Application to Acceptance

One of the most exciting aspects of a student’s senior year of high school is choosing where to go to college. But with so many options, it may feel daunting to find a school that is perfect for you and fits your individual needs as a student. On top of that, the admission process for many of these schools can be time-consuming and confusing — especially if you’re applying to multiple colleges and universities. To help you get ahead of the curve and gain an understanding of the admission process at Concordia, here is an overview so you know what to expect.

Application

The admission process begins once a complete application file is submitted. This includes the application for admission and your transcript. Your application gives Concordia an understanding of who you are before any decisions are made, so students are encouraged to list the activities they’re involved in. This ranges from accomplishments and awards to work and volunteer experience, church involvement, and extracurricular activities such as athletics, student government, music, theatre, and speech.

Test-Optional Admission

Students applying for undergraduate admission are not required to submit a standardized test score (ACT or SAT) as part of their application. Students who select test-optional admission may be asked to submit additional information from five categories in lieu of the ACT or SAT score.

Acceptance

Once Concordia receives a completed application file, the Admission Office begins reviewing application materials. This process continues throughout the academic year. During this time, admission reps regularly communicate with students regarding their application status, additional requested documents, and any information that may be missing. Once everything is in order, you can expect to be notified about your acceptance status within 10 days.

That gives you a brief description of Concordia’s admission process, but our enrollment team has also answered some common questions that students have about the process.

What are the steps after a student is accepted?

After a student has been accepted, next steps include:

• Visit campus to get more information — regardless if you have done so previously.
• Meet with faculty (virtually or in person) in the academic program that interests you most. Faculty are a big reason why our students decide to attend (and continue) at Concordia. Your admission rep can set up a faculty appointment for you.
• As we move toward spring, students send their enrollment deposit, complete housing applications and roommate surveys, register for their First-Year Seminar, and complete the remaining steps toward becoming a Cobber.

Is there a cost associated with applying?

There is never an application fee or additional cost for applying to Concordia. In fact, depending on when students complete their application file (app and transcript) by a certain date, we provide $500 in renewable scholarship funds.

Are there any essays that students need to write to apply and get accepted?

Students do not need to write an essay for admission, but they may be asked to do so for additional scholarship opportunities. At times, personal statements are requested in order to allow a student to address any concerns the admission committee may have regarding grades or other discrepancies as a part of the application. Again, we want to be sure that we are reviewing the whole student during the admission process.

What is the process to access Concordia scholarships?

Every student who is admitted to Concordia is provided with an automatic Excellence Scholarship. Students just need to apply for admission and be accepted to qualify and receive these scholarships, which are renewable annually for up to four years. Separate applications (and possibly on-campus interviews) are required for our various talent scholarships and the Presidential Scholarship.

If you have additional questions about the application process, your acceptance status, or Concordia in general, your admission representative is always just a phone call, email, or text message away.

Apply to Concordia

^{Last Updated September 2023}