Frequently Asked Questions

Where do TAMS students live?  All TAMSters live in McConnell Hall in an environment which fosters academic achievement and accelerated personal development.  Specially trained staff share the hall, including two full-time hall directors, 14 resident assistants, and 4 program advisors, resulting in a 1:20 staff-to-student ratio.

How safe is TAMS?   UNT is a safe university patrolled by campus police, and TAMS is a particularly secure environment.  McConnell Hall is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Curfews and other age-appropriate rules promote security.   Conveniently, the student health center is immediately adjacent, and the nearest hospital is less than a mile away.  Under our Emergency Response System, on-call professionals provide counseling, support, hospital transport and companionship until parents arrive.

Do TAMSters have a social life?  Some 20 TAMS organizations offer numerous leadership and service opportunities, from Key Club, Jets, and Student Council, to musical and theatrical groups and intramural athletics. The Academy sponsors dances, game and activity nights, movies, plays, and recreation, with the prom an annual highlight.  TAMSters also participate in over 350 UNT sponsored organizations and events.

Can students attend religious services?  A wider range of cultures is represented at TAMS than perhaps any school in the state, and students are encouraged to practice their faiths.  Some religious institutions provide weekend transportation.   

Are home-schooled students admitted?  Yes, but they may require additional screening and interviews.

Does McConnell Hall offer Internet access?  Internet connections are provided in every room and in the hall’s well-equipped computer lab.

Are laundry facilities available?  Start collecting quarters for the washers and dryers.

Is there a dress code? Neither the university nor TAMS imposes dress restrictions.

What happens to students who leave before graduation? Students who leave for academic, behavioral, or personal reasons are eligible to return to their high schools.  Most, however, will enroll in a university or a community college, or take correspondence courses before applying to college.  College credits earned at TAMS remain on their transcripts.

What academic help is available?  Tutoring is free to supplement seminars on time management, note-taking, and study skills.  Two full-time academic counselors are on staff, in addition to a full-time adolescent psychologist who provides confidential assistance with the high school-to-college adjustment.

How often can I return home? Students vacate McConnell Hall once per month during pre-arranged Closed Weekends, with options for two additional Travel Weekends each semester.  TAMSters observe Thanksgiving, Christmas, Spring Break, and other official university holidays.  As seniors, TAMSters will have earned additional travel time for college visits, provided disciplinary sanctions have been avoided.  Students unable to vacate on Closed Weekends (because distance or expenses are prohibitive) may be placed with local host families.

How often can parents visit McConnell Hall? Parents are welcome any time.  Same-sex siblings over age 10 can lodge overnight on weekends (with the roommate’s consent).  Visitors will require escorts onto the residence wings, and overnight guests must observe the same policies -- quiet hours, curfew -- as TAMSters.

What are graduation requirements? Students must complete 57 required semester credit hours with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B average).  A wide range of elective course options is available.  Graduates receive an advanced high school diploma including college credits.  The TAMS academic advisor provides invaluable assistance with college applications and scholarship procurement.  Seminar presentations covering college essay composition and other application essentials are offered.  

Where do graduates attend college? About 55% of graduates remain in Texas, mostly at UT or Texas A&M.  The remaining primarily attend prestigious universities on the east and west coasts.

How do I decide if TAMS is right for me? Visit us on Preview Day or Spend-A-Day to make an informed decision.  Keep in mind:

• A good TAMS prospect seeks a career in math, science, engineering, or related disciplines.
• Her counterpart (who prefers not to apply to TAMS) may be terrific at math & science, but does not seek a career in these fields.

• A TAMS prospect is academically bored, having nearly exhausted his high school's math options by 10th grade.
• His counterpart may take advanced math at a nearby college, although not likely among age mates.

• An informed TAMS candidate knows the academy is alive with music, JETS, student council, prom, yearbook, newspaper, intramural sports, and many other activities.
• His counterpart is satisfied with his current extracurricular calendar and UIL athletics.

• A TAMS prospect knows she will earn two years of tuition-free college credits which will transfer to prestigious universities in Texas and beyond.
• Her counterpart may also leave high school early, but probably not with two years of tuition-free credits.

• A TAMS prospect understands that rules ensure safety and respect for both the individual and community.
• His counterpart may have difficulty tolerating Quiet Hours or curfew (11 p.m. weeknights / 1 a.m. weekends).

• A TAMS candidate is an academic risk-taker who demands greater challenges.
• His counterpart may feel sufficiently challenged at his present school.

• A TAMS student knows she'll live, work, and play among peers who match or exceed her intellect.
• Her bright counterpart has no daily contact with a diverse group of 380 teens of equal or greater intellect.

If you think TAMS is right for you, seize the opportunity -- "for of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these: 'It might have been!' "
                                                                 -- John Greenleaf Whittier