The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) is a residential early college program at the University of North Texas in Denton. The application for the 2026-2027 cycle, the Class of 2029, opened on August 4, 2026. TAMS reviews complete files as they arrive and fills its seats on a rolling basis, so the order of the steps matters more than any single day. This guide lists every date TAMS has published, in the order families meet them, and says plainly where TAMS has not given a date.
The short version
Texas students in grade 9, 10 or 11 apply through ApplyTexas. The last SAT date TAMS accepts is March 6, 2027, and every supporting document must be received by May 3, 2027. TAMS says it generally fills its spots in April, so a file that is complete early is read early.
Dates TAMS has published
| Date | What happens | | --- | --- | | August 4, 2026 | The ApplyTexas application for the Class of 2029 opened | | November 14, 2026 | In-person Preview Day at UNT, 8:30 am to 1 pm | | November 16, 2026 | Spend A Day, a student shadows a current TAMS student, 7:30 am to 2:30 pm | | December 1, 2026 | Early Summer Research Program application opens for admitted students; spring Spend A Day registration opens | | December 14, 2026 | Application and Admissions webinar, 6:30 pm | | December 15, 2026 | Academic Programs webinar, 6:30 pm | | December 16, 2026 | Student Life webinar, 6:00 pm | | February 6, 2027 | In-person Preview Day, 8:30 am to 1 pm | | March 6, 2027 | Last SAT date TAMS will accept this cycle | | April 3, 2027 | In-person Preview Day, 8:30 am to 1 pm | | May 3, 2027 | All supporting documents must be received | | May 11, 2027 | Named scholarship applications open | | May 31, 2027 | Named scholarship applications close; recommended FAFSA or TASFA date for incoming families |
Preview Days are open to parents, educators and students in grades 7 to 11. TAMS says financial aid and scholarships are not discussed at these large events, and points families to a spring financial aid webinar instead.
Fall: look, then start the file
Fall is the time to see the program and begin the pieces that take other people's time. A Preview Day or a webinar lets a family hear how TAMS describes classes, research and residence hall life before committing. Spend A Day is a closer look: a student who has already submitted the ApplyTexas application shadows a current student, attends classes and eats lunch in a campus dining hall. TAMS requires a registration and a Parent Authorization Form one week before the event.
The application itself starts on ApplyTexas. Families create an account and apply to the University of North Texas with TAMS as the first choice major or program. TAMS says there is no fee to TAMS or UNT to submit the ApplyTexas application, and that it can take more than two weeks for an application to reach TAMS.
Testing is the piece with a hard stop. TAMS needs an SAT or ACT score, and an ACT must include the Science section. Scores go directly from College Board or ACT to UNT, not to TAMS. Because TAMS says the process cannot wait for May SAT scores, March 6, 2027 is the last SAT date that counts. TAMS also advises students who want Early Summer Research consideration to test in November.
Winter: teachers, report cards and early research
Transcripts or report cards go in as PDFs and must include the first grading period of fall 2026. Eleventh graders must send their first 11th-grade report card before TAMS can make an offer.
Teacher evaluations come next. TAMS asks for four, all from teachers the student has this school year, and it contacts the teachers for you. TAMS says to submit only one request form, and only once the student has a report card rather than a progress report. That makes the first report card a real milestone: it unlocks the teacher request.
On December 1, 2026, the Early Summer Research Program application opens for admitted students. TAMS says it is accepted until all scholarships, about 15, are awarded. Families should not read this as a reason to rush an application, since it is for students TAMS has already admitted.
Spring: the exam, the interview and the wait
Once a file is complete, TAMS decides who is invited to a proctored exam covering Algebra I and II. After the exam score is added, TAMS decides whether to interview the student. TAMS says scheduling depends on how many complete applications it has and that it contacts applicants directly with dates. About three weeks after the interview stage, applicants hear whether they have an offer or a place on the waitlist. TAMS keeps the waitlist through June.
Families who accept an offer return a Letter of Intent, and they must complete the FAFSA to be eligible for any level of TAMS scholarship.
What TAMS has not published
Several dates are not set in stone on the pages we read, and we will not guess at them.
- Application close: the calendar says April 2027 but shows both April 15 and April 19. Check the TAMS admissions site for the exact day.
- Music track deadline: TAMS lists a mid-January 2027 date, with both January 15 and January 19 appearing.
- Exam and interview dates: TAMS contacts applicants directly and has not posted a calendar.
- Decision dates: TAMS has not published them.
- Admit rate: TAMS does not publish one. It says 400 to 500 students apply each year, it interviews about 300 to 350, and it aims to admit 185 to 200.
What to do this month
If your student is a sophomore or junior, pick an SAT or ACT date well before March 6, 2027, so a retake is possible. Open the ApplyTexas account, read the document checklist and tell the four teachers you plan to ask. Questions go to tamsadmissions@unt.edu, and TAMS asks families to allow 3 to 5 business days for a reply and not to email for application status.
If you want help thinking through your own student's situation, EduAvenues has a free starting point on its high school admissions page.
Sources
See also our key dates, admissions overview and parent FAQ.
TAMSPrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science.