i just received a letter from my community college here in ga that i was being denied admission because of a new admission requirement. i am 47 years old and scored a 19 on the math compass portion of the test. i was never told it was anything other than a placement test. but they are denying me admission because i needed a 20! here is the actual response..
**** state college has new admission requirements for fall 2012 that require applicants to meet minimum compass scores and exempt at least one learning support. the minimum score needed on the math compass is 20. based on your current score, you would not be admissible to a degree program at *** state. you can choose to retake the math portion of the compass in hopes of bringing up your score by at least one point or you can choose to change your major to a certificate program.
my response was:
i appreciate your reply and it appears i have no other choice but to attempt the compass again. however, i would like to say that for adults such as myself returning to school, not having had any math classes for thirty years it is very discouraging not to be allowed admission or even given the opportunity to attend a support learning class. it is especially discouraging since i attended auburn university at montgomery and am a former student in good academic standing as of 2004 there. i received a 4.0 gpa my last three semesters there and had an overall 3.32 gpa. it is disheartening to be denied admission to dalton state based upon 1 point in a subject i have not used nor received education for in three decades. i was not told that i would be required to score a minimum on the exam and believed it to be a placement test and since it was my desire to start from the basics in math classes i did not attempt to learn enough to "get by" on the compass because i wanted to be placed according to what i really remember in math.
i would appreciate if you would forward this to whomever it may concern. i believe the new standards may adversely affect the confidence of older students returning to college. i know it certainly has for me. if the college is interested in attracting older students who are mature and truly want to learn perhaps they should reevaluate this particular standard as it is entirely possible to be weak in math but very strong in other academic areas as is reflected by my transcript and act scores. perhaps an answer would be to have a compass support class for adult students like myself who are mathematically weak but have a very strong desire to complete their educations not in a certificate program but in a degree program.
this is so incredibly discouraging to me. i don't want to cram and get by and then wind up struggling in a math class. talk about shaking someone's confidence.... i know it probably is hard to understand if you get math and are good at it but for some of us, it's a huge hurdle in front of what we truly want out of life.
How frustrating for you, to get caught up in this rule change - and it does look like a complete change in philosophy about learning support they are putting into effect this fall. Do you have a technical college nearby? They are not under the board of Regents and have a different set of rules. Perhaps they have a program that could quickly get you up to speed in math and then you can transfer. If you have other core or pre-reqs to take, the Technical colleges offer many including Anatomy and many of them do transfer to USG schools, so you could be making progress towards nursing while you learn the math, and it wouldn't be a completely wasted year.
Don't waste your time/money taking another math class. Get "Basic Math and Pre-Algebra Workbook for Dummies" and practice on your own. I did and it really helped. You just need to remember how to do the math and it will come back quickly since it sounds like you have already taken the classes.
Not that this really applies, but I am a 47-year-old nursing student about to start my third semester.
Specializes in Managed Care, Onc/Neph, Home Health.
I wouldn't expect leniency. This is a basic requirement. It doesn't matter if you're accomplished in other areas academically or that you're an older student who did well in the past. You need math skills to be successful as a nurse. If you don't have those basic skills you will struggle in your pharmaceutical/dosage classes.
If you want to be a nurse then get the math skills you will need. Ask if they have tutors available. Seek out developmental math classes at a local community college. I'm a non-traditional student too and got a copy of Algebra for Dummies and the workbook and spent hours brushing up my skills to be competent. You can do it too if you take the time and prepare.
In defense of Suzi, that math crap is a scam!!! Not fussing at you, but just frustrated at how schools place so much emphasis on math and chem, when it WILL NOT be utilized in the profession. Leave the chemistry for the PHARMACIST to figure out, when mixing chemo and drugs. ....thats why they graduate with Doctor of Pharmacy degrees!! Yes "nursing math" will be needed and learned our way in pharmacology class. ratio/proportions, dosages and solutions, conversions, etc. IV gtt rate formulas. "math" thats needed in our jobs. Now guys don't shoot me. Not saying at all that chemistry is not important. We need to know our lab values for Chemistry's Na, K, Mg Ca, and so forth...but that is still very basic.
I feel you all know where I am coming from. Schools need to give it a rest already...
CDEWannaBE, I don't know if you are in nursing school, or perhaps a nurse, but if not, you will see just how much "math" you will use once you enter the program.
I been at it a hot minute. All that math requirement is more bark than bite.... and one do not need math skills to be successful as a nurse.
That really sucks. Sorry you are going through this. Its really unfortunate.
Don't give up hope though, with determination you can achieve your dreams.
I actually scored lower than you did on the Math compass. 16!!! - I scored high 90's on the other Compass exams but math was my achilles heel.
I took the remedial class and had one of the best math teachers ever.
The rule sucks but do what you can to boost your score.
Check out Khanacademy.org - Its an excellent website for help with math and science and other subjects. Lots of great videos.
Don't give up if you really want this. I went from 16 on the Math Compass a little over 3 years ago, to officially being an RN as of last week.
Oh and I never got a med dosage question wrong in nursing school. I actually looked forward to getting them because I considered them freebie points because I knew I would get them right. We had to get 100% on our med math exam every semester or you fail out of the program. I got 100 every single semester on the first try. So keep your head up and work hard to reach your goal.
Why can't you just change your major to a certificate program and take your remedial Mary classes? Or just study to take the Conpass? Schools usually have copies of the study guide on the campus so you aren't walking blindly into testing
This rule seems so bizarre to me. Community colleges make a killing off of remedial courses. They seem to love putting students in them!
Does your local school district offer math classes for aduts? I don't know what all the TEAS involves, so not sure it would help. My kids' school district offers "brush up" classes for returning adult learners, as does my county's voc ed department.
If I were you I would be frustrated about being denied entrance into the school because of a newly instituted policy. Was that policy in place before you took your Compass math test? If not, then I would appeal the decision based on that fact.
If the policy was in place prior to you taking the test then I would suggest that you retake the test and try to get that 1 extra point. Once you are accepted to the college, then you can sign up for the remedial math class to polish your skills.
If that does not work, I would suggest going to another college!
**** state college has new admission requirements for fall 2012 that require applicants to meet minimum compass scores and exempt at least one learning support. the minimum score needed on the math compass is 20. based on your current score, you would not be admissible to a degree program at *** state. you can choose to retake the math portion of the compass in hopes of bringing up your score by at least one point or you can choose to change your major to a certificate program.
is there a reason that you must be accepted in a degree program for the fall rather than a certificate program? have you contacted an academic adviser to see if it's possible to change to a certificate program for this fall's enrollment to be able to take the remedial math class and then change your declaration to a degree program for the winter term? or perhaps you have time to retake the compass test to be able to enroll with a degree declaration for the fall semester?
i'm not familiar with the compass test. how soon are you eligible to retake it? if there's time to retake before the fall admission window closes, it sounds like you are a good student who could easily meet the required score if you got a math workbook to practice for couple weeks before retaking.
he has videos covering all math subjects imaginable. what's nice about his videos, or any youtube videos for that matter, is that a person can pause, hit play, etc. as many times as needed in order to get the concepts.
hope this helps!
p.s. i'm 43 and graduated in 1987. i never took algebra in high school but did take the first algebra class last fall @ ivy tech and made a "c" but withdrew from my 2nd algebra class this spring semester but am planning on retaking it 3 days a week this fall at a different campus.
and one do not need math skills to be successful as a nurse.
watashi
64 Posts
Suzilks1,
How frustrating for you, to get caught up in this rule change - and it does look like a complete change in philosophy about learning support they are putting into effect this fall. Do you have a technical college nearby? They are not under the board of Regents and have a different set of rules. Perhaps they have a program that could quickly get you up to speed in math and then you can transfer. If you have other core or pre-reqs to take, the Technical colleges offer many including Anatomy and many of them do transfer to USG schools, so you could be making progress towards nursing while you learn the math, and it wouldn't be a completely wasted year.