UMCP Transfer Notes

Limited Enrollment Programs - these majors have competitive requirements for admissions beyond the recommended 3.0 overall GPA necessary for all other majors: Architecture, Biological Resource Engineering, Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Government and Politics, Journalism, Landscape Architecture, Psychology. Students applying to LEP majors are usually admitted first to the University, and then admitted to the LEP competitive major. For example, a business student will be admitted to Letters and Sciences (the undecided major pool) first, and then to business when all necessary information is in. There are no separate applications for LEP majors - just the application for admission, but additional information may also need to accompany the application - see LEP requirements pages.

List of AP Credits & Scores Accepted by UMCP - UMCP will not accept AP credit from a language course if the student is a native speaker of that language.
List of CLEP Credits Accepted by UMCP - CLEP foreign language tests are not accepted.

Advising Spring Admits - Each year, UMCP admits some high schools seniors into the Spring freshman class rather than Fall. They are sent a letter suggesting (but not requiring) that students take courses at a community college. This link includes a special list of CORE Courses for Spring Admits.

COMM Major - Montgomery College now offers a Gateway Course required for all Communication majors - the equivalent of COMM 250, called SP 250, Introduction to Communication Inquiry & Theory. It will be offered @ Shady Grove this Summer Session I 2005 for the first time (SP250 44486 3.000 TWR 9:00 am - 11:40 am 05/31/05 - 06/30/05), and in all subsequent MC semesters.

MA 116 Note for >Communication, >Criminology & Criminal Justice, >Sociology and
>Psychology Majors: MC students who take MA 116 for these majors will fulfill three requirements: the lower-level statistics prerequisite for an upper-level stat to be taken at UMCP; the CORE Fundamental Math requirement; and the additional Math requirement for the Science/Math portion of CORE (MS). This "triple duty" course is unique to MC students because MA 116 fulfills a Math Gen Ed at MC. The same triple effectiveness is not true for Business majors because a second math, MA 160, is required as a Gateway course, so business students may take either MA 116 or BA 210, Statistics for Business Administration.

General Admissions Notes for MC Students Frequently Asked Transfer Questions Page, UMCP

Who is a Transfer Student? UMCP looks for a student with 30 credits completed on a transcript at the time of application (excluding EL/RD courses), including EN 102 or 109 and MA 110 or higher. Students with less than 30 credits will be asked to submit high school transcripts and SAT scores.

When to Apply - the current published deadlines for transfer are March 1 for Fall, December 1 for Spring. The March deadline is a preferred deadline, but students may continue to apply on a space available basis until July 1. Earlier is better not only to be admitted but to receive maximum consideration for financial aid.

Admissions Notification: UMCP sends admissions decisions to students on a rolling basis. Students usually hear something by late April for Fall and by late November for Spring if their applications are complete. The following are some reasons students might not get a definite decision:

They have less than 30 credits / and/or they do not have EN 102 or EN 109 and/or MA 110 or higher completed when they applied. These students will be asked to submit a high school transcript and an official copy of their SAT score. They may be told that they won't hear until final grades are posted at the end of the current semester. Important: students must send an updated transcript at the end of this semester in ALL cases - and they should NOT hand-carry the transcript to UMCP - they need to request that it be SENT to UMCP electronically. Transcripts are automatically sent electronically now if a student writes "UMCP" as the place where they want a transcript sent. The electronic version goes right into their record so decisions can be made quickly.

The student had less than a 3.0 cumulative GPA showing on their transcript when they applied and fewer than 56 credits. UMCP will want to see a final transcript from this current semester. If the student had 56 credits (excluding EL/RD) showing on the transcript when they applied and a 2.0 or higher, then they may get an automatic admit based on the 56 credits or completion of an AA Maryland transfer rule. www.mhec.state.md.us/preparing/stuguide.asp#Principles Please be aware that a student with less than a 3.0 overall GPA is moving to an increasingly competitive atmosphere at College Park. If the student is completing an AA this semester and currently has less than 56 credits completed, with between a 2.0 and a 3.0, UMCP will likely want to see the final transcript at the end of May before admitting. This "56 credit or AA degree" admission policy is based on space availability and may not always be offered, depending on the number of regularly qualified applicants.

If the student's native language is not English - UMCP wants proof of English language proficiency either with a completed AA or TOEFL scores. Montgomery College is under a new English language proficiency pilot now: if the student had an A in EN 102 or EN 109 and a good overall GPA in general education and academic courses, they may waive the TOEFL requirement; or if the student had a B in EN 102/109 and a very strong overall GPA in general education courses, they may also waive the TOEFL. Students need to contact a counselor @ MC if this is the case and Maryland is still asking for TOEFL scores - Anne Schleicher @ Germantown, Joan Hawkins @ Rockville, or Gerry Block @ Takoma Park. If the student does not fit the pilot requirements, then they do need to show completion of an AA or TOEFL Test Scores or a passing score on UMCP's English Test.

When in doubt, students should call UMCP! Students should call the Office of Admissions if they are concerned about the status of their applications. 301.314.8385 / 1.800.422.5867

Math Placement Test for Transfer Students: All transfer students will be asked to take a Math Placement test during Orientation, EVEN IF THEY'VE COMPLETED A COLLEGE-LEVEL MATH AT M.C. UMCP wants math scores for all students in case they want to take additional courses that may have a higher math prerequisite. Students are often shocked that they have to take this test, but it's required, so prepare for it - the UMCP website has study info - find it also by doing a search on the UMCP website for "Math placement test". www.math.umd.edu/undergraduate/credit/placement.shtml

International Students - UMCP has different admissions deadlines for international students - and students who have earned university credits in a school outside the United States must have their course work evaluated by UMCP, not by an international credit evaluating company, so the earlier the application, the better (prior to the published suggested deadlines). Note that UMCP will not accept CLEP Language tests.

Education Majors: UMCP now PREFERS that students complete the AAT prior to transfer. Montgomery College offers the following AAT's : AAT in Elementary Education ; AAT in Early Childhood Education; AAT in Secondary Education - Mathematics; AAT in Secondary Education - Physics; and AAT in Secondary Education - Spanish. Secondary Education: the mathematics requirement for Secondary Education is different that the MA's required for Elementary Education. For Secondary Education subjects not covered by an AAT, follow the ARTSYS printout.

Summer School and Winter (January) Term courses at UMCP are open to all students. There is a separate admissions application for visiting students who want to take only Summer or Winter (January) courses. BMGT (Business) courses are open to all students in the summer on a first-come, first-served basis, so some students are able to get BMGT credits even if they have not been admitted to Smith to enhance their college transcript.

Tuition and Fees

Frequently Asked Questions About UMCP Frequently Asked Transfer Questions Page, UMCP

Can I transfer in mid-year? Yes
Will I get housing in a dorm on campus? Probably not, but students may apply anyway - only a very limited number of spaces are available to transfer students. Also visit Off Campus Housing Services.
Can I attend evening classes UMCP? Generally not - undergraduate classes are primarily offered during the day.
Can I go to school part-time? Yes, but plan on taking day classes.
Can I continue to take classes at Montgomery College while going to Maryland? Yes, if you have not transferred the maximum of 60 credits, you may still be able to take courses at MC. Once you begin at UMCP, you need to get Permission to Enroll to come back and take classes at MC. See a UMCP Adviser for more information.
Can I meet with an adviser at UMCP to talk about my major? Contact the individual department that interests you to speak with advisers.