Towson University Requirements for Admission
What are Towson University’s admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:
- GPA requirements
- Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
- Application requirements
In this guide we’ll cover what you need to get into Towson University and build a strong application.
School location: Towson, MD
If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.
The acceptance rate at Towson University is 76.3%. For every 100 applicants, 76 are admitted.
This means the school is lightly selective. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you’re almost certain to get an offer of admission. But if you don’t meet Towson University’s requirements, you’ll be one of the unlucky few people who gets rejected.
Towson University GPA Requirements
Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school’s average GPA for its current students.
Average GPA: 3.68
The average GPA at Towson University is 3.68.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.68, Towson University requires you to be above average in your high school class. You’ll need at least a mix of A’s and B’s, with more A’s than B’s. You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes. This will show that you’re able to handle more difficult academics than the average high school student.
If you’re currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.68, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.
SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to Towson University. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.
Towson University SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score.
Average SAT: 1140
The average SAT score composite at Towson University is a 1140 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes Towson University Competitive for SAT test scores.
Towson University SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1060, and the 75th percentile New SAT score is 1210. In other words, a 1060 on the New SAT places you below average, while a 1210 will move you up to above average.
Here’s the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:
Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
Math | 560 | 520 | 600 |
Reading + Writing | 580 | 540 | 620 |
Composite | 1140 | 1060 | 1210 |
SAT Score Choice Policy
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
Towson University has the Score Choice policy of “Highest Section.”
This is also known as “superscoring.” This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit.
For example, say you submit the following 3 test scores:
Section | R+W | Math | Composite |
Test 1 | 700 | 300 | 1000 |
Test 2 | 300 | 700 | 1000 |
Test 3 | 300 | 300 | 600 |
Superscore | 700 | 700 | 1400 |
Even though the highest total you scored on any one test date was 1000, Towson University will take your highest section score from all your test dates, then combine them to form your Superscore. You can raise your composite score from 1000 to 1400 in this example.
This is important for your testing strategy. Because you can choose which tests to send in, and Towson University forms your Superscore, you can take the SAT as many times as you want, then submit only the tests that give you the highest Superscore. Your application readers will only see that one score.
Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 1060, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.
Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.
Towson University ACT Requirements
Just like for the SAT, Towson University likely doesn’t have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
Average ACT: 23
The average ACT score at Towson University is 23. This score makes Towson University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 20, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 25.
Even though Towson University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 20 or below, you’ll have a harder time getting in, unless you have something else impressive in your application.
ACT Score Sending Policy
If you’re taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.
Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.
This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school’s ACT requirement of 20 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you’re happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.
ACT Superscore Policy
By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.
However, in our research, we found that Towson University does in fact offer an ACT superscore policy. To quote their Admissions Office:
If you send us scores from multiple test dates, we’ll take your highest score for each section of the test and consider those scores as we evaluate your application.