View source for Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science

{{Short description|Residential school in Texas, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox school
| image         = Texas_Academy_of_Mathematics_and_Science_Logo.jpg
| image caption = 
| image_size = 200 px
| name          = Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science 
| established   = 1987
| type          = [[Boarding School|Boarding]], [[residential college|residential]], <br />[[public university|public]], [[dual enrollment]]
| district      = 
| grades        = [[Eleventh grade|11]]–[[Twelfth grade|12]]
| dean          = Glênisson de Oliveira
| address       = 1705 W. Sycamore Street
| city          = [[Denton, Texas|Denton]]
| state         = [[Texas]] 
| zipcode       = 76201
| country       = United States
| coordinates   = {{coord|33|12|45|N|97|09|05|W|type:edu|display=inline,title}}
| campus type   = [[Suburban]], [[College Town]]
| campus size   = Part of the University of North Texas. 869 acres (3.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)
| enrollment    = 374 (2015-2016)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tams.unt.edu/admissions/about-tams |title=About TAMS {{pipe}} TAMS |access-date=2015-12-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723024239/http://tams.unt.edu/admissions/about-tams |archive-date=2015-07-23}}</ref>
| faculty       = 
| mascot        = 
| mascot image  = 
| nickname      = TAMSters
| colors        = Green and white<br />{{color box|#00853E}} {{color box| White}}
| homepage      = [https://tams.unt.edu]
| ceeb = 441954
| SAT = 
}}

The '''Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science''' ('''TAMS''') is a two-year residential [[early entrance college program]] serving approximately 375 high school juniors and seniors at the [[University of North Texas]]. Students are admitted from every region of the state through a selective admissions process.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tams.unt.edu/admissions/enrollment |title=Enrollment {{pipe}} TAMS |access-date=2015-11-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022156/https://tams.unt.edu/admissions/enrollment |archive-date=2015-11-17}}</ref> TAMS is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology.

== History ==
TAMS was established on June 23, 1987 by the [[Seventieth Texas Legislature|70th Texas Legislature]], in order to provide high school students an opportunity to take advanced coursework in math, science, and engineering.<ref>{{cite web | title=Texas Education Code - SUBCHAPTER G. TEXAS ACADEMY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE| url=http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/SOTWDocs/ED/htm/ED.105.htm#105.301 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025034048/http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/SOTWDocs/ED/htm/ED.105.htm#105.301 | archive-date=2012-10-25}}</ref><ref name="tams.unt.edu">{{Cite web|url=http://tams.unt.edu/admissions/eligibility|title=Eligibility and Application {{pipe}} Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science}}</ref>  It was designed as a residential program at the University of North Texas for high school-aged students gifted in mathematics and science.

The establishment of this innovative program is from national concern among educators about anticipated shortages of students who would be sufficiently well prepared in mathematical and scientific problem solving. Recognizing that American youth would need to compete in an increasingly technological society, several states including Texas opted to create alternative educational programs that would attract students to the fields of mathematics and science as well as offer bright, motivated young people an accelerated education in these areas of study. TAMS differs from other state-supported residential math and science schools in that the academy offers students the opportunity to complete two years of college concurrently with the last two years of high school.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |title=TAMS Student Handbook 2015-2016}}</ref>

The first TAMS class arrived on August 22, 1988. This graduating Class of 1990 included 65 students, colloquially known as "TAMSters." The academy has since grown and, in recent years, the graduating classes have been as large as 185 students.<ref name=":1" />

==Admissions==

TAMS is required by "to identify exceptionally gifted and intelligent high school students at the junior and senior levels and offer them a challenging education to maximize their development".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://law.onecle.com/texas/education/105.301.html|title=Texas Education Code § 105.301 Establishment; Scope - Texas Attorney Resources - Texas Laws|website=law.onecle.com}}</ref>

Applicants are limited to Texas residents in high school. The admissions process for TAMS is holistic and modeled on those of most colleges. Applications are typically accepted between July and mid-May of a student's sophomore year of high school, though some freshmen apply. Multiple criteria are assessed, including middle and high school grades, the rigor of classes taken at school (particularly for mathematics classes), letters of recommendation from teachers and an academic counselor or principal, SAT scores from no later than the January of the applicant's sophomore year, and an essay. Selected applicants are then invited to interview at one of TAMS's "Interview Days."  During Interview Day, applicants take algebra diagnostic tests, tour the campus, and attend group interviews.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite web |url=http://tams.unt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply |title=How to Apply {{pipe}} TAMS |access-date=2014-01-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107001451/http://tams.unt.edu/admissions/how-to-apply |archive-date=2014-01-07}}</ref> Out of more than 500 students who apply each year,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Texas Academy of Math and Science Profile and Review |url=http://www.houstonschoolsurvey.com/texas-academy-of-math-and-science.html |website=The Houston School Survey - School Research, Reviews, & Forum|access-date = 2015-11-09}}</ref> only around 200 are ultimately accepted into the program.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Enrollment {{!}} TAMS|url = https://tams.unt.edu/admissions/enrollment|website = tams.unt.edu|access-date = 2015-11-09|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151117022156/https://tams.unt.edu/admissions/enrollment|archive-date = 2015-11-17}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tams.unt.edu/admissions/how-apply|title=How To Apply {{pipe}} TAMS|date=July 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723024330/http://tams.unt.edu/admissions/how-apply |archive-date=2015-07-23 }}</ref>

==Academics==
Due to the selectivity of its admissions process, TAMS has traditionally had a strong academic culture among its students. The class of 2015 alone had 66 [[National Merit Scholarship Program|National Merit Semifinalists]] out of a graduating class size of less than 200.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dallas, Texas Area School Information: 2015 National Merit Semifinalists - Number per DFW area school |url=http://dallas-area-schools.blogspot.com/2014/09/2015-national-merit-semifinalists.html |website=Dallas, Texas Area School Information |date=2014-09-21|access-date = 2015-11-09 |first=Random |last=Entries}}</ref> In 2013 the average SAT score for TAMS students was 2121, the second highest of any school in Texas and tenth highest in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2013 America's Best High Schools |url=http://www.newsweek.com/2013/05/06/america-s-best-high-schools.html |website=Newsweek|access-date = 2015-11-30}}</ref> TAMS students have placed in numerous state, national and global competitions, most notably in research-based competitions such as the Intel Talent Search and Siemens Competition. In the 2013 Siemens Foundation Competition, 2 TAMS students were named regional finalists and 17 more were recognized as semifinalists.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.siemens-foundation.org/fileadmin/user_upload/USA_Foundation/Programs/Siemens_Competition/2013_Finalists_Siemens_Competition.pdf |title=Siemens Competition 2013 Finalists |website=www.siemens-foundation.org}}</ref> In 2014, The Siemens Foundation awarded 7 TAMS students the placement of regional finalists, and 16 more as semifinalists; 2015 saw 16 semifinalists and 3 regionals finalists from TAMS. Most recently, 15 TAMS seniors were awarded semifinalist status in the 2016 Siemens competition; senior Prateek Kalakuntla advanced to regional finalist and subsequently national finalists status, winning $30,000 at national finals in December 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.siemens-foundation.org/fileadmin/user_upload/USA_Foundation/Programs/2014_Competition_Semifinalists_FINAL.pdf |title=Siemens Competition 2014 Semifinalists |website=www.siemens-foundation.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Siemens Paper Competition |url=http://tamsresearch.org/competitions-2/siemens-paper-competition/ |website=TAMS Research Organization|access-date = 2016-01-21 |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Curriculum ===
TAMS operates wholly within the University of North Texas.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tams.unt.edu/|title=Home {{pipe}} Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science|website=tams.unt.edu}}</ref> TAMS students take UNT classes for their two years at TAMS, and graduate with a TAMS high school diploma as well as a UNT college transcript with a minimum of 57 hours of transferable college credits.<ref name="tams.unt.edu"/> While at TAMS, they are considered to be concurrently enrolled in high school and college, and attain a college-like experience all while living among same-age peers.

TAMS students essentially follow a college workload and schedule, and take classes alongside regular UNT students. They are officially UNT students with "TAMS" as their [[Major (academic)|major]]. Core subjects required for graduation include [[biology]] or [[computer science]], [[chemistry]], [[physics]] ([[Classical mechanics|mechanics]] and [[electromagnetism]]), [[mathematics]] ([[precalculus]] and [[calculus]]), [[English literature]], [[History of the United States|US history]], and [[political science]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://tams.unt.edu/academics/academic-program |title=The Academic Program {{!}} TAMS |website=tams.unt.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114010520/http://tams.unt.edu/academics/academic-program |archive-date=2011-01-14}}</ref> All courses are UNT university courses and taught by UNT faculty and professors. A wide variety of elective courses may be taken in addition to required classes after the first semester. Students are also required to attend a weekly seminar on Monday afternoons, which includes various presentations covering academic topics like research opportunities and non-academic topics.

All core courses must be taken at TAMS/UNT during the fall and spring semesters, though some elective courses may be taken during the summer.<ref name=":0" /> The minimum cumulative [[Grading in the United States|GPA]] required for graduation is 3.0. Students whose GPA drops below this threshold are put on academic probation, and may be dismissed from the academy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tams.unt.edu/academics/academic-program#dismissal |title=The Academic Program {{!}} TAMS |website=tams.unt.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110114010520/http://tams.unt.edu/academics/academic-program |archive-date=2011-01-14}}</ref> During the first semester only, the minimum GPA that a student can have is 2.7. Students whose GPA is below this value will be dismissed within the first semester. Students who have a GPA between 2.7 and 3.0 will be placed on academic probation for the following semester.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Academic Program {{!}} TAMS|url = https://tams.unt.edu/academics/academic-program#dismissal|website = tams.unt.edu|access-date = 2016-01-21}}</ref>

===Tuition and fees===
TAMS students are responsible for paying for room and board in McConnell Hall and a mandatory UNT meal plan every semester, as well as a yearly $2,500 program charge and approximately $5,500 tuition fees (after scholarship is applied).<ref>{{cite web |title=Cost of Attendance - Class of 2021 |url=https://tams.unt.edu/admissions/cost-attendance-2021 |website=tams.unt.edu |publisher=[[Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science]] |access-date=26 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117013343/https://tams.unt.edu/admissions/cost-attendance-2021 |archive-date=January 17, 2019 |language=en-us}}</ref> About thirty percent of students receive financial aid through programs such as [[FAFSA]] to defray costs. Funding for TAMS is provided through a special appropriations bill and with support from the Foundation School Fund.

===Research, scholarships, and awards===
Students at TAMS are encouraged to take the opportunity of conducting research under the guidance of a professor either on or off-campus during the school year as well as during the summer.<ref name="https://tams.unt.edu/research">{{Cite web|url=https://tams.unt.edu/research|title=Research {{pipe}} Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science|website=tams.unt.edu}}</ref> The TAMS Summer Research Scholarship is offered to about 60 students per year to fund these research pursuits; students performing research throughout the summer typically commit 30 to 40 hours per week to the lab.<ref name="https://tams.unt.edu/research"/>{{failed verification|date=December 2015}} Students' research are often recognized by professors listing a student as co-author of a papers or by awards at competitions such as [[Siemens Westinghouse Competition]] in Science and Technology and the [[Intel Science Talent Search]].  From 1999 to 2016, TAMS students were named semifinalists 84 times in the talent search and finalists 11 times.  This was tied the fifth most finalists of any school during this period.<ref>For a detailed accounting of past finalists and semi-finalists by school, see [[Intel Science Talent Search]] and the references therein.</ref>  A number of students also compete for the [[Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship]] as university students. TAMS students are frequently quite successful in the competition; in 2016, all four TAMS students nominated by the University of North Texas won the scholarship, making UNT one of the few universities in the country to achieve this feat.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.unt.edu/news-releases/four-unt-tams-students-named-2016-goldwater-scholars|title=Four UNT TAMS students named 2016 Goldwater Scholars {{pipe}} News|website=news.unt.edu}}</ref>

In 2012, while attending TAMS, Monica Thieu became the youngest person ever to win the [[Jeopardy! College Championship]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://inhouse.unt.edu/tams-student-youngest-win-jeopardy-college-championship |title=TAMS student youngest to win Jeopardy! College Championship |publisher=UNT |date=14 February 2012}}</ref>

==Student life==
TAMS students have created an unofficial Wiki page<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tamswiki.org/wiki/Main_Page|title=TAMS Wiki|website=tamswiki.org}}</ref> which has more information regarding student life at TAMS. This page is primarily maintained by current TAMS students.

Because they are technically considered students at the University of North Texas, TAMS students enjoy all of the same benefits as other UNT students including access to and usage of university cafeterias, libraries, recreational facilities and participation in UNT-sponsored activities and competitions. An exception to this is a nightly curfew (see below).

===McConnell Hall===
All TAMS students live in McConnell Hall. In the program's early days, TAMS students shared the building with regular UNT students before the program grew too large to share its dormitory with other students. McConnell Hall, originally built in 1961 as an all-female dormitory, consists of four wings (the hall originally had three before a major expansion in 1990) and three floors, segregated by gender and grade level. The hall is furnished with a [[kitchenette]], multiple meeting rooms, laundry rooms, bathrooms and two common rooms. One of the common rooms, the Smitty Study, serves as a public recreation room when it is not functioning as a study area during quiet hours. The other common room, Mac Café, aptly named because it once was home to a university cafeteria, hosts various student activities and serves as a gathering place for both academic and social interaction.

Students reside in pairs in any one of the hall's 374 dual-occupancy dormitories,<ref>{{Cite web |title=McConnell Hall {{!}} Facilities|url = https://facilities.unt.edu/bldg/mcon|website = facilities.unt.edu|access-date = 2015-12-01}}</ref> each of which includes two beds, dressers and drawers, desks, a sink, internet access and electrical sockets; some rooms contain a private toilet and shower, while others share a bathroom with adjacent rooms. Community bathrooms are available for the remaining rooms. Because all TAMS students live in the same building and in close proximity, TAMS tends to be a very close-knit community. While students can, for the most part, schedule their own day however they wish, all students have a curfew and must remain inside the hall from 11 p.m. (1.00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights) to 6 a.m. without special permission. Enforcement includes nightly check-ins with resident assistants, who are regular undergraduate students at UNT. However, students may submit requests to be absent overnight or past curfew.

=== Volunteering ===
The TAMS program allows students to find volunteering opportunities within the Denton, Texas area. Most volunteering activities are coordinated through numerous clubs and organizations within the program as well as through student life. TAMS students participate throughout the academic year. Volunteering ranges from, but not limited to grade school tutoring, hospital and nursing home volunteering, participating in Denton environmental clean up, hosting UNT sponsored charity auctions and service events, etc. Students have also established non-profit start up programs that promote volunteering within the Denton community. PCS 2 Prosper is one of the many notable organizations that have been founded by TAMS students. Volunteers collect donated computers and laptops from the community and some companies, and distributes them to schools and homes in need after repairing and renovating them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pc's 2 Prosper |url=http://www.pcs2prosper.org/ |website=www.pcs2prosper.org|access-date = 2016-01-21}}</ref>

Forward Tutoring is a prominent non-profit start up created by TAMS students with the mission to build a community of mentors and tutors. It is known to be an online tutoring service in which TAMS students volunteer their time to schools in need of academic aid. Student who seek this aid in turn participate in community services for other non-profit organizations. The organization gained recognition for its program and was able to receive a grant in 2011 from the Murphy Entrepreneurship after a generally well received beta launch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Story {{!}} Forward Tutoring|url = http://www.forwardtutoring.org/our-story|website = www.forwardtutoring.org|access-date = 2016-01-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Philanthropic Enterprise |url=http://www.thephilanthropicenterprise.org/pay-it-forward-tutoring/ |website=www.thephilanthropicenterprise.org|access-date = 2016-01-21}}</ref>

Many students participate in yearly or more frequent events such as [[prom]]s, school dances, [[talent show]]s, [[Coffeehouse (event)|coffee houses]], and an annual [[homecoming]] dance. Frequent workshops featuring guest speakers (often TAMS alumni) are also held for TAMS students covering a variety of topics, from [[College admissions in the United States|college admissions]] to working in the industry. College visits take place on a regular basis as well.

== Notable alumni ==
* [[Edward Boyden]], American neuroscientist
* [[Robert Rohde]], American physicist
* Adam Smith, co-founder of [[Xobni]]<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hulstrand |first=Randena |date=2009-05-05 |title=Weathering the Storm |url=https://northtexan.unt.edu/issues/2009-summer/weathering-storm |magazine=North Texan |issue=2009 Summer |publisher=University of North Texas |access-date= 2021-07-06}}</ref>
* [[Alice Ting]], American chemist
* [[David Williams (card game player)|David Williams]], poker player
* [[Nora Zehetner]], actress
* [[Sujal Parikh]], global health advocate
* [[Ryan S. Baker|Ryan Baker]], American education researcher
* [[Prince Jones]]
* [[Tiffany Moon]], Season 5 cast member of ''[[The Real Housewives of Dallas]]''
* [[Austin Hansley]], Attorney at Law, Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering, appeared in more patent litigation cases than any other attorney or law firm in the United States in 2015. See,<ref>Law360, Docket Navigator (2015), Law360 News Article, and Docket Navigator's Annual Report</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Docket Navigator Annual Report (2015) | url=https://www.hklaw.com/-/media/files/insights/publications/2019/07/docketnavigatoryearinreview2015.pdf?la=ja}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Alabama School of Mathematics and Science]]
* [[Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts]]
* [[Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky]]
* [[Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics]]
* [[Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy]]
* [[Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities]]
* [[Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science]]
* [[Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts]]
* [[Maine School of Science and Mathematics]] 
* [[Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science]]
* [[North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics]]
* [[Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics]]
* [[South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://tams.unt.edu/ Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science]
*[http://tamsalumni.org/ TAMS Alumni Association]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20031009065628/http://www.earlyentrance.org/ Early Entrance College Programs]
*[https://tams.unt.edu/studentlife/clubs/ Full List of TAMS Clubs]
*[https://tamswiki.org/wiki/Main_Page TAMS Wiki]

{{University of North Texas|academics}}
{{Education in Denton County, Texas}}
{{StaterezhighschoolsU.S.}}
{{Authority control}}{{Portalbar|Schools|texas|Education}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Texas Academy Of Mathematics And Science}}
[[Category:Gifted education]]
[[Category:University of North Texas]]
[[Category:High schools in Denton County, Texas]]
[[Category:Public high schools in Texas]]
[[Category:University of North Texas schools, colleges, and departments|Colleges and departments]]
[[Category:Public boarding schools in the United States]]
[[Category:Boarding schools in Texas]]
[[Category:1987 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1987]]