Alpena Community College
Admissions Policy
Alpena Community College grants admission to all persons who have earned a High School Diploma, Certificate of Completion or GED, or who are 18 years of age or older, and who demonstrate the ability to benefit from a particular program of study. Ability to benefit may be demonstrated by those who:
- Have satisfactory skills* as measured by institutional placement testing for reading, language and numerical skills OR
- Can produce Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) test score results of 500 or better when coming from a non-English speaking country.
The age requirement is waived for a high school student who:
- Is a dually enrolled high school student** as provided for by the State School Aid Act, as amended, OR
- Is certified as having attained junior status toward graduation as determined by the high school or the home schooling association issuing the diploma. College course enrollment will be determined in accordance with the Alpena Community College ACCUPLACER placement test results for reading, language and numerical skills.
This admissions policy applies to admission to the College only and is intended to assure students of both opportunity and quality in programs. Admission to a specific curriculum or course is based on student interest, achievement, and test scores necessary for preparation to enter a specific program or course.
Placement testing is required for:
- All new Alpena Community College students who do not have A.C.T. Reading, English and Mathematics sub-scores of 18 or higher or students who do not have SAT Reading test scores of 25, Writing and Language test scores of 25 and Mathematics test score of 26.5 or higher and wish to register for more than one course*** (Note: placement tests will only be given in the subject areas where sub-score minimums were not met) OR
- Have not earned a minimum of 12 college credits including at least one college level course in either English or mathematics AND
- All students who enroll for the first time in an English or mathematics course.
*Satisfactory Skills –Ability to Benefit:
Persons taking the compass placement testing must achieve subtest scores of 32 (3 on e-write), 62 and 25 or higher on the Writing Skills, Reading and Pre-algebra/Num Skills sections respectively. This test battery may be taken no more than twice in a single semester. Individuals scoring below the minimum subtest scores in all three of the areas as described above must take the college’s four course preparatory curriculum earning a C grade or above in each course, while not exceeding eight (8) credit hours, without advisor approval, in a given semester, prior to taking any other college level course. Those failing to meet the minimum scores in one or two areas described above need only take the preparatory course or courses corresponding to those areas (see table below).
**Interested high school students should contact their high school principal or guidance counselor for further information.
***Students who accumulate 6 credit hours by taking one course per semester will be required to take the compass placement test battery.
Preparatory Curriculum Table
| Course Number & Title | Credit Hours | Based Upon COMPASS Placement Assessment | Based Upon ACCUPLACER Placement Assessment |
| CSS 095 Effective Reading Strategies & Study Skills | 3 | Reading score is 0-61 | Reading score is 0-61 |
| CSS 100 Becoming a Master Student | 2 | Must be taken when CSS 095, ENG 090 OR ENG 102, and MTH 090 (i.e., all three discipline specific courses) are required | |
| ENG 090 Fundamentals of Writing
|
4
|
Reading score is 0-61 and eWrite score is 1-2 | Reading score is 0-61 and WritePlacer score is 1-2 |
| ENG 102 Basic English | 4 | Reading score is 62-68 and e-Write score is 4-5 | Reading score is 61-67 and WritePlacer score is 3-4 |
| ENG 102ALP & ENG 111ALP | 7 | Reading score is 68-80 and e-Write score is 4-5 | Reading score is 68-80 and WritePlacer score is 4-5 |
| MTH 090 Arithmetic | 4 | Pre-Algebra score is 0-28 | Arithmetic score is 0-50 and Elementary Algebra score is 0-52 |