Entrance Requirements

New Admissions Requirements Starting Fall 2012

Beginning fall 2012, test scores will be required for all freshman applicants. Students must meet testing requirements before an admissions decision can be made. The testing requirement can be satisfied by meeting the minimum scores on 1 of 3 tests:

COMPASS scores will also be used for course placement. Applicants will be denied admission if they place into all three areas of Learning Support or if they score below the minimum on one of the sections of the COMPASS exam.

Beginning freshmen must also meet the minimum 2.00 GPA.

Freshman Requirements

Applicants who have never attended other colleges or who have earned fewer than 30 transferable semester hours from previous colleges are classified as freshman. The following requirements are in effect for freshman applicants:

High School Diploma

• Freshmen must have a High School Diploma from a high school accredited by a regional accrediting association (such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), or by the Georgia Accrediting Commission, or from a public school regulated by a school system and state department of education. Certificates of Attendance or Special Education Diplomas are not acceptable.
• High school students with a College Preparatory Diploma must have a minimum 2.00 grade point average based on the grades in the 16 units Required High School Curriculum as defined by the Board of Regents.
• High School students with a Technical Preparatory Diploma must have a minimum 2.50 high school grade point average, based on the grades in the 13 academic units of the tech/prep program defined by the Board of Regents. Students with a Technical Preparatory Diploma whose cumulative grade point averages are between 2.49 and 2.20 will be admitted on Academic Probation and will be required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by their academic classification in order to be placed in good academic standing at Georgia Gwinnett College.

General Educational Development (GED)

Persons over 18 years of age (or whose class has already graduated from high school) whose secondary schooling was interrupted may be admitted by presenting General Educational Development (GED) equivalency. Official GED test score reports must be mailed directly from the Georgia Department of Adult and Technical Education Office of Adult Literacy/GED Testing Service to the Georgia Gwinnett College Admissions Office. GED applicants are strongly suggested (but not required) to take either the College Board Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Test (ACT), the results of which will be made part of the applicant's portfolio. All GED applications must be reviewed by the Admissions Committee, and an interview with the candidate may be required.

Home School Applicants

Applicants from home school or graduates of non-accredited high schools may be considered for admission upon submission of a portfolio of the student’s academic work and official SAT/ACT scores. Students who have completed each of the 16-unit RHSC areas as documented in the portfolio (or as documented by the SAT II Subject Tests) and have achieved the minimum SAT scores described in “Course Placement.” All applicants in this category must be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and an interview with the candidate may be required.

All home school and non-accredited high school applicants must demonstrate equivalent RHSC competence as required by Board of Regents policy. Home School applicants who receive credit from accredited institutions and curriculum providers can demonstrate compliance by submitting official transcripts from these providers. These transcripts will evaluated for RHSC competence based on the general RHSC requirements detailed under freshmen requirements.

Home School applicants who have credits from non-accredited institutions and curriculum providers, as well as applicants from non-accredited High Schools, will submit a Home School/Non-Accredited High School College Preparatory Credit Evaluation Form (or a transcript in similar form) and one of the following:

• SAT II or CLEP scores in Biology, Chemistry or Physics, American History and World History, and a foreign language. Applicants should contact the Admissions Office for the minimum score criteria
• A detailed description of course work completed in each subject area that includes the subject title, course description, texts or program used, and primary teacher as well as writing samples, reading lists, major projects and assignments, exceptional learning experiences, and additional standardized test scores such as the Iowa Basic Skills that can be used to evaluate RHSC compliance. Each subject should be representative of one Carnegie Unit (or academic year) of study. The Admissions Committee will review the portfolio for RHSC compliance, and at its sole discretion can recommend that an applicant has met some, all or none of the RHSC requirements.
• Applicants who do not satisfy these requirements may still be admitted, but will be required to enroll in the appropriate courses (outlined above under the general ―RHSC Requirements) to satisfy the RHSC deficiencies.

Home School Portfolio Review Procedures

The committee will review the student portfolio with the primary goal of determining the applicant’s potential for success at the college level. If the committee is not satisfied with the material submitted in the portfolio it will seek additional information from the applicant as a condition for admission. If the committee’s request is not satisfied, the applicant will be denied admission.

Home School Evaluation Form (PDF)

Students with Fewer than 30 Transfer Hours of College Credit

The college transcripts of students who have attended other colleges (but earned fewer than 30 semester hours of eligible transfer credit) will be considered as part of the admissions process. If a student meets the freshman requirements listed above and their combined GPA from previous college work is at or above a 2.00, the candidate will be admitted without condition; those who fail to meet both these requirements will be denied admission.

A student who has fewer than 30 semester hours of college credit will be admitted on Academic Probation, and will be required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by their academic classification in order to be placed in good academic standing at Georgia Gwinnett College, if one of the following two conditions occur: a) the student meets the freshman admission requirements listed above but has a combined GPA from previous college work below a 2.00 or b) the student does not meet the freshman admission requirements listed above but has a combined GPA from previous college work above a 2.00.

Non-traditional Freshman

Non-traditional freshmen are defined as individuals who meet all of the following criteria:

• Have been out of high school at least five years and whose high school class graduated at least five years ago.
• Hold a high school diploma from an accredited or approved high school or have satisfactorily completed the GED.
• Have earned fewer than 30 transferable semester credit hours.

All non-traditional freshmen must be screened for placement in learning support courses using a placement test administered by a University System institution and must meet University System criteria for exemption or exit of learning support in reading, English, and mathematics.

New Admissions Requirements for Non-Traditional Students Starting Fall 2012

Non-traditional applicants are required to take the COMPASS placement exam prior to enrollment and will complete any learning support requirements as indicated. The following minimum compass scores are required:

English      32
Reading    62
Math        20

Adult learners can carry a maximum of two learning support deficiencies for college admission. COMPASS scores will also be used for course placement. Applicants will be denied admission if they place into all three areas of Learing Support or if they score below the minimum on one of the sections of the COMPASS exam.

Non-traditional applicants must also meet the minimum 2.00 GPA requirement.

Institutions may choose to award credit to students who did not complete the diploma program but were awarded a certificate for completion of a specific subject area for higher level courses with an assessment score of four or better.

Notes about Admission

An applicant may be declared eligible for admission, registration, enrollment or re-enrollment at University System institution only after satisfying all requirements established by the University System of Georgia and the institution concerned. The institution shall have the right to examine and appraise the character, personality and qualifications of the applicant. In order that this examination and appraisal may be made, the applicant shall furnish to the institution such biographical and other information, including references, as may be required. Each unit of the University System reserves the right to refuse admission to a non-resident of Georgia, to an applicant whose admission would case the institution to exceed its maximum capacity, to an applicant whose request for admission is only to a program that is already filled, to an applicant whose transcript(s) are from an unaccredited institution or who is otherwise ineligible for admission. Applicants seeking additional information on referral of students to other institutions, right to limit admissions, limited admissions/Presidential exceptions, or the use of social security numbers, should refer to the Board of Regent's manual: www.usg.edu.

Readmission

Students who must apply for readmission include transients and students who have not been enrolled for 12 consecutive months (three terms) as well as students changing classification. If the student does not enroll, the process must be repeated. The application for readmission is online at www.gacollege411.org. The readmission application must be submitted along with the non-refundable processing fee and any required supporting credentials fees by the deadline for the term of the desired re-enrollment.

Required High School Curriculum (RHSC) Deficiencies

As part of the admission process and in compliance with Board of Regents Policy, each student will be evaluated to determine satisfactory completion of the following 16 units of the University System of Georgia Required High School Curriculum (RHSC):

Students who have not completed the required RHSC units must take additional courses as outlined below to make up for the RHSC deficiencies. All RHSC deficiencies must be made up before the student has earned 20 semester hours of college level credit. College courses taken to satisfy RHSC deficiencies are required for degree completion but cannot be used to fulfill Core Curriculum or program requirements at Georgia Gwinnett College. The credits earned for these courses are calculated in the term grade point average but not in the cumulative Georgia Gwinnett College grade point average. Transfer students who satisfy RHSC requirements at another institution of the University System of Georgia will be acknowledged as having met those requirements

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA COLLEGE PREPARATORY CURRICULUM

As part of the admission process and in compliance with Board of Regents Policy, each student will be evaluated to determine satisfactory completion of the following 16 units of the University System of Georgia College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC):

RHSC DEFICIENCIES

Students who have not completed the required RHSC units must take additional courses as outlined below to make up for the RHSC deficiencies. All RHSC deficiencies must be made up before the student has earned 20 semester hours of college level credit. College courses taken to satisfy RHSC deficiencies cannot be used to fulfill Core Curriculum or degree requirements at Georgia Gwinnett College, but they are calculated in the cumulative GGC grade point average (GPA). Transfer students who satisfy RHSC requirements at another institution of the University System of Georgia will be acknowledged as having met those requirements.

Course Placement

Freshmen (including those with fewer than 30 semester hours) will take COMPASS Placement Exams prior to course registration in order to determine specific requirements for remediation (or exemption from remediation) in English (or English for Academic Purposes), reading, and mathematics. Students who meet the 16 RHSC unit requirements may submit the following minimum scores on a nationally administered SAT or ACT as a means of demonstrating proper proficiency in English, reading, and mathematics:

SAT Critical Reading = 480
SAT Math = 460
ACT English = 21
ACT Math = 19

Proficiency in mathematics allows a student to register for an introductory mathematics course (MATH 1111, MATH 2000, and BUSA 2000). SAT or ACT scores are insufficient for enrollment in higher mathematics courses (MATH 1113, MATH 2200). A student who desires to register for a higher mathematics course must take the COMPASS Placement Exam or have CLEP, AP, or IB credit (see Alternate Credit Options).

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Transfer Students

Applicants who have attended other colleges and have earned more than 30 semester hours are classified as transfer students. Students admitted from other colleges are required to meet all general requirements regarding examinations and application deadlines. Students planning to transfer from other colleges must request that the Registrar's Office at each college previously attended forward an official transcript to the Admissions Office at Georgia Gwinnett College. Official transcripts are required whether or not the applicant receives transfer credit. Documents must be mailed directly from the other college to the Georgia Gwinnett College Admissions Office.

Transfer applicants must present a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or above (based on a 4.00 scale) on all work attempted and must be in good academic standing at the last institution attended in order to be admitted to Georgia Gwinnett College in good academic standing.

Students who have completed any course work at a college or university outside of the United States must submit an official translation and course-by-course evaluation of the transcript from every college attended. Accepted evaluation services can be found at www.naces.org.

See also:

Transfer of Credit Policy

Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) with Georgia Perimeter College (PDF)

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Post-Baccalaureate Students

Students must submit the application for admission, proof of degree and immunization records.

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Dual Enrollment Students

To participate in the dual enrollment program a student must be enrolled in public school regulated by a school system and state department of education or an accredited private secondary high school.

The minimum admission standards for dual enrollment are:

• A minimum 480 verbal and 460 math scores on the SAT-1 and a combined SAT score of 970 or a minimum of 21 English and 19 mathematics score on the ACT and at least a composite score of 20.
• Minimum cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher in courses taken from the required 16 RHSC units;
• Exemption of all Student Success requirements;
• Written consent of parent or guardian (if the student is a minor);
• On track towards the completion of the University System of Georgia 16-unit RHSC requirements and high school graduation.

Students wishing to complete RHSC or high school graduation requirements by enrolling in college courses must meet the following additional admission requirements:

• RHSC English and/or Social Science - Students planning to complete their 4th year high school English and/or social studies requirements with college credit must have an SAT I Verbal score of 530 or higher or ACT English score of 23.
• RHSC Math - Student's planning to complete their 4th year of high school mathematics must have completed Algebra I and II and Geometry and have a SAT I Mathematics score of at least 530 or ACT Mathematics scores of at least 22.
• Electives - Students can enroll in appropriate elective courses as approved by the high school counselor. (Students must have completed two units of a foreign language to enroll in a college foreign language course and three units of science prior to enrolling in a college science course.)

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Transient Students

A student enrolled in a degree program at another accredited college or university may apply to Georgia Gwinnett College for transient status. Such a student is one who expects to return to the college or university where previously enrolled and must have the permission of the home institution to attend Georgia Gwinnett College. The applicant who desires transient status must submit an application and a transient letter from the home institution. Transient students are admitted on a semester basis only. Georgia Gwinnett College does not guarantee that a transient student will be able to secure the courses desired, nor is Georgia Gwinnett College responsible for advising a transient student of courses that are applicable to their program of study at the home institution. Transcripts are not automatically forwarded to the home institution. Transient students must submit a written request to have a transcript sent back to the home institution.

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For more information about entrance requirements, view the GGC Catalog.