Aggie Gateway to Success

Aggie Gateway to Success (aka Gateway or AGS) is a provisional admission program at Texas A&M University that is administered through Texas A&M University Transition Academic Programs. Read below for more information!

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Aggie Gateway to Success (AGS)

Aggie Gateway to Success (aka Gateway or AGS) students are given a unique chance to gain full admission by taking summer courses and proving how well they can do academically. Gateway students will attend Texas A&M Summer Session II (5-week summer session). All Gateway students are admitted into the University as General Studies (GEST) majors. During the program, they will complete 2 standard core curriculum courses (3 credit hours each) 1 Academic Success Center class and 1 Gateway Learning Community course assigned by Transition Academic Programs advising staff.

Support

Gateway students are required to stay on campus in designated residence halls during the Summer. Fall housing is not guaranteed. Continuing students are encouraged to seek on-campus Fall housing and to take advantage of a Living Learning Community at Texas A&M. Furthermore, Gateway students are supported by a group of academic mentors who are a part of the AGS staff. These mentors are undergraduate students at Texas A&M University who have previously completed the AGS program. In addition to attending their summer session courses, Gateway students will go through various programs and presentations that focus on different skill sets to help them succeed academically.

The Result

Gateway students who successfully complete the AGS program experience a smooth transition from high school to Aggieland. The students get acquainted to the culture here at Texas A&M University while developing academically as college students by earning credit hours. Most Gateway students find that they are already well-adjusted when the rest of the freshmen class joins them for the Fall semester.

How do I gain admission to Gateway?
There is not a special application for Gateway. Gateway cannot be requested. It is a type of admission offer. All admissions are handled by the Office of Admissions. Contact them at: (979) 845-1060 or email: Admissions@tamu.edu. For more information you can visit their website here.

How much does Gateway cost? When do I pay?
The tuition and fees for 6 the required hours and room & board are designated by the University based on standard summer prices. These are estimates. Summer prices do not get set until late in the Spring term.

For planning purposes students should expect to be charged:
- About $2500 for tuition (in-State)*
- About $1350 for room and board - This year ResLife has designated that students stay in White Creek
- About $200 for books and course materials
- Add incidentals and that's about 4200 to 4500 (in-State).
- *Out of state tuition adds about $5000.
There is no additional fee for participating in the AGS program.

Payment for summer is due early in the summer before the first week of summer session II classes.

Summer financial aid is available. Students should complete the 2025-2026 FASFA to see what aid you are eligible for.

What is General Studies?

General Studies (GEST) is the University’s transition major. All students in the major are looking to gain admission to other majors on campus. It is housed in the Transition Academic Programs (TAP) office. It is a temporary major. TAP advisors help students in GEST look for appropriate majors and meet requirements to change to those majors within a year. Students who start in GEST are typically able to graduate from A&M on time.

Can I declare my major during the summer while in Gateway?
No. You cannot change majors until you have successfully completed Gateway and met your intended major’s prerequisites. But TAP advisors can help students prepare to declare right after summer or after their first fall or spring semester.

How do I set up housing?

Once you’ve been accepted into Gateway we will give you all the information you need to set up housing and any other necessities you will need. However, if you have any questions regarding the housing process or Fall housing availability you can call: (888) 451-3896 or email: housing@tamu.edu. For more information you can visit their website here.

Are Gateway students guaranteed housing in the Fall?
Freshman are offered priority housing. This is not quite a guarantee. However, we recommend you apply. We have not had any students who wanted housing not get it by the end of the summer.

Will I miss out on good classes to register for in the Fall?
No. At your Gateway New Student Conference in June you will pre-register for Fall courses. Your fall schedule will be started then. You have the option to meet with a Transition Academic Programs advisor through the rest of the summer to make changes. A Gateway student who takes advantage of the opportunity to meet with our advisors can have as solid a schedule as any incoming freshman.

Will I be placed in the major I applied for automatically after the summer?
No. You were not admitted to that major, but upon successful completion of the summer program you will be able to continue at Texas A&M as a General Studies (GEST) student. The GEST major is available to all Texas A&M students who are going through the change of major process for all undergraduate majors. This means that you will have the opportunity to meet the change of major requirements for your major of interest. The change of major process for each major and individual student circumstances varies. Our goal is for Gateway students to get to a regular major within their first year.

Fall Admission after Gateway
Upon successful completion of the AGS program Gateway students will be eligible to participate in all University activities as a member of the incoming freshman class in the fall. Gateway students who successfully complete the AGS program tend to experience a smooth transition from their high school environment to Aggieland. Students get acquainted with the culture at TAMU while developing academically as college students. Many Gateway students find that they already feel well-adjusted when the rest of the freshmen class joins them.

Grade and Credit Requirements
Complete 2 standard core curriculum courses (3 credit hours each) assigned by Transition Academic Programs advising staff. Complete 2 Gateway Learning Community courses—ASCC 289 (0 credit hour, but graded) and UGST 001 (0 credit hours)—focused on building academic skills, major/career guidance, and college adjustment.
Attendance
Students take freshman level courses with non-Gateway students. Classes are competitive. Regular class attendance is expected. Consequences for missing class are set by individual professors/instructors. Attendance for the two Gateway Learning Community courses will be required.

Readmission
In the rare instance that a student does not meet the requirements of the program, but still wants to attend A&M they can apply for the following fall at Texas A&M as a readmit after attending another institution.See program director for details.

Fees
The tuition and fees for the 6 required hours and room & board are designated by the University based on standard summer prices. There is no additional fee for participating in the AGS program.

Aggie Gateway to Success