Admissions
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Concordia known for?
At Concordia, you’ll find challenging academics, dedicated professors, a diverse student body, Lutheran tradition and a strong sense of community. With 78 majors to choose from, one-on-one research opportunities with faculty and a nationally recognized study abroad program, Concordia is committed to preparing students to make a meaningful impact in our global society. Our five largest departments are business, communication, biology, psychology and education.
2. Will I graduate in four years?
About 88 percent of the students who start and finish here graduate within four years. Our faculty members also serve as advisers, helping you plot your courses and plan for your graduation requirements. If you plan carefully when registering for classes, stay on top of your coursework and don’t take on too many majors, it won’t be difficult to graduate in four years. If you need any help along the way, be sure to contact our Office of Student Success and Retention. We work directly with parents and students to help put you in touch with the many resources on campus, especially our academic resources.
Just think: while your friends at other schools are finishing up their fifth and sixth years in college, you’ll already be working or onto graduate studies. After all, a four-year degree should only take four years!
3. Where do Concordia’s students come from?
The majority of Concordia’s students are from Minnesota and North Dakota. However, our students represent a total of 38 states and 40 countries.
4. What else can you tell me about Concordia students?
Here is the 2009-10 academic year rundown:
- 2,811 students
- 837 students in the freshman class
- Students from 38 states and 40 countries
- 97 international students
- 43 religious denominations or faith-based communities represented
- 61 percent of students are female; 39 percent are male
- 60 percent live on campus
- 84 percent first- to second-year retention rate
- Seven new National Merit Scholars
- High school class rank:
- 31 percent from top 10 percent of graduating class
- ACT scores:
- Freshman class average of 25
5. What do I need to apply for admission?
As soon as you send the following four items to us in the Admissions Office, we’ll start processing your application:
- The completed application form. Be sure to highlight all of your extracurricular involvement and your academic successes.
- Your standardized test scores. We accept either the ACT or SAT or both. For scholarship eligibility, the highest score will be used.
- Your official high school transcript. We’ll request this from your school, but if payment is required, it’s your responsibility to pay that fee and mail the transcript to us.
- Letters of recommendation. At least two letters of recommendation from references are required. We’ll send those letter forms to the references you list on your application form. They can mail the completed forms or submit them online.
6. When is my application due?
As soon as it’s ready. We use a rolling admissions process, which means we will process applications throughout the year until we reach a point when our residence halls are full. You don’t need to wait for months to hear from us either. We’ll get back to you in just 10 days with our admission decision!
We recommend you apply early in your senior year, but we will welcome your application anytime as long as we still have space for you. If you would like to be considered for any of our merit-based or performance scholarships, make sure you apply in time to meet those deadlines.
7. Does Concordia accept Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, College Level Examination Program or Post-Secondary Education Options Program credits?
We accept scores of 3, 4 or 5 on certain Advanced Placement exams, scores of 4 or higher on select International Baccalaureate exams, and scores of 50 or higher on College Level Examination Program exams for credit in a number of academic departments.
Concordia also accepts PSEOP credits. You need to request that an official transcript be sent from the college or university to our Registrar’s Office, and your credit will be evaluated and added to your transcript here. To see how your PSEOP credits will transfer to Concordia, you can utilize our Transfer Notebook.
8. Do I have to be Lutheran to attend?
Absolutely not. Concordia’s student body is made up of people who represent a great diversity of faith expressions.
9. What classes will I take during my first semester?
Concordia’s new First-Year Experience program helps ease the transition from high school to college—and you’ll have a little fun at the same time. During Summer Orientation, you will sign up for a first-semester Inquiry Seminar, a course exploring a topic of interest to you. You will also register for a communication course, either written or oral, that is paired with your Inquiry Seminar. The same faculty member and students will take part in both courses, along with serving as your Orientation Club. In other words, you will take two courses and enjoy Orientation with the same group of students!
Your faculty adviser will explain any other core curriculum course requirements you might wish to meet during your first semester or assist you in selecting a couple of courses in your chosen major.
10. When and how do I register for classes?
The best time to register for classes is during our Summer Orientation days each June. Meet with your advisor, select classes and register in mid-June on Concordia's campus. Attendance at these dates is strongly encouraged; however, you may contact your admissions representative to make special arrangements for registering if you have an unavoidable conflict with all of these dates.
11. Where exactly is Fargo-Moorhead? What is there for young people to do?
Fargo-Moorhead, one of the hottest young boomtowns in America, is about a 250-mile drive along Interstate 94 from the Twin Cities. Located on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota, Fargo-Moorhead is home to more than 23,000 college students and knows all about fun – with more than 250 restaurants, hundreds of brand-name retail stores, 31 movie screens, concerts by the biggest names in music and minor league professional sports teams.
Read more about living in Fargo-Moorhead.
12. I studied a second language in high school. How do I test for proper placement in Concordia language classes, once I’ve been accepted for admission?
Concordia uses an online test for global language placement testing in French, German or Spanish. You can find the instructions online and the test takes about 30 minutes. The test determines class placement only, not credit.
The test is not available online for Norwegian, Russian or Latin. If you’ve studied one of those languages, contact the departments for placement testing information.
