What are Loras College'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 Loras College and build a strong application.
School location: Dubuque, IA
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 Loras College is 18.5%. For every 100 applicants, only 19 are admitted.
This means the school is
extremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don't meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.
After crossing this hurdle, you'll need to impress Loras College application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation. We'll cover more below.
Want to build the best possible college application?
Loras College 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.
The average GPA at Loras College is 3.54.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.54, Loras College
requires you to be around average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, and very few C's. If you have a lower GPA, you can compensate with harder courses like AP or IB classes. This will help boost your weighted GPA and show your ability to take college classes.
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 3.54, 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.
Loras College Testing Policy
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Only a few schools require the SAT or ACT, but many consider your scores if you choose to submit them.
Loras College hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Otherwise, don't."
Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to Loras College will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. We therefore recommend that you consider taking the SAT or ACT, and doing well.
Loras College 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.
The average SAT score composite at Loras College is a 1099 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes Loras College Competitive for SAT test scores.
Loras College SAT Score Analysis
The 25th percentile SAT score is 998, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1183. In other words, a 998 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1183 will move you up to above average.
Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:
Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
Math | 560 | 508 | 603 |
Reading + Writing | 539 | 490 | 580 |
Composite | 1099 | 998 | 1183 |
SAT Score Choice Policy
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
Loras College ACT Requirements
Just like for the SAT, Loras College likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
The average ACT score at Loras College is 23. This score makes Loras College Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 19, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 25.
Even though Loras College likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 19 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 23 and above that a 19 will look academically weak.
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 25 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.
We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to Loras College, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 25.
SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements
Currently, only the ACT has an optional essay section that all students can take. The SAT used to also have an optional Essay section, but since June 2021, this has been discontinued unless you are taking the test as part of school-day testing in a few states. Because of this, no school requires the SAT Essay or ACT Writing section, but some schools do recommend certain students submit their results if they have them.
Loras College considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don't need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you're applying to may require or recommend it.
Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.
To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1183 SAT or a 25 ACT. You should also have a 3.54 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.
For a school as selective as Loras College, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.
But if you apply with a score below a 1183 SAT or a 25 ACT, you unfortunately start out with the odds against you and have a tiny chance of getting in. There are just too many students with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.
Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of Loras College here.
Application Requirements Overview
-
Common Application
Not accepted
-
Electronic Application
Available
-
Essay or Personal Statement
Required for some freshmen
-
Letters of Recommendation
1
-
Interview
Required for some
-
Application Fee
No fee required for domestic applicants
-
Fee Waiver Available?
Available
-
Other Notes
Testing Requirements
-
SAT or ACT
Considered if submitted
-
Scores Due in Office
None
Coursework Requirements
-
Subject
Required Years
-
English
-
Math
-
Science
-
Foreign Language
-
Social Studies
-
History
-
Electives
Deadlines and Early Admissions
-
-
Offered?
Deadline
Notification
-
Regular Admission
-
Yes
September 1
September 1
-
Early Action
-
Early Decision
Admissions Office Information
If You Liked Our Advice...
Subscribe to our newsletter to get FREE strategies and guides sent to your email. Learn how to ace the SAT with exclusive tips and insights that we share with our private newsletter subscribers.
You should definitely follow us on social media. You'll get updates on our latest articles right on your feed. Follow us on all of our social networks: