Test-Optional Policy

Temporary Test-Optional Admissions Policy

Bowie State University is committed to meeting the needs of prospective students during this turbulent time as it relates to COVID-19. Our institution recognizes that some students may find it difficult to schedule and take the SAT or ACT to be admitted for the 2022-2023 academic year. Therefore, the University will extend the Temporary Test-Optional Admissions Policy for another year.

In conjunction with the College and Career Readiness and Assessment criteria established by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges and Public-School Superintendents Association of Maryland for 2019-2020, Bowie State University will allow prospective students to be admitted without SAT or ACT scores if the high school GPA is 3.0 or higher. Prospective students will be asked to submit an official or unofficial transcript and be admitted solely on this document. However, students admitted through this process with unofficial transcripts may have their fall 2022 class schedule adjusted once the official transcript is submitted to the University. The Admissions Office will ask each student admitted with an unofficial transcript to submit an official transcript before the beginning of the fall semester.

Students whose HS GPA falls between 2.5 and 2.99 and meet USM minimum college readiness core of high school courses will be assessed for placement in credit-level English and mathematics courses in accordance with criteria established by academic departments. Students who fall below the 2.5 GPA should submit an admissions appeal and supporting documentation to the UgradAdmissions@bowiestate.edu email address. These students will be assessed for college-level English and mathematics readiness in accordance with the criteria established by academic departments.