Admission Overview

Holistic Admission

At CEPRES International University, we practice holistic admissions. This means we review each part of your application as an integrated and comprehensive whole.

One part tells us about your background and life experiences, another about your school and academic achievements. We learn about your character and intellectual contributions from others. Your essays reveal your ideas, interests, and what is meaningful to you.

Each year (in compliance with the law), we aim to enroll a class of diverse backgrounds, experiences, talents, academic interests, and perspectives.

In a holistic review, we seek to understand how you, as a whole person, would grow, contribute, and thrive at CEPRES, and how CEPRES would, in turn, be enriched by your presence.

Context

Just as no two CEPRES students are the same, each applicant to CEPRES is unique. This means that as we review each application, we pay careful attention to unique circumstances. We consider your background, educational pathway, and work and family responsibilities. By focusing on your achievements in context, we evaluate how you have excelled in your school environment and how you have taken advantage of what is available to you in your school and community.

Academic Excellence

The primary criterion for admission to CEPRES is academic excellence. We look for your preparation and potential to succeed. We expect you to challenge yourself throughout high school and to perform very well.

The most important credential for evaluating your academic record is your transcript. Please know that our evaluation goes beyond any numerical formula. There is no minimum GPA or test score, nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript to have your application reviewed or be admitted to CEPRES.

For more complete information on our curriculum guidelines for first-year students.

Intellectual Vitality

We want to see your commitment, dedication, and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons, both in what you write about yourself and in what others write on your behalf. We look for the kind of curiosity and enthusiasm that will spark lively discussions in seminars and continue conversations at the dinner table. We want to see the energy and depth of commitment you will bring to your endeavors, whether in a research lab, as part of a community organization, during a performance, or on an athletic field. We want to see the initiative with which you seek out opportunities and expand your perspective.

Extracurricular Activities

Learning about your extracurricular activities and non-academic interests helps us understand your potential contributions to the CEPRES community. Students often assume our primary concern is the number of activities in which a student participates. In fact, an exceptional depth of experience in one or two activities may demonstrate your passion more than minimal participation in five or six clubs. You may also hold a job or have family responsibilities. These are as important as any other extracurricular activity. In general, we want to understand the impact you have had at your job, in your family, in a club, in your school, or in the larger community, and we want to learn of the impact that experience has had on you.

In some cases, exceptional abilities in athletics may influence our decision if the applicant is otherwise well-qualified, but such abilities never, by themselves, ensure admission to CEPRES.