Eligibility and Application

Application for the Class of 2026 is open.

The TAMS Admissions team will review complete applications continuously until all available spots are filled, but interested students should not wait to begin submitting the Residency Questionnaire, the TAMS Application Profile, and the other required supporting documents so that you have a complete file. 

Applicants taking the SAT or the ACT must (a) request that College Board and/or ACT send an official score report to UNT (not TAMS) when registering for the test(s), and (b) submit an unofficial score report to tamsadmissions@unt.edu when it becomes available online.

TAMS will update an applicant’s status page as TAMS staff process submitted documents and teacher recommendation forms, but applicants should allow 3-5 business days for processing.  Applicants should NOT email to inquire about the status of their application, especially if they or their teachers submit documents late in a work week or during a weekend.  This will only delay the processing of your materials.

Eligibility

Prospective applicants must be:

• a Texas resident (based on the parent or court-appointed legal guardian) at the time of application.

• Enrolled in an accredited or state-approved high school program as a 9th-, 10th-, or 11th-grader

• Have completed Algebra I and be enrolled in or completed Geometry AND Algebra II at the time of application

Eligibility Details - click to expand

Residency UNT’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions—not TAMS Admissions—determines whether or not an applicant is a Texas resident.  Non-US citizens must provide copies of their Permanent Resident cards, and applicants who have applied for permanent residency may furnish copies of the i-797 Notice of Action reflecting the parent and student application.  Some parents and students with select visa types may also be eligible for Texas residency.
Enrollment “State-approved” includes accredited private schools and state-sanctioned home school programs.  [Note: Applicants who earn admission to TAMS as 11th graders MUST - without exception - complete two years in the TAMS program at UNT to receive verification of high school graduation.  This means that a student will not "complete high school" at the same time as their former traditional high school classmates, but a TAMS/UNT student completes 60+ university credit hours, which puts the student "ahead" of their former traditional school classmates in time-to-degree completion].

Application

Application Process – The applicant must complete each step before the next is available
1. Download and complete this Residency Questionnaire.   Upload the complete form on the linked page, and be sure you include any required documents.

Residency Details - click to expand

You must complete this document first, as the Application Profile will not be accessible until UNT Admissions has received this form.  (Be sure to include any required documents). Please note: an applicant must qualify as a Texas resident before TAMS evaluates the applicant’s file, not by the time the applicant begins classes at UNT if admitted.

2. TAMS Admissions will email a link to applicants that will provide access to create their TAMS Application Profile.   Complete and submit the TAMS Application Profile.

Application Profile Details - click to expand

Applicants should highlight any achievements and/or activities that demonstrate their well-roundedness as a student and citizen of the world.  Once TAMS Admissions receive this, the student will be sent a link for the next step.  Please note: If you are scheduled to take the SAT/ACT, please denote the scheduled date within Application Profile.  You may review this Sample Application before beginning your Application Profile (provided for reference only).

3. TAMS Admissions will email applicants links that will allow supporting documents and materials to be submitted.  Supporting materials should NOT include Social Security numbers.  Please redact any SS# on documents.  Supporting materials include:

a. SAT / ACT scores – must register for the test or have an existing score.    Once registered for the exam, go on to the next step.   For those wanting to be considered for Early Summer Research, the November test date is recommended.  The December test scores will not be received until January.  

b. Transcripts and/or Report Cards

c. Teacher Evaluation Forms – Students will be sent a link to a Teacher Evaluation Request Form.

d. Applicants can also submit supplemental materials that reflect non-academic pursuits and/or achievements so that TAMS officials can further analyze an applicant’s well-roundedness.  These materials should be submitted in PDF format to tamsadmissions@unt.edu.  Examples are kudos, competition achievements, awards earned, etc.

e. MUSIC TRACK applicants must also apply to the UNT College of Music through the Acceptd arts network platform, including an audition and submit ALL REQUIREMENTS by Jan 13, 2024.

Supporting Documents Details - click to expand

SAT/ACT Applicants using SAT scores—math and verbal sections—must request that College Board send an official score report to the University of North Texas.  Use 6481 as the school code.
Applicants using ACT scores must request that ACT send an official score report to the University of North Texas. Use 4136 as the school code. (Note: We recommend that applicants interested in the MUSIC and Visual Arts & Design tracks take the ACT rather than the SAT).
TAMS does not require the essay or writing portion of the ACT.
Transcripts and/or Report Cards Include report cards or unofficial transcripts for Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra 2 if taken before 9th grade; an unofficial transcript for 9th grade to the current year; and a report card showing at least one grading period in the current year of school if currently enrolled as 9th or 10th graders.
Applicants currently enrolled in 11th grade who complete the steps listed above can submit documents through 10th grade, and TAMS will begin evaluating these applicants as soon as their file is complete.  These applicants, however, will be required to submit their first 11th-grade report card before TAMS can make an admission offer (provided the applicant has a successful application process).
Transcripts and report cards should be saved as PDF forms and uploaded, and each page must show the name of the student and the school.  TAMS does not accept “screenshots” of the aforementioned documents, and applicants who do not have a complete application file until January or later MUST submit a report card showing their grades for the entire school year up to that date (not just the first grading period as described above).
Teacher Evaluation Forms Applicants can begin submitting documents as soon as they complete the steps listed above.  Please ensure you have selected your current-year teachers for evaluation.  TAMS will contact the teachers on your behalf.   Applicants must have evaluations from the following:  
1.    English Teacher
2.    Math Teacher
3.    Science Teacher (must be biology, chemistry, or physics teacher)
4.    A fourth evaluation must be from an Art/Music/Yearbook/Journalism teacher if an applicant is applying to the Visual Arts & Design tracks OR from a music teacher (band/choir) at the applicant’s school if an applicant is applying to the Music track.  Other applicants can select any current teacher of an academic subject, excluding coaches who teach or directors of primarily extracurricular activities.
Do NOT submit more than one Request Form; contact TAMS Admissions at tamsadmissions@unt.edu for any issues after submitting the initial request form. 
 

An applicant’s Status Page will be updated as elements are received and processed.

TAMS will update an applicant’s status page as TAMS staff process submitted documents and teacher recommendation forms, but applicants should allow 3-5 business days for processing.  Applicants should NOT email to inquire about the status of their application, especially if they or their teachers submit documents late in a work week or during a weekend.  This will only delay the processing of your materials.

Process

  1. Submit all required documents in order to have a completed application file.  UNT Admissions MUST approve the applicant’s residency for the file to be considered complete.
  2. TAMS Algebra Test -   Only complete files are reviewed by TAMS Admissions to determine whether or not an applicant qualifies to take a proctored exam covering Algebra I and II.  If an applicant is invited to take this exam, the score on the exam will be added to the applicant’s file, after which the Admissions team will determine if an applicant warrants an interview.
  3. Interview – students will be notified if they advance to the interview stage, including instructions regarding the nature and structure of the interview.
  4. The TAMS Admissions office will notify applicants of their status approximately three weeks after the interview stage (not necessarily three weeks from the date of the applicant’s interview).  Applicants will either be offered admission to TAMS or will be placed on a “Waitlist” similar to colleges and universities.  “Waitlist” applicants remain viable candidates for admission, and TAMS Admissions staff periodically review waitlist applicants, including sometimes conducting a second interview with a different interviewer.
  5. Applicants who accept TAMS’s admission offer must complete and submit the FAFSA to be eligible for any level of TAMS scholarship.