General Admissions Procedures

Admission to the College does not guarantee immediate acceptance to the curriculum program desired by the applicant. Admission to certain programs may have additional specific entrance requirements. Students may have to complete basic skills or developmental level courses before being accepted into their desired curriculum program. 

The Office of Admissions administers all admissions requirements and enforces all College admission policies and procedures. 

CURRICULUM PROGRAMS

Certificate, Diploma, and Degree Seeking Applicants 

For curriculum applicants, all applicants must:

1. Complete the North Carolina Residency Determination Interview (RDS) (www.ncresidency.org).

1. North Carolina Residency Status under North Carolina law, each person must be classified as a resident or nonresident for tuition purposes. North Carolina law (General Statute 116-143.1) requires that to qualify as an in-state student for tuition purposes, a person must have established legal residence (domicile) in North Carolina and maintained that legal residence for at least 12 months immediately prior to enrollment to be considered for classification as a North Carolina resident.
2. All residency will be determined through a centralized state Residency Determination Service (RDS). Surry Community College no longer determines residency for applicants or students. Applicants or students may contact RDS at www.ncresidency.org or by calling 844-319-3640. Contact information on RDS may also be obtained in Student Services, A-building, Main Campus. SCC recommends beginning the residency and application process at least 45 days prior to the beginning of the semester in which you are applying for admission

2. Submit a completed application for admission. 

3. Provide an official high school transcript, official adult high school equivalency, or adult high school diploma. These transcripts must include the date the diploma was awarded, the type of diploma and have the institution’s official seal. It must be mailed or electronically transferred from the issuing institution or agency. Home school graduates must provide proof of school’s registration with the respective state’s department of education.

Current applicants who are high school seniors should submit a transcript showing work through the end of the first semester of the senior year. A final official transcript must then be submitted upon high school graduation, and before enrollment, to be fully accepted.  

Applicants who have completed an associate’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution may submit college transcripts with conferred degree awarded in lieu of high school transcripts.

4. Submit official transcripts of all postsecondary education. Official transcripts from high school (or high school equivalency) and all colleges attended are required for:

1. Financial Aid eligibility
2. Transfer credit evaluation
3. Selective admission program admission 

5. If a student is placed into transition English or math, these courses should be completed during the first two semesters of enrollment. Placement is based on the following criteria: 

1. Unweighted High School GPA ≥ 2.8 (without co-requisite); GPA 2.2 - 2.799 (with co-requisite) 
2. Documentation of acceptable SAT or ACT scores. SAT and ACT examinations must have been taken within the last ten (10) years. 

    c. Results of EdReady and/or NCDAP placement tests taken at another North Carolina Community College System institution, which have been taken within the preceding ten (10) years and meet the College’s scores. Students who graduated from high school within the last 10 years are not eligible to take the RISE/EdReady placement test.
    d. Score of 80+ on CCRG Tier Tests. Score of 80+ on BSP Tier Tests.
    e. Documentation of GED test scores above 170 on all tests. The GED exam must have been taken after 2014. 
    f. Results from the HiSET of a 15 or great on all tests AND a 4 or higher on the essay portion of the exam.
    g. Transfer credit (grade “C” or better) received from a regionally accredited institution for college transferrable reading, math, and English courses. The student must submit an official transcript to receive transfer credit and to officially waive the need for placement testing.

MAT 271 Direct Placement

A student may place into MAT 271 by meeting one of the following criteria within the past five years:

1. A score of 2 or higher on the AP Calculus AB Exam
2. A grade of C or higher in an AP Calculus course and an unweighted high school GPA of 3.0 or higher
3. A score of 90 or higher on the ACCUPLACER College-level Math (CLM) test
4. A score of 46 or higher on the trigonometry section of the ACT Compass Math Placement Test
5. A score of 580 or higher on the old (prior to March 2016) SAT Math and a grade of C or higher in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study Pre-Calculus course or an equivalent course from another state.
6. A score of 600 or higher on the new (March 2016 and beyond) SAT Math and a grade of C or higher in the North Carolina Course of Study.
7. A score 24 or higher on the ACT Math and a grade of C or higher in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study Pre-Calculus course or an equivalent course from another state.
8. A score of 560 or higher on the SAT subject test on mathematics level 2.
9. Local diagnostic exam or challenge/proficiency exam that demonstrates proficiency in pre-Calculus course(s) competencies.
10. An unweighted high school GPA of 3.5 or higher and a C or higher in the North Carolina Standard Course of Study Pre-Calculus course or an equivalent course from another state.

MAT 271 Direct Placement from Numbered Memo CC21-024, May 06, 2021.