By Oscar Gonzalez/@originalgamer1
Students will no longer have to wait weeks for a decision on whether they’re accepted or denied admission to Texas A&M University-San Antonio. The university’s newly implemented Auto Decision Day pilot program lets transfer students find out their fate within 30 minutes.
Auto Decision Day removes the wait process for transfer students who have all the required documents, and meet all transfer requirements. The pilot initiative is part of the admissions office initiative called Jaguar Days, specialized application periods that focus on enrollment and student financial aid.
To boost enrollment, the office of admissions researched similar programs, both locally and nationally. They found that transfer students want clear and concise evaluations of transfer credits and on-the-spot decisions.
“We live in an age of instant gratification. Nobody wants to have a wait time for anything, especially college decisions,” said Chryssa Delgado, director of admissions.
Those transfer students interested in attending the Auto Decision Day must sign up for an appointment on the Jaguar Days page. Appointments are made in 30-minute intervals, after which decisions on the students’ application are made. The first Auto Decision Day is 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. May 21 and 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. May 26 in the Welcome Center, Room 211, located in the Madla Building.
For consideration, students must have the following documentation and meet the requirements listed below:
- A sealed transcript;
- Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher;
- Completion of 45 academic transferable hours;
- Texas State Initiative (TSI) requirements must be met;
- Must be eligible to return to all previously attended colleges and universities.
After a decision is made, students can also speak with financial aid specialists and take a tour of the university. Currently, 20 students are signed up.
Although this is an accelerated process, there is no guarantee of admissions at the university.
“We offer automatic decisions, not automatic admissions,” Delgado said.
Depending on the outcome, additional Auto Decision Day may be added.
“If it’s as successful as we think it’ll be, we can continue it throughout the summer,” Delgado said.