Centenary College of Louisiana Acceptance Rate, GPA, and Admission Requirements

Every incoming Centenary freshman participates in Centenary in Paris, a faculty-led August Term course that takes the entire first-year class to Paris, France before the fall semester begins. This is not a study-abroad option or an optional orientation experience - it is a required, credit-bearing academic course (2-4 hours) that counts toward the graduation curriculum and is built into the flat tuition rate at no additional cost beyond travel. Course topics change by section and year (recent examples have included intercultural competency, American identity abroad, and French-Louisiana cultural connections). For applicants, this means that every student who enrolls at Centenary is starting college in Paris - and your application should demonstrate that this kind of immersive, intellectually curious launch resonates with your goals, not just that you 'like to travel.'

Centenary accepts applications without SAT or ACT scores, but only if a student's core high school GPA is at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students who choose the test-optional path must also submit a letter of recommendation in addition to the transcript and essay - making it a slightly higher-documentation process than the standard test-submitting path. Critically, the admissions page notes that test scores may be required for top merit award consideration, meaning students who withhold scores may be excluded from the highest scholarship tiers even if they are admitted. Students with scores at or above the median (ACT 25, SAT 1135) should strongly consider submitting them to maximize merit aid eligibility. Students using the test-optional path should ensure their recommendation letter comes from someone who can speak directly to their intellectual capacity, not just their character.

Centenary offers Early Action with a December 1 deadline and Regular Decision with a February 15 priority deadline; the application is free and accepted through Common App, the Centenary Application, or the Coalition/Scoir Application. Centenary does not charge an application fee. A unique scholarship lever that most applicants miss: scheduling and completing a campus visit earns a $1,000-per-year Campus Visit Scholarship - $4,000 total over four years. This is not a competitive award tied to academic profile; it is granted automatically upon completing the visit. Out-of-state students with a 3.0 Centenary-recalculated GPA are also automatically eligible for a $5,000-per-year Tuition Equalization Grant. Both awards can stack with other merit aid. Book the campus visit as early as possible and before submitting your application, not after.

Centenary posts its own outcome statistics for pre-health and pre-law students: 94% of Centenary students who apply to medical school are accepted, and 85% of those who apply to law school are accepted. These figures reflect a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, close faculty mentoring, and a rigorous but human-scale environment where advising relationships are built over four years rather than navigated through a bureaucracy. If you are applying with pre-health or pre-law intentions, these outcomes should anchor your essay and interview - not as statistics you read on the website, but as evidence that Centenary's model (small cohort, faculty mentorship, liberal arts preparation) specifically serves the kind of application-ready student you intend to become. Generic pre-med essays citing 'wanting to help people' will not distinguish you in a process this relationship-driven.