Admission Office

Undergraduate Admission

The Admission Office identifies and admits qualified students who are most likely to succeed. We continue to support students committed to the development of the whole person by displaying a desire for academic excellence, leadership and community growth. In addition to serving prospective students, the Admission Office serves as a resource on the college search, application and enrollment process for families, high schools, community members and alums.

Lenoir-Rhyne University admits qualified students in all programs regardless of gender, race, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation or veteran status. To be considered for admission to Lenoir-Rhyne University, students must submit an application through the university website at http://www.lr.edu/admission/undergraduate/apply. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis beginning August 1. 

*Please refer to the graduate section of this catalog for information regarding admission to the Graduate School.

First-Year Students

The Lenoir-Rhyne Admission Office reviews the information provided on the application and the student’s high school transcript to determine admissibility. The admission review committee considers the number and level of academic courses taken in high school, as well as the performance in these classes. Participation in service, leadership and other extracurricular activities, including employment, are also considered. Students who are home schooled are welcome to apply.

First-year applicants will be considered for admission upon submitting the requirements specified below. 

1. Completed and accurate application for undergraduate admission 
2. Official high school transcript*
3. Satisfactory completion of required coursework (see below)
4. Official college transcript(s) if any college work has been attempted, even if the course(s) are listed on the high school transcript*

*Prospective students may be admitted based on unofficial transcripts and/or as courses are in progress; however, a final transcript must be received prior to a student enrolling at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

Optional items:

• SAT/ACT score report
• Lenoir-Rhyne University’s CEEB SAT code is 5365; ACT code is 3118. Scores may be submitted via a student’s high school transcript.
• Personal essay
• Letters of recommendation
• Resume
• Interview with an admission counselor

Minimum Course Requirements

• Four units of English
• Three units of mathematics including Algebra I, Algebra II and geometry
• Three units of science, including biology and chemistry
• Three units of history 
• Two units of foreign language

Upon receipt of the required items, an application for admission will be reviewed and a decision will be made. Any offer of admission is contingent upon receipt of a final transcript confirming satisfactory completion of the high school diploma (or equivalent).

Transfer Students

A transfer student has earned a high school diploma (or equivalent) and has been enrolled at any college/university for one or more semesters following high school graduation.

The Admission Office reviews applicable course work from prior institutions to determine admissibility. Number, level and performance within academic courses taken in college is considered during the admission process, as well as service, leadership, employment and other extracurricular activities. Applicants must be in good standing at their previous institution(s).

Transfer applicants will be considered for admission upon meeting the requirements specified below. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the following:

1. Completed and accurate application for undergraduate transfer admission 
2. Official transcript(s) from each college or university attended*
3. An official high school transcript if 30 or fewer college credit hours have been attempted after high school graduation

*Prospective students may be admitted based on unofficial transcripts and/or as courses in progress; however, a final official transcript must be received prior to a student enrolling at Lenoir-Rhyne.

Transfer of Credit

An official evaluation of credit, completed by the Registrar’s Office, will follow admission to Lenoir-Rhyne University. Courses taken at a regionally accredited college or university in which a grade of C/2.0 or better has been earned may be transferred to Lenoir-Rhyne for credit. Course requirements may be fulfilled, but no credit will be awarded, with a grade of D/1.0 in the first of sequential course offerings, provided the student earned a grade of C/2.0 or higher in the following course and the first course is a prerequisite for the following course.

Credit from an accredited junior or community college is limited to a maximum of 64 semester or 96 quarter hours. A maximum of 96 semester hours may be transferred from all institutions. As a minimum, the last 25% or 32 semester hours of major course work must be completed at Lenoir-Rhyne. 

During the evaluation of transcripts from other institutions, special scrutiny will be given to credits earned more than ten years preceding the applicant’s transfer. The university reserves the right to reject such credit when, in the judgment of the university registrar and the appropriate program faculty, the coverage and content of the particular course(s) has undergone substantive change. After a student has transferred, the grade point average is computed only on work attempted at Lenoir-Rhyne. Any transfer student may elect to transfer no credits from former institutions and take the total number of hours required for graduation at Lenoir-Rhyne University. A student who takes the total number of hours required for graduation at Lenoir-Rhyne University may elect to delete all credits from former institutions at any time prior to graduation.

Students who have earned an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree from a North Carolina Community College may transfer the AA/AS degree to Lenoir-Rhyne to be used in place of the University’s General Education requirements.

Students who have earned an Associate of Arts/Science degree outside of North Carolina are not subject to the agreement outlined above. A course-by-course evaluation will be conducted by the Registrar’s Office to determine if the AA/AS degree satisfies university’s General Education and which, if any, courses will remain as part of the student’s curriculum at Lenoir-Rhyne. 

Lenoir-Rhyne has also partnered with local community colleges to create specific articulation agreements with specified Associate of Applied Science programs (i.e. Entrepreneurship, Exercise Science). Details of these articulation agreements are listed in the Special Programs  section of the University Catalog.

International Students

All international applicants will submit the following:

1. A completed undergraduate application
   1. First-Year Undergraduate Student - Official transcript/academic records from the last 4 years of academic work.  A prospective student may be admitted based on unofficial transcript/academic records. However, Lenoir-Rhyne must receive final official transcript/academic record before enrollment.
   2. Transfer Undergraduate Student - A transfer student has obtained a high school diploma (or equivalent) and has been enrolled at any college/university for one or more semesters following high school graduation.  We will need official transcript/academic records for each college or university attended outside the U.S. must be translated into English and evaluated into a course-by-course report by an approved credential evaluation agency.  If you attended a college or university within the U.S., we just need your official transcript from each school to be submitted to us. 
      1. If you attempted less than 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours at a college or university, you must submit your official transcript/academic records from your last four years of secondary school too.
   3. Proof of English proficiency if the applicant’s native language is not English. The preferred method of proof is an official score report from TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, ACT or Duolingo English Test.

Note that one of the following may also be submitted to verify English language proficiency depending on the program of interest:

• Completion of a college-level English composition or other reading intensive courses with a B/3.0 or equivalent at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or a non-U.S. college or university where instruction is in English.
• An official transcript showing completion of an associate of arts, associate of science, or a higher degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or a non-U.S. college or university where instruction is in English

International Undergraduate Enrollment Guidelines

1. An offer of admission, if applicable, will be sent via your application portal.
2. To confirm enrollment, the applicant will submit the enrollment deposit. This enrollment deposit may be paid online and will be applied to tuition.
3. An I-20 form will be forwarded, once a completed certificate of financial responsibility form and supporting financial documentation have been received.

LR Online

The LR Online program at Lenoir-Rhyne University is designed to serve the needs of students needing a completely asynchronous, online program. LR Online students will be considered for admission upon meeting the requirements specified below. It is the student’s responsibility to submit the following:

1. A completed, accurate application for undergraduate admission 
2. Official transcripts from each college or university attended. Final high school transcript will be required if no college courses were attempted or if fewer than 30 credit hours were attempted after high school graduation.

*Prospective students may be admitted based on unofficial transcripts and/or as courses in progress, however a final official transcript must be received prior to a student enrolling at Lenoir-Rhyne.

All students admitted to the BS in Business Administration, BS in Professional Studies, RIBN, and the RN to BS in Nursing program will be classified as LR Online students. 

LR Online students are charged tuition at a discounted rate and are therefore not eligible for any additional institutional scholarships.

Re-Entry Students

If you are a former undergraduate student and have been away from Lenoir-Rhyne for three or fewer semester, you are not required to reapply. Instead, you will work with the Registrar’s Office for re-entry to LR. Please contact the Registrar’s Office at registrar@lr.edu or 828-328-7279 for further instructions. 

If you were last enrolled at Lenoir-Rhyne more than three semesters ago, please proceed with the application for re-entry.

To reapply, it is the student’s responsibility to submit the following:

1. A completed, accurate application for undergraduate admission 
2. If courses were taken at another college or university after leaving LR, official transcripts from each college or university attended must be provided

To be readmitted, re-entry students must be in good standing with the BEAR Central and the Office of Student Life.

Re-Entry for Military Service Students

Students who are required to fulfill active military service obligations during a period of enrollment should notify the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible. Students who will be in service for less than 30 consecutive days will not be academically penalized or withdrawn from courses unless the student makes this specific request. Faculty members will coordinate efforts with the student either during their deployment or upon their immediate return to make up any missing course requirements.

Students who are required to fulfill active military service obligations which require them to cease enrollment more than 30 consecutive days are not required to reapply to the university and may return with the same academic status. Students should inform the Registrar’s Office of their deployment and expected date of return as soon as possible and will work with the Registrar’s Office to enroll in courses for the next available term.

Confirmation of Enrollment

Payment of an enrollment deposit confirms the acceptance of an offer of admission. Enrollment deposits are required prior to being registered for classes and/or to be assigned to any residency on campus. Enrollment deposit amounts vary by population, degree program and campus. Please refer to your Acceptance Letter for current fees or contact your admission counselor for more information. Enrollment deposits for the fall and summer terms are refundable only if requests are received before May 1^st. For the spring term, enrollment deposits are refundable if requests are received before December 1^st. Questions regarding enrollment deposits should be directed to the Admission Office at 828.328.7382 or admission@lr.edu.

Deferred Enrollment

Students who have been accepted and/or have paid an enrollment deposit for any undergraduate degree-seeking program may defer enrollment for up to one academic year from their original year of acceptance. The Admission Office must be notified of the student’s wish to defer admission prior to the start of the original term for which the student applied. Students wishing to defer admission to a specific program should consult with their admissions counselor for information regarding deferred enrollment. 

Orientation

Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Hickory campus offers The Charge: New Student Orientation for all incoming first-year and transfer students. This program is designed to facilitate undergraduate students’ transition into the Lenoir-Rhyne University community.

The Charge is a two-day, overnight event during which Lenoir-Rhyne introduces new students to the University’s services, policies, and key personnel; provides academic advising to finalize course registration; and offers an opportunity for students to learn more about campus prior to their first semesters.  All first-year students participating in The Charge are required to stay on campus during the event, regardless of residential status.

High School Scholars Academy

The Lenoir-Rhyne University High School Scholars Academy (HSSA) is a two-year program for high school juniors or a one-year program for high school seniors who wish to pursue an advanced academic experience in preparation for collegiate success. Students must be at least 16 years old by August 31 of the year they will start at Lenoir-Rhyne. Through the program students also earn substantial college transfer credit. If accepted into the program, you will enroll in:

• Honors English III or IV
• Two or three additional college courses during the fall semester
• Three or four additional college courses during the spring semester

The High School Scholars Academy is limited to 60 spaces for each academic year. First preference for admission will be given to students enrolled in the Catawba County, Hickory Public, or Newton-Conover school systems. If there are still spaces remaining, applicants from private schools, home schools and other school systems will be considered. A waiting list will be established once the first 60 slots are filled.

High school students will be considered for admission to the High School Scholars Academy upon submitting the following:

1. A completed, accurate HSSA application
2. Official high school transcript
3. School counselor recommendation form
4. Letter of recommendation from a teacher
5. Self-reported disciplinary record
6. A personal written statement regarding your desire to participate in HSSA
7. Official college transcript(s) if any college work has been attempted, even if course(s) are listed on high school transcript 

Non-Degree Students

This classification is for individuals who never plan to obtain a degree from Lenoir-Rhyne University. Non-degree students may take a maximum of 12 undergraduate-level credit hours per semester. Admission as a non-degree student is granted on a semester-by-semester basis and is only permissible when space is available. Non-degree students will be considered for admission upon meeting the requirements listed below.

It is the student’s responsibility to submit the following:

1. A completed non-degree-seeking student application
2. Unofficial transcripts for students taking courses with prerequisites

Because this classification is designed for students taking courses purely for their edification, academic advisors are not assigned. For questions regarding non-degree students, please contact the Admission Office at 828.328.7382. 

*Note: students seeking entry to graduate-level courses as a non-degree student should refer to this section in the Graduate School Catalog.