Each year, the deans in each college are asked to select the most outstanding student from among all the juniors in their respective colleges based on research and/or creative production, community engagement, accomplishments/awards, and academic record, with the final selection criteria determined by the dean of each respective college.
As of spring 2019, this award has become a collaboration between The Association of Former Students, LAUNCH: Academic Excellence, and the Texas A&M chapter of Phi Kappa Phi and has been renamed the "Gathright Phi Kappa Phi Outstanding Junior" award.
Each college outstanding junior is interviewed by a Phi Kappa Phi committee, after which the committee selects the "Texas A&M Gathright Phi Kappa Phi
Outstanding Junior" for the year.