About TAG

"The School for the Talented and Gifted is one of the greatest high schools in the country." –Jay Matthews, Newsweek Contributing Editor and Washington Post reporter.

TAG graduates are accepted to and attend the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country, such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Columbia, NYU, Caltech, MIT, Cal-Berkeley, Vassar, Amherst, Oberlin, Middlebury, Univ. of Chicago, Swarthmore, Rice, Bard, Reed, Morehouse, Emory, Howard, the Honors Programs at UT-Austin, Texas A&M, Washington University-St. Louis, and the U.S. Military Academies. The 2007 graduating class of forty-three students was offered cumulative scholarships in excess of $14 million.

All students follow the Distinguished Achievement Program as outlined by the State of Texas and the Texas Education Agency. In 2007, ALL graduates were recognized as DAP Texas Scholars. The TAG curriculum includes interdisciplinary activities such as TREK, TAG-IT, TAG Forum, and grade-level seminars that reflect the principles of gifted education as outlined by the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted/Talented Students and national standards for gifted education.

Students also follow an extensive Pre-AP and Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum that includes a minimum of eleven required AP courses. In addition, TAG offers many opportunities for academic, civic, and personal enrichment through its wide variety of honor societies, academic competitions, clubs, and organizations.

Some notable accomplishements:

TOP U.S. HIGH SCHOOL (2006, 2007)

Ranked #1 high school in the country by Newsweek Magazine.

Ranked #14 Overall (and #1 magnet program) in the Nation

TAG was ranked #14 by US News & World Report in its first ranking of high schools. TAG was also ranked as the #1 magnet program among all similar programs on the list.

National Blue Ribbon School (2003)

A national award presented by the U.S. Department of Education for consistent exemplary performance of its students over the previous seven years. 

The Best Texas High Schools in 2005

TAG is ranked #1 in: African-American Achievement, Latino Achievement, and Overall Achievement by the Texas Educational Excellence Project at Texas A&M University. <http://teep.tamu.edu/rankings>

ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLDWIDE LEADER

TAG has been recognized by the College Board for having the highest passing rate in Art History (2004), Computer Science (2004), and Human Geography (2004, 2005)

BEST HIGH SCHOOL IN THE METROPLEX

Recognized in the November 2001, November 2003, and April 2006 issues of D Magazine as the outstanding AP school in the region.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Class of 2007 – 40 of 43 graduates were offered academic scholarships and grants totaling more than $14 million

NATIONAL MERIT RECOGNITION

Class of 2007 –recognition for its 43 members:

• 3 National Merit Semi-finalists
• 2 National Hispanic Scholars
• 1 National Achievement Semi-finalists
• 3 National Merit Commended Scholar
• 3 National Achievement Outstanding Participants

AP SCHOLAR RECOGNITION

2006-2007 Exams:

• 6 National Scholars – students who receive an average grade of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.
• Texas Outstanding Female Scholar – one male and one female student in each state with grades of 3 or higher on the greatest number of AP Exams and the highest average grade (at least 3.5) on all AP Exams taken. TAG students have been named FIVE of the last twelve AP State Scholars.
• 18 Scholars with Distinction (average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams)
• 6 Scholars with Honor (average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams)
• 51 Scholars (grades of 3 or higher on 3 or more exams)

Honors for AP Exam Results

• Highest passing rate (percentage) in Texas (2004-2005)
• Highest percentage of juniors and seniors taking the exams in Texas (2004-2005)
• TAG’s AP Exam grade average is 3.51 (2004-2005)

INDEPENDENT STUDY/SENIOR THESIS

TEA Exit Level Performance Standards Project – at least half of the projects given the top score of 5 by the Texas Education Agency over the last three years have been completed by TAG seniors.