree program to which you have been admitted. For more information, please contact your academic college.
Though not required, family members/guests who serve in primary support roles are encouraged to attend the New Student Conference along with you. We have many programs and services specifically designed for family members. Texas A&M University believes that the college experience represents a collaboration involving the student, the family of the student and the University. We invite family members to participate in the NSC. We hope that by participating, you will become informed about the University’s academic programs, policies, facilities and services.
Family members and guests will attend a majority of sessions together during the NSC. While the student attends at Orientation Group families will take part in the Introduction to being an Aggie Family Member session. For more details on your NSC schedule, view the sample schedules available for Freshman and Transfer students.
Depending on your academic college, not all NSC dates will be available to you based on college participation. College participation by conference date for Freshman and Transfer students can be viewed under Dates & Schedules on our website. Once conferences are full, those dates will no longer appear on the registration website and they will no longer be available due to seating capacity limits and fire safety regulations.
Appeals to change a conference date are granted for military orders, medical emergencies or other extenuating circumstances that students can substantiate with written documentation. Appeals should be addressed to the NSC Registration Appeals Committee using the “My Questions” section on the Applicant Information System (AIS).
Steps to Change an NSC Registration Date:
- Log on to the Applicant Information System (AIS) using your NetID and Password.
- Click the “Reschedule NSC Icon” in AIS.
- Choose a new date from the list of available conference dates presented on the screen.
- “Submit.” A revised confirmation page will appear with updated information concerning your registration. Print this document for your records. If the date you desire is not available, check back frequently, as availability is updated in “real time.”
- Review NSC Registration Details to confirm change.
Note: As the deadline approaches for NSC registration, space in conferences will be limited.
The Office of Admissions requires official copies of final high school transcripts and any official college transcripts (if applicable).
Submit these to the Office of Admissions in accordance to instructions on the Document Submission page.
Faxed, emailed, copied or uploaded transcripts are not acceptable official documents and will not complete a student’s file.
If you have an unofficial copy of your transcripts, it may be helpful to have them available for your Day 2 advising appointment.
You must submit an ID photo online on myaggiecard.tamu.edu. Once your photo is approved, you can pick up your Aggie ID Card at the General Services Complex (GSC). The GSC has 30-minute parking or you can take Bus Route 6 from the Student Services Building on campus. We recommend planning on picking up your Aggie Card on day two of your NSC after you register for classes.
For questions regarding scoring or how courses will apply to your degree plan, please contact your academic advisor. If you took an Advanced Placement test in May, scores will not be received by Texas A&M University until mid-July. Students should only accept AP credit after consulting with their academic advisor, which you can do during Day 2 of your NSC.
There are many holds that could be on your account. View this list of common holds for more information.