College of Southern Maryland Admissions
Recently I attended a meeting with the Enrollment Advisor at the College of Southern Maryland. He explained the college admission process for homeschool students, what we should expect, and the steps we should take. I’m going to share what I learned, but I encourage you to contact him with any of your questions.
About College
College semesters are 16 weeks in length. The Fall semester runs September to December and the Spring semester runs January to May. A three credit class meets 3 hours a week, typically 1.5 hours twice a week. For young homeschoolers transitioning in, it is advised that you avoid classes that only meet once a week during the first semester or two (e.g. one 3 hour class per week). A full time student can play sports with the college provided they are maintaining 4 classes with a GPA of at least 2.5.
Choosing Courses/Transfers
It’s best to start with the General Education classes. These are core classes that are more likely to transfer to other colleges, which are the lower level English, History, Math, and Science courses. To see which classes transfer easily within Maryland, you can access artweb.usmd.edu. A 2-year degree with a GPA of 3.0+ will transfer without issue to the University of Maryland College Park.
Application Process
Now let’s get to the big stuff. What do you need to do to get in?! Step one is to apply to the college.
Do you need to take that ACT/SAT? …NO! It is actually recommended that you do not take these tests until you know which university and/or program you plan to enter. Some require SAT while others require ACT and there may even be a chance you won’t need either. Don’t waste your time/stress, just wait.
So what do you do to get in? Your child will need to take the placement test. These tests are based on about a 10th grade level. These tests are untimed, and average about 1.5-2 hours for all three. If you need to take the placement tests again, the fee is only $25 for 1 or all 3. The Reading Placement test needs a score of 75 or higher. Your child should feel comfortable with math through Algebra II. Your child may still get in with a low math score, but they will be placed in lower math classes, which will not count as college level credit, nor will it transfer. The first math class that transfers is 1100. Save your money, make sure your child can do well in math to the point that they will place in Math 1100 or higher. Otherwise, you’re paying for a college course and not getting college credit for it. The final placement test is writing where your child needs to score a 70 at minimum. Mr. Owens provided this hint for the writing portion of the test: click on each sentence. (As you will see in the practice below, you click each sentence and then choose the one with the correct grammar and punctuation, the sentence with no corrections will be available as a choice.)
After applying, and before the placement exams, you can set up an appointment for your child to take a diagnostic test at any time. These optional tests are free and show areas that need improvement prior to placement testing. There are some practice test and tips online:
- Practice writing link: https://web.gsc.edu/fs/mhorton/LSenglish/compasspractice/passage1/compass1.html
- Placement sample questions: http://act.org/compass/sample/index.html
- A sample MLA document can be found at the following link: http://www.csus.edu/owl/index/mla/mla_format.htm
After the placement tests, you should schedule a meeting with Mr. Owens about 2 hours later. Just drop him an email. He handles all registration and withdrawals and payment must be submitted on the same day. He will help you choose courses and get everything set up.
Types of Enrollment
There are two types of enrollment- Dual and Concurrent. A Dual student is one that is fulfilling both college and high school requirements with each class. In other words, that science course they take will meet high school requirements for graduation as well earn college credit. A concurrent student is one that is earning college credit while still in high school. The college course will only earn college credit. Concurrent students can take any class except English. Either way, you will need to get your Dual/Concurrent Form signed by the parent, student and two administrators. For those that report to the Board of Education, the person you report to should be one of those administrators, for Charles County, that would be Mr. Weirich. I’m sure your reporting office has done this before and will have no problem supplying two signatures.
With either of these options, there is a scholarship available that pays about 50% of the tuition price. The J.N. Carsey Scholarship was established in memory of CSM’s first president. Students participating in Dual or Concurrent enrollment can receive up to $1500 toward the cost of tuition, fees and books. High School Juniors and Seniors of Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties are eligible. The student must be enrolled at least half time with 6 credits or more.
The important thing to note is that these enrollments say that your child should be in 10th grade. The college does not care what grade your child is in according to age or whatever you use to gage your child’s education level. You simply need an administrator to sign the form stating a 10th grade level.
Your child can also take enrichment classes. The limit is one enrichment class, no scholarship is available. The price is $400 per 3-credit course plus whatever fees the class requires.
A homeschool student can also register as a Gifted student. These students are above 7th grade and under the age of 16. The still need to pass the placement tests. They are limited to courses with no pre-requisite. Exception being that the Arts require no placement testing. These classes still earn college credit. If you decide to take the ACT, a score of 21 or higher in all areas is required. For the SAT, a 550 or higher in all areas is required. If your child takes both, they’ll consider the best of each test. For example, your child could get a 21 in Writing on the ACT, a 550 in Reading on the SAT and then take the placement Math test at the college.
Again, if you have any questions at all Mr. Johnnie Owens is always available to you. He can be reached at by email or phone at (301) 934-2251 ext. 7043.
Links of Interest
Here’s just a few various links where you might find more information:
