New Student Advising & Placement Testing
Academic advising is a key step in helping students succeed at Garrett College. New students, transfer students, and those returning after an extended break must attend a New Student Advising appointment to complete their enrollment.
During New Student Advising, advisors are available to assist students regarding:
- Understanding placement indicators and course placement
- Selecting a degree or major
- Choosing and sequencing courses
- Accessing academic support resources
- Exploring career and transfer opportunities
- Reviewing graduation requirements
Appointments also include student network access (username and password), an overview of college systems, and course registration. Some appointments may also include placement testing (see dropdown menu below). Students may visit the offices of Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Housing, Student Life, and Campus Security as needed after their advising appointment. Residence hall tours are available upon request.
Students are encouraged to bring a parent or guardian. Those needing placement testing and advising should plan to be on campus for about three hours.
Scheduling Your New Student Advising Appointment:
New students, transfer students, and returning students that have been away for more than four semesters must schedule a New Student Advising appointment through the Admissions Office:
301-387-3044 | admissions@garrettcollege.edu.
Returning students that have been away for less than four semesters should reach out to the Advising & Academic Success Center for re-enrollment assistance:
301-387-3715 | aasc@garrettcollege.edu.
Summer & Fall New Student Advising is available by appointment on the following dates. Limited New Student Advising appointments available on each date. Students wishing to enroll in a summer course will need to attend prior to June 10.
In-person appointments
- Thursday, May 22
- Friday, May 23
- Thursday, May 29
- Wednesday, Jun 04
- Tuesday, Jun 10
- Wednesday, Jun 11
- Tuesday, Jun 17
- Wednesday, Jun 25
Virtual appointments
Virtual appointments are available on a limited basis for students who meet specific eligibility criteria. Students within a four-hour driving radius are required to schedule an in-person advising appointment.
- Thursday, Jun 05
- Wednesday, Jun 18
- Thursday, Jun 26
High School GPA
Garrett College utilizes high school GPA to assess applicants’ academic abilities and to determine math and English course placement.
Applicants with a cumulative high school GPA of 2.5 or above (on 4.0 scale) are permitted to enroll in gateway college-level courses (ENG 101 and MAT 105 or 210) immediately upon entry. In addition, students that have successfully completed Calculus or Pre-calculus with a B or higher in high school may enroll in the associated course immediately upon entry.
Applicants with a cumulative high school GPA between 1.5 and 2.49 (on 4.0 scale) will be required to take prescribed co-requisite remedial courses, which are designed to be taken concurrently with college-level courses. Students will be assisted by an advisor in making this determination. Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply toward degree or certificate completion.
Accuplacer Next Generation
Applicants with a high school GPA below 1.5 are required to take the Accuplacer Next Generation placement assessment to determine course placement. See next dropdown page for further details.
Applicants with prescribed co-requisite remediation may also choose to take the Accuplacer Next Generation placement assessment if they wish to test out of the remedial course.
ACT/SAT
ACT and SAT scores that meet the threshold indicated below may also be used as placement indicators.
| ACT/SAT Score | Course Placement |
|---|---|
| ACT English of 21 or higher *OR* SAT Critical Reading of 480 and higher | ENG 101 |
| ACT math of 21 or higher or SAT math of 530 and higher | MAT 105 |
Transfer Credit
Official college transcripts must be on file in the Garrett College Office of Admissions before placement can be determined and advising and registration can take place for transfer students. Both transfer credits and high school GPA will be considered.
For questions about placement indicators, contact the Advising & Academic Success Center by phone at 301-387-3715 or email at aasc@garrettcollege.edu.
Accuplacer at Garrett College
Accuplacer Next Generation placement testing is available to accepted new students on Garrett College’s McHenry, MD campus beginning April 1 for summer or fall entering students and November 1 for winter or spring entering students. For in-person placement:
- Student must schedule an appointment in advance
- Student must present photo ID prior to testing
- Testing will take place in the Advising & Academic Success Center (room 519
- Testing will be monitored by a Garrett College test proctor
Appointments are available weekly. Contact the Advising & Academic Success Center by phone at 301-387-3715 or email at testingcenter@garrettcollege.edu to schedule.
Accuplacer via Zoom at home
Accuplacer Next Generation placement testing is available to accepted new students remotely using Zoom video conferencing technology. For remote placement with Zoom:
- Student must have access to a laptop or desktop computer; no Chromebook or tablet
- Computer must have video, audio, and screen-share capabilities
- Testing must take place in a private area with limited interruptions
- Testing will be monitored by a Garrett College test proctor through Zoom video conference technology
- Student must present photo ID prior to testing
- Student must schedule an appointment in advance
Appointments are available weekly. Contact the Advising & Academic Success Center by phone at 301-387-3715 or email at testingcenter@garrettcollege.edu to schedule.
Self-paced Online Refresher Courses
Self-paced, online, free Refresher Courses are offered to students as well. These courses provide the content in a convenient and flexible online format. Students may access courses from any device with internet connectivity. The courses provide an overview of math and writing/reading with detailed examples and videos to help brush up skills and prepare for placement testing.
Accuplacer Free Study App
The app will allow users to review and take practice tests in the areas of reading comprehension, sentence skills, elementary algebra, arithmetic, and college level math. Visit Accuplacer Site or view a PDF of Sample Questions
Garrett College Placement Testing Site
Garrett College’s Placement Testing LibGuide contains detailed information on the Accuplacer Next Generation Placement Test, test taking tips, sample questions, and simulator tests.
Common Core State Standards App
A great reference for students; quickly find standards by subject. App includes Math standards K-12 and Language Arts standards K-12, with the Corresponding College and Career Readiness Standards. Available for both Apple and Android devices. FREE.
Kahn Academy
Khan Academy is a free, not-for-profit organization, providing world-class education to anyone, anywhere. Resources include practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard.
Taken Accuplacer somewhere else?
Students that have taken the Accuplacer placement test at another institution may submit those scores for evaluation and possible placement. In order for scores to be considered, the following must apply:
- Placement Test Score Transfer Form and Accuplacer Score Report must be faxed to the Advising & Academic Success Center (fax number 301-387-3189) directly from the school at which the student tested
- Test(s) taken must be part of the Accuplacer Next Generation platform; Accuplacer Classic scores will not be accepted
- At a minimum, student must have completed the Writing and Quantitative Reasoning Algebra and Statistics (QAS) assessments
- Scores must be less than 2 years old
Wish to re-test?
Students that are not satisfied with placement testing results on the first attempt may consider re-testing. Re-testing is only permitted if the student is able to demonstrate that he or she has completed a method of academic intervention following the first test attempt, such as using the Self-Paced Online Refresher Courses. See Preparing for Accuplacer dropdown. Students are not permitted to re-test without any form of intervention.
For questions about testing, contact the Advising & Academic Success Center by phone at 301-387-3715 or email at testingcenter@garrettcollege.edu.
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