College Counseling

Jarred Stewart
College Advisor, Sage Hall 320
940-565-4683
Jarred.Stewart@unt.edu

Schedule an Appointment

College Admissions Philosophy

Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) will help students choose the college that best fits their goals and interests.  We encourage students to examine more closely the universities about which they are familiar while also exploring schools that may be unfamiliar to them. Choosing the next educational opportunity is a complex process and should not be based on media hype.

We help students narrow their choices, develop and edit their applications and written responses, and deal with stress surrounding the final decision. The staff at TAMS encourages students to fill their college consideration list with great universities where they have the best chance of acceptance. With this philosophy, students typically are provided with more offers from which to choose. 

Organizational sessions are offered throughout the spring and summer for juniors. The goal is for students to create a quality application tailored to each school to which the student applies prior to required deadlines. 

Services Provided

•    Assisting students with identifying individual goals and abilities and matching universities to those same needs
•    Providing workshops to implement best practices for application essays and responses to supplemental questions
•    Offering individual feedback for student essays 
•    Assisting students in constructing expanded resumes, listing extracurricular activities, and seeking recommendations from professors
•    Providing resources and support as students work through various application portals
•    Managing student records and ensuring universities have required documentation for applications
•    Assisting students with financial aid resources and opportunities
•    Guiding students through the process of selecting offers from universities
•    Arranging for a wide variety of university representatives to visit TAMS and speak with students
•    Supporting students as they manage the stress and emotions involved with college admissions

How TAMS Credits Transfer to other Universities

The TAMS program helps bright and talented Texas students move through the Texas university system more rapidly. TAMS students withdraw from their current Texas high school and enroll in the University of North Texas, taking university courses taught by UNT faculty.  Consequently, a regular college transcript is generated, as would any other UNT student.

Texas public universities (UT, A&M, Texas Tech, etc.), by law, must accept all credits from UNT. Depending on the chosen major, the credits may not apply to a student's major. The student’s GPA does not transfer but all credits will be applied. 

Public out-of-state universities (UC Berkeley, University of Oklahoma, etc.) generally accept most or all credits. However, as with Texas universities, the credit may not fulfill the requirements for some degree plans.

Private Texas universities (Rice, Baylor, Austin College, etc.) vary in credit acceptance. Credit is often transferred on an individual basis and may depend on what courses the student completed at their previous Texas high school. In many cases, even if the school does not accept credit, the student can request advanced standing so that they do not have to repeat a course but can take another higher-level course in the subject to fulfill specific requirements.

Private out-of-state universities vary quite a bit. The Ivy League universities (Harvard, Yale, etc.) do not accept most transfer credit from ANY source, including AP and IB credits. For most of these universities, a full four years’ tuition may be required. Some universities will accept a maximum of 12 credit hours. Some universities will only accept transfer of credit for elective courses NOT required for graduation. Some do not accept any credit at all. 

We strongly encourage students to choose colleges where most of their credits will transfer. Students should speak to admissions personnel about credit transfer BEFORE applying. It is best to speak to the admissions officer that deals with Texas universities. Some university officials will not be familiar with TAMS and may not be able to address questions regarding credit transfer.