Advantages And Limitations Of Topical Negative Pressure Therapy

Advantages And Limitations Of Topical Negative Pressure Therapy Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is a new method used for improving wound healing. It influences granulation formation, bacterial colonization, and increasing wound blood flow. Although this method has been used explosively for wound healing, its influences are not cleared enough. So the main aim of this review article is to weight up the benefits and problems associated with this method. Method: An electronic search was done via Pubmed, Embase and ISI web of knowledge data from 1960 to 2010. The abstracts and titles of each paper were analysed and selected according to especial parameters. Result: The results of the relevant literature were characterized based on the benefits and problems associated with use of this method. Discussion: Direct comparison of NPWT with other available method is difficult. Although there are some research to support the effectiveness of using this new method on wound healing, more controlled clinical trials are needed to defiantly prove that the NPWT is less expensive and more effective wound care modality. A wound is defined as a break in the skin which is usually caused by cuts or scraps. The selection of the treatment methods depends upon the severity of the wounds (how serious they are). Healing is a response of the injury that sets into motion a sequence of events. There are classically four stages associated with wound healing which include: haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling (Hart, 2002, Stephens and Thomas, 2002, OKane, 2002). Many factors can interact with one or more phases of wound healing process which can facilitate or decrease its rate, such as local and systematic factors. Local factors are those which directly influence characteristics of wound itself, while systematic factors consists of those which related to state of individuals and their abilities regarding wound healing. Some systematic factors include infection, age and sex hormones, stress, diabetic, obesity, medication, alcoholism, smoking and nutrition and using some treatment method such a s Topical wound healing (Guo and DiPietro, 2010, Ranzato, 2009, Urschel et al, 1988, Argenta and Morykwas, 1997, Kirby, 2007). The effects of some factors such as oxygenation, infection, age, stress, medication, obesity, nutrition are well described in the literature and were investigated by many researchers(Guo and DiPietro, 2010, Shepherd et al, 2006, Lioupis, 2005). However, using some parameters such as topical negative pressure therapy (TNPT) is new method for wound healing (Miryam et al, 1999, Kirby, 2007). Pressure is one important parameter which can influence wound healing. In one side, it can decrease the speed of healing as produce skin ulcers in some patients suffering from stroke and spinal cord injury and those who need to be in bed for a long time. In other side, it can be used to facilitate the wound healing process, especially in chronic wound (Miryam et al, 1999, Argenta and Morykwas, 1997, Evans and Land, 2001). In contrast to other available methods, this procedure is a little bit new so the main aim of this review article was to review the relevant literature regarding TNPT and its influ ences on wound healing. Moreover, it was aimed to show the positive and the side effects of using this method. Method: An electronic search was done via the Pubmed, Embase and ISI web of knowledge data from 1960 to 2010. The abstracts and titles of each individual study were assessed by author. A first selection of relevant literature article was done based on weather the title and abstract addressed the research question of interest. Figure 1 shows the stages which were selected in this review process. The second selection of the articles was done according to the following criteria: experiment practice published in English addressing using this method on wound healing Figure 1: The stages which were selected in this research study The results of the various research studies were characterized based on mechanism of action, the instrument used and the benefits and problems associated with the use of this method. Result: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is also known as Tropic Negative Pressure (TNP) used as a non pharmacological treatment for chronic and actuate wounds, such as pressure ulcers, diabetic wounds, abdominal and trauma wounds (Argenta and Morykwas, 1997, Evans and Land, 2001, Kirby, 2007, Miryam et al, 1999). What is NPWT? This method of treatment based on this idea to turn the open wound into a close one. Moreover, it is possible to remove the excess fluid from the wound. Although, this method has been used exclusively in UK since 1995, the idea behind this method is not new. For nearly more than 50 years suction drainage has been used. It has been reported that continues suction, negative pressure drainage serve as an excellent atmospheric bandage in subcutaneous surgical procedure and help to increase the speed of wound healing. The concept was based on mechanics of physics. The application of controlled subatomospheric pressure causes mechanical stress to the tissues. The new vessels are constructed with in the tissue and the wound is drawn closed. It should be noted that the degree of pressure to the wound tissue is small, but when all areas of the wound work togheter in an efford to close toward the centre point, the effects of negative pressure become impressive and results in quicker healing an d resolution. This system consists of non adherent, porous wound dressing (polyurethane foam or gauze dress) and a drainage system which are attached to each others by use of a transparent film. The foam is connected to a VAC vacuum pump through an evacuation tube. The suction guarantee a continues vacuum in the polyurethane foam producing a high contact zone in wound foam interface. It is required to change the foam every 2 days. The system is commercially available in UK since 1995 and has been used significantly for wound healing. Figure 2 shows various components of this system. Figure 2: The NPWT system used for improving wound healing ( adapted from (Miryam et al, 1999) with permission NPWT has three forms which differ based on the type of dress used, such as Bio Dome, gauze and foam. The polyurethane foam was used first by Morkey and Argenta in 1997. It has been reported that the foam can be easily cut according to the wound size, especially those which has a regular contour and used when better granulation formation and wound contraction is a desirable goals. However, gauze can be used for sensitive and irregular wounds. The type of selected foam is based on the type of wound as is mentioned in table 1. The foam is placed into the defect and the area is covered with adhesive drape. The suction generate a continues vacuum in the foam, producing a high contact zone in wound foam interface so a vacuum seal is achieved. It should be mentioned that the negative pressure applied on the wound is 125 mm HG below ambient that is transmitted to the wound in a controlled manner. The selected pressure in this system is based on especial guidelines as shown in table 2. Wound Description Poly- urethane (black foam) Polyvinyl- alcohol (soft foam) Both Either Deep, acute wounds with moderate granulation tissue growth X X Deep wounds with extremely rapid growth in granulation tissue Deep pressure ulcers X Superficial wounds X Postgraft therapy X Fresh grafts X Compromised flaps X Tunneling/sinus tracts/undermining X Diabetic ulcers X Dry wounds X X Deep trauma wounds X Superficial trauma wounds Table 1: The types of the foam used in NPWT system Wound Type Target Pressure Poly-urethane Target Pressure Polyvinyl- alcohol Acute/traumatic wound 125 mm Hg 125-175 mm Hg Surgical wound dehiscence 125 mm Hg 125-175 mm Hg Meshed graft 75-125 mm Hg 125 mm Hg Pressure ulcer 125 mm Hg 125-175 mm Hg Chronic ulcer (diabetic/arterial vascular) 50-75 mm Hg 125-175 mm Hg Fresh flap 125 mm Hg 125-175 mm Hg Compromised flap 125 mm Hg 125-175 mm Hg Table 2: The selected negative pressure used in NPWT based on the type of foam used Evidences regarding NPWT: There are some evidences regarding the positive effects of using NPWT on wound healing. The main advantages of this treatment method include: provision of moist wound healing environment removal of the fluids and infection material which help the wound to heal speedy assisted profusion decreased bacterial colonisation enhance formation of granulation tissue rapid cell division increased blood flow increased number of active fibroblasts and macrophages enhance epidermal cell formation decreased harmful chronic wound fluid reduced the number of dressing changes and decrease damage to underlined tissue provision of mechanical approximation of wound edges promotion of viscoelastic flow due to tissue stretch limitation of zone of injury after orthopaedic trauma splinting effect Indication and contraindication of using NPWT: The foot and drug administration (FDA) approved this method for treatment of non healing wounds. Then it has been extended to include chronic, acute, and traumatic and sub acute wounds, flaps and grafts. In the United State of America the following contraindications have been considered in this regard: wound with necrotic tissue untreated osteomyelities fistulas to organs or body cavities placement directly over exposed veins and arteries malignancy within wound What are the problems associated with NPWT: The following problems have been mentioned in the literature regarding NPWT: patients may experience discomfort or pain when the foam dressing is changed topical skin problem may arise during use overgrowth of geast or Candida infection skin stripping and sub epidermal granulation foam removal frequently results in trauma to wound in the form of minor capillary and granulation tissue disruption achieving and maintaining a vacuum seal can be difficult at times staff must be well trained and educated Discussion: There are over 325 publications on NPWT wound healing method, including 15 randomized clinical trials. However, it can not be concluded strongly that the system results in faster wound healing than other conventional methods or provides cost effective despite much greater material cost. It has been reported that using this method enhances bacterial clearance which improves the speed of wound healing. When microorganisms enter to wound, consume the nutrition and oxygen which otherwise directed toward tissue repair. When the amount of wound infection decreases (reducing bacterial loads) the healing capacity improves (the blood used for wound repairing). However, in the research undertaking by.. on 25 patients reviewed respectively, it was found that using this method dose not have any effects on bacterial clearance. Moreover, bacterial colonization increases significantly with this therapy and remains in the range of. Improvement in Granulation tissue formation was another advantage mentioned in using this method for wound healing. Granulation is a small blood useless and connective tissue in the base of the wound. A well granulation wound provides an optimal bed for epidermal migration and for skin grafts as a newly formed capillary incorporate the transplanted skin. Studies have shown that granulation tissue formation is enhanced by negative pressure by virtue of interstitial fluid resolution and resulting increase in circulation. In the research done by .. on 162 patients it was shown that NPWT improves the proportion and rate of wound healing after partial foot amputation in patients with diabetics. Nearly 56% of the patients using this method achieved a comparable closure during 16 weeks assessments compared with 39% in control group. In the other research done by Blume et al (2008) the safety and clinical efficiency of this new method was compared with Advanced Moist Wound Therapy (AMWT) to treat foot ulcers in diabetic patients on 342 patients. It was found that a greater proportion of foot ulcers achieved by this method in contrast to other method (43.2% compared to 28.9%). The time of therapy was the other considered parameter in this research. The time of therapy was a little bit less in this method. Regarding the safety of the two methods there was no significant difference. Morie et al carried out a literature review based research regarding the effectiveness of this method. They mentioned that although many controlled and non randomized studies describing the effectiveness of this new method, few prospective randomized control trials have been published. They claimed that the researches in this field have lots of problems such as: small sample size, variable outcome measure across studies, significant methodological problems. So it is not possible to have a strong conclusion regarding the effects of this method in contrast to other methods. They suggest that other research must be done regarding the effect of this method on healing, cost of care, patient pain and quality of life in contrast to other methods. Gregor et al have undertaken another literature review regarding the effect of using this method. They also concluded that although there seems to be some evidences regarding the effects of this method on wound healing outcome as a main outcome, they are insufficient to clearly prove an additional clinical benefit of this method. Cost consideration: wound care is an expensive endeavour. The range of pressure ulcers which is one of the main complication of being in bed for a long time is between 2000 and 70,000 per wound. NPWT decreases the cost regarding wound healing through a decrease in the number of dressing changes required. Moreover, the supervisory role of the trained nurses would be decrease to perform dressing change. According to the results of a research the long term cost of NPWT was lower and output was better when compared with standard wound care method. In another research study it was shown that the cost of wound healing was decreased by 38% in contrast to other method, as the healing occur by 61% faster than using gauze dressing method. Conclusion: The review of the relevant literature stated that the available evidences can not be used to determine a significant therapeutic distinction of NPWT method in contrast to other methods. There are over 325 publications on this method however only 15 randomized clinical trials compare the new method with other available methods. It is concluded that the available research studies can not support the effectiveness of this method on wound healing. It should be mentioned that direct comparison of NPWT to a particular type of dressing would be difficult as it is unlikely that a single dressing type would be appropriate through out entire healing process. As there is not enough research which directly focus on the effects of this method on wound healing, and safety according to wound type, the author of this article represent a need for a large high quality randomized studies. Moreover, it is recommended to evaluate the effects of this method based on the used components.

Hobbes and Rawls on Justice

Hobbes and Rawls are essentially both Social Contract theory advocates. Since Rawls came later than Hobbes, it is no surprise that his ideas are a bit similar with those of Hobbes and other social contract theorists. However, the similarities are few and the differences in their ideas as a whole are vast.Hobbes writes in his Leviathan that before the establishment of the government or any ruling body, man was in a state of nature. Since no one’s ruling over everyone, the state of nature could essentially be a form of anarchy. In this state of nature, every individual has a natural right to do anything for his sake. For example, if someone wants an object belonging to another, there is nothing wrong if that person takes it; if a person wants to use someone’s body, he can do so without thinking of the harm he does to the person.Thus, everything immoral we think of today is valid in that state of nature. There is no justice in such a state since justice only exists when th ere is some form of law that covers everyone and which everyone abides by. This is where Hobbes’ two laws of nature comes in. The first is that all individuals should seek peace because otherwise, the only alternative is war. The second is that everyone should give up certain rights to be able to attain that peace. And for this law to to work, everyone in society should agree to it.Rawls, on the other hand, uses the term original position instead of the state of nature. In the original position, there is also no government, and the individuals are behind a veil of ignorance wherein they have no idea of themselves, their preferences and their position in society, unlike the people in Hobbes state of nature. Since Rawls also believes that each individual acts on self-interest, being behind such a veil while forming the social contract that will rule over them will help keep the contract from being beneficial for only the minority.After all, the social contract will affect all i n every way and thus, the individuals will design it in a manner so as not to risk placing themselves in an unfortunate position. Rawls say that they would then base their design on the maximin rule, summarize as each individual would choose a state that is the least unfortunate of all for them. A cake illustration simplifies things. Two individuals who want cake would agree that one cuts the cake once while the other chooses first.This will automatically guarantee that the cake will be cut evenly since the cutter wouldn’t want to end up with a smaller piece. To generalize, Rawls comes up with two basic principles of justice. First is that each person should have equal right to every liberty, like political liberty, freedom to hold property and speech, etc., as does everyone else, at the same time. The second is that inequalities, like wealth distribution and/or status, in society are okay only if it helps the least fortunate people in society and that each individual have eq ual opportunity to access it   (Jedicke).To relate, natural justice dictates that man is inherently good, a man with good intent should not be harmed and that man should treat others as he wants to be treated. The positive laws, often in contrast with natural law, were then established to help guide society. Although the statement that man is inherently good contradicts Hobbes’ view of man in the natural state, the natural law made by the governing body is like the social contract that everyone agreed upon to abide by.Since everyone is abiding by it, they’ve agreed to sacrifice certain rights they had in the state of nature. It cannot be helped, though, that some would still not give up and disobey the natural law, therefore committing a crime. If this was to be allowed to happen without due consequence, then everyone would stop abiding by the law and the world would revert back to the state of nature. Thus, punishing those who commit crime is only just for everyone who is keeping the law, since it is injustice when one does not keep it.The present society under democracy is the nearest consequence of how the social contract should be under Rawls’ justice. In a democracy, everyone is given equal right and opportunity for every liberty, all at the same time. Everyone is given the right to have education, thus the presence of public schools, because this will entail, in the end, that people would have equal opportunities for jobs. Unfortunately, it certainly isn’t happening completely and probably won’t happen completely. After all, the established laws were made by individuals who weren’t influenced by the veil of ignorance. Thus, as they made the present laws, even given that they made it to represent the will of the people, there would still be an injustice in that there would always be the probability that the law made were for the good of a few.Presently, it is obvious that a fair amount of Hobbes’ philosop hy, and of other people, on justice is present at the judicial proceedings and laws in many countries. Rawls’ may be on its way as many people, like politicians, are reading and being influenced by his work.Works CitedKay, Charles D. â€Å"Justice as Fairness.† 1997. 22 September 2007 Hobbes and Rawls on Justice Hobbes and Rawls are essentially both Social Contract theory advocates. Since Rawls came later than Hobbes, it is no surprise that his ideas are a bit similar with those of Hobbes and other social contract theorists. However, the similarities are few and the differences in their ideas as a whole are vast.Hobbes writes in his Leviathan that before the establishment of the government or any ruling body, man was in a state of nature. Since no one’s ruling over everyone, the state of nature could essentially be a form of anarchy. In this state of nature, every individual has a natural right to do anything for his sake. For example, if someone wants an object belonging to another, there is nothing wrong if that person takes it; if a person wants to use someone’s body, he can do so without thinking of the harm he does to the person.Thus, everything immoral we think of today is valid in that state of nature. There is no justice in such a state since justice only exists when th ere is some form of law that covers everyone and which everyone abides by. This is where Hobbes’ two laws of nature comes in. The first is that all individuals should seek peace because otherwise, the only alternative is war. The second is that everyone should give up certain rights to be able to attain that peace. And for this law to to work, everyone in society should agree to it.Rawls, on the other hand, uses the term original position instead of the state of nature. In the original position, there is also no government, and the individuals are behind a veil of ignorance wherein they have no idea of themselves, their preferences and their position in society, unlike the people in Hobbes state of nature.Since Rawls also believes that each individual acts on self-interest, being behind such a veil while forming the social contract that will rule over them will help keep the contract from being beneficial for only the minority. After all, the social contract will affect all i n every way and thus, the individuals will design it in a manner so as not to risk placing themselves in an unfortunate position. Rawls say that they would then base their design on the maximin rule, summarize as each individual would choose a state that is the least unfortunate of all for them.A cake illustration simplifies things. Two individuals who want cake would agree that one cuts the cake once while the other chooses first. This will automatically guarantee that the cake will be cut evenly since the cutter wouldn’t want to end up with a smaller piece. To generalize, Rawls comes up with two basic principles of justice. First is that each person should have equal right to every liberty, like political liberty, freedom to hold property and speech, etc., as does everyone else, at the same time. The second is that inequalities, like wealth distribution and/or status, in society are okay only if it helps the least fortunate people in society and that each individual have eq ual opportunity to access it   (Jedicke).To relate, natural justice dictates that man is inherently good, a man with good intent should not be harmed and that man should treat others as he wants to be treated. The positive laws, often in contrast with natural law, were then established to help guide society. Although the statement that man is inherently good contradicts Hobbes’ view of man in the natural state, the natural law made by the governing body is like the social contract that everyone agreed upon to abide by. Since everyone is abiding by it, they’ve agreed to sacrifice certain rights they had in the state of nature.It cannot be helped, though, that some would still not give up and disobey the natural law, therefore committing a crime. If this was to be allowed to happen without due consequence, then everyone would stop abiding by the law and the world would revert back to the state of nature. Thus, punishing those who commit crime is only just for everyone who is keeping the law, since it is injustice when one does not keep it.The present society under democracy is the nearest consequence of how the social contract should be under Rawls’ justice. In a democracy, everyone is given equal right and opportunity for every liberty, all at the same time. Everyone is given the right to have education, thus the presence of public schools, because this will entail, in the end, that people would have equal opportunities for jobs. Unfortunately, it certainly isn’t happening completely and probably won’t happen completely. After all, the established laws were made by individuals who weren’t influenced by the veil of ignorance. Thus, as they made the present laws, even given that they made it to represent the will of the people, there would still be an injustice in that there would always be the probability that the law made were for the good of a few.Presently, it is obvious that a fair amount of Hobbes’ philosop hy, and of other people, on justice is present at the judicial proceedings and laws in many countries. Rawls’ may be on its way as many people, like politicians, are reading and being influenced by his work.Works CitedKay, Charles D. â€Å"Justice as Fairness.† 1997. 22 September 2007

Why Everybody Is Talking About Argumentative Essay Topics on Google...The Simple Truth Revealed

Why Everybody Is Talking About Argumentative Essay Topics on Google...The Simple Truth Revealed The very first sentence of the essay has to be interesting enough to create the reader read on. In the end, towards the conclusion of your conclusion, you can reflect on the way in which the essay compares to something else such as modern occasions or the future. If you would like to learn what an argumentative essay is, the very first thing you ought to remember is that its primary purpose is to convince the audience to accept your perspective. Whether it's an argumentative or expository essay which you are writing, it is essential to develop a clear thesis statement and a very clear sound reasoning. In order to genuinely convince readers of your viewpoint, the argumentative essay must also check at the opposing views. Usually, it has the same outline as the majority of traditional papers. Writing an argumentative essay can occasionally be confusing as you don't necessarily understand how to compose a convincing argument. Persuasive or argumentative essays are intended to convince the audience of a person's viewpoint about a specific topic. Bear in mind that you could make funny argumentative essays if you do a few things. When the writer gets familiar with the topic they can piece together their findings which most represent the aim of the paper. As always, too much fantastic thing may be a terrible thing. When you're writing, you sometimes add words with exactly the same meaning only for emphasizing something, but it's not always justified. The Ultimate Argumentative Essay Topics on Google Trick No matter which outcome is chosen, ninety persons will nevertheless be excluded. All things considered, there ought to be a strong motivation behind why folks migrate. Choose from popular topics that they are passionate about. Thus average wages in america are decreased. Lies You've Been Told About Argumentative Essay Topics on Google Check with our argumentative essay example at a better understanding. The essay ought to have a little structure, unlike a normal essay. An argumentative essay is among the most troub lesome kinds of essays. It is crucial to be aware an argumentative essay and an expository essay could possibly be similar, but they vary greatly in regard to the quantity of pre-writing and research involved. Similar is true with argumentative essays. Frequently students are permitted to choose argumentative essay topics by themselves, which can be both challenging and interesting at the exact same moment. You can also see analytical essay. Your essay should consist of recent statistics and data from reliable sources. You could also see descriptive essay. Argumentative essays have to be well-organized. Following are a few of the suggested sociology essay topic for those students that are unable to choose a great topic for their assignment. Consequently, they can come up with different thesis for different themes to write essays on hamlet. If you're new to writing argumentative essays, there are a number of essential factors which you can learn that could help you compose a superior argumentative essay. If you should create a descriptive essay within a broader writing prompt, you might want to find some insight on how best to compose the other styles of essay writing. Ok, I Think I Understand Argumentative Essay Topics on Google, Now Tell Me About Argumentative Essay Topics on Google! It is crucial to check reviews about essay writing services in order to be confident they can deliver your task before the deadline. Look through the list of topics with care and commence making a mental collection of the evidence you'll be able to use on topics you want. You are able to buy argum entative essay from a specialist writer. Essay writing per se is no simple undertaking to do. Making an Outline Besides the plan for the entire procedure, you need to have a plan for the paper. Creating an outline is a significant portion of writing. Be alert to your instructor's requirements Before you decide on a topic, you should request detailed instructions. Planning Time-management is important for you once you are likely to complete this kind of extensive work as an argumentative essay. Instead you must explain the goal of the essay. Essentially, it takes a very simple strategy to compose inspiring argumentative essays. Stereotypes also are developing a false idea of the way that they interact with different individuals. An argumentative essay example will reveal the should possess some very important components which make it better in the practice of convincing.

Southern Methodist University Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Southern Methodist University is a private research university with an acceptance rate of 51%. Located in the University Park area of Dallas, Southern Methodist University consistently ranks among the top 100 national universities. The Cox School of Business and Meadows School of the Arts are both highly regarded, and the university was granted a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa for its strength in the liberal arts and sciences. The university offers 90 bachelor degree programs through its five undergraduate schools. SMU is affiliated with the Methodist Church, but its teaching is nonsectarian. In athletics, the SMU Mustangs compete in the NCAA Division I  American Athletic Conference. Considering applying to Southern Methodist University? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Southern Methodist University had an acceptance rate of 51%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 51 students were admitted, making SMUs admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 12,603 Percent Admitted 51% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 24% SAT Scores and Requirements SMU requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 49% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 630 710 Math 650 750 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of SMUs admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to SMU scored between 630 and 710, while 25% scored below 630 and 25% scored above 710. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 650 and 750, while 25% scored below 650 and 25% scored above 750. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1460 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Southern Methodist University. Requirements SMU does not require the SAT writing section. Note that SMU participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. SAT Subject tests are not required at SMU, but are recommended for home-schooled applicants. ACT Scores and Requirements Southern Methodist University requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 63% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 29 35 Math 27 31 Composite 29 33 This admissions data tells us that most of SMUs admitted students fall within the top 9% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to SMU received a composite ACT score between 29 and 33, while 25% scored above 33 and 25% scored below 29. Requirements Southern Methodist University does not require the ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, SMU superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered. GPA In 2018, the average high school GPA of SMUs incoming freshmen class was 3.6, and over 69% of admitted students had average GPAs of 3.5 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Southern Methodist University have primarily A and high B grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Southern Methodist University Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Southern Methodist University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Southern Methodist University, which accepts half of all applicants, has a selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. However, SMU has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Applicants with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside of SMUs average range. Applicants to SMUs music, theatre, and dance programs should note that there are audition requirements, and art students are encouraged to submit a portfolio. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that most students who were admitted had high school averages of A- or higher, combined SAT scores of about 1200 or better, and ACT composite scores of 25 or higher. The higher those grades and test scores, the better your chances are of gaining admission. Youll notice that nearly all applicants whose scores placed them in the upper right corner of the graph were accepted. All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Educational Statistics and Southern Methodist University Undergraduate Admissions Office.