New Student Advising & Placement Testing
Advisors at Garrett College understand that academic advising is the key component to helping students achieve their educational goals. New students, transfer students, and students returning to Garrett College after an extended break must attend a New Student Advising appointment to complete the final steps to becoming enrolled.
During New Student Advising, advisors are available to assist students regarding:
- Placement indicator explanation
- Degree or major selection
- Course selection and sequence
- Academic support resources
- Career and transfer guidance
- Graduation requirements
All New Student Advising appointments, unless noted, include student network access (student username and password), general welcome information, advising and course registration, parent information, and visits to other college departments as needed. Tours of our residence halls are also available.
Students are encouraged to bring a parent/guardian with them to their New Student Advising appointment. Students requiring placement testing and advising should plan to be on-campus for approximately three hours.
Once accepted, all new and transfer students must schedule a New Student Advising appointment through the Admissions Office by calling 301-387-3044 or emailing admissions@xfmlsp.com.
Students returning to Garrett College following an extended break should also contact the Admissions Office by calling 301-387-3044. Students returning following a break of fewer than four semesters may contact the Advising & Academic Success Center directly at 301-387-3715 to inquire about returning.
Winter & Spring New Student Advising sessions are available by appointment only on the dates below. Students wishing to enroll in a winter course will need to choose an advising date prior to December 16th. Please email admissions@xfmlsp.com or call 301-387-3044 to schedule your appointment.
December and January – In-Person
In-person appointments are available on the following dates:- Friday, Dec 06
- Thursday, Dec 12
- Monday, Dec 16
- Wednesday, Jan 15
- Friday, Jan 17
December and January – Virtual
Virtual appointments are available on a limited basis for students meeting specific eligibility requirements. We require all students within a four hour driving range to schedule an in-person advising appointment.- Friday, Dec 13
- Thursday, Jan 16
Limited New Student Advising appointments available, call to schedule.
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; no remediation |
| ACT math of 21 or higher or SAT math of 530 and higher | MAT 105; no remediation |
Transfer Credit
Official college transcripts must be on file in the Garrett College Office of Admissions before placement can be determined 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@xfmlsp.com.
Accuplacer via Zoom at Home
Accuplacer placement testing is available to accepted new students remotely using Zoom video conferencing technology. For remote placement testing with Zoom:
- Student must have access to a laptop or desktop computer
- Computer must have video and audio 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
Accuplacer at Garrett College
Accuplacer placement testing is available to accepted new students on Garrett College’s McHenry, MD campus. For in-person placement testing:
- 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
Remote and in-person appointments are available weekly. Contact Nick Pratt (nick.pratt@xfmlsp.com) in the Advising & Academic Success Center 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.
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@xfmlsp.com.
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