Admissions

• Placement Information

Admissions

Salem admits students of strong academic ability, motivation, and character whom it believes are likely to benefit from and contribute to the life of the College. Students from all religious, geographical, racial, and ethnic backgrounds are invited to apply for admission.Students can register as full-time or part-time students, although only students accepted into an undergraduate degree program may live on campus.

The Committee on Admissions considers each application individually. Neither the number of applicants from a single school nor the need for financial aid is a factor in admission decisions. The dean of admissions is glad to advise a prospective candidate about the academic program and to provide information about entrance requirements and the College curriculum in time for appropriate planning and preparation.

Salem College welcomes visitors to the campus throughout the year. While the College is in session, prospective students may tour campus, talk with Salem students and faculty and attend classes. The Office of Admissions is open for tours and interviews from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and, by appointment, from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturdays during the school year. Accessible tours are available for those requesting mobility accommodation. Appointments may be arranged at https://salem.edu/visit or by calling 1-800-32-Salem (1-800-327-2536) or (336) 721-2621, or by emailing (admissions@Salem.edu). You may also arrange appointments online at www.Salem.edu. Salem’s virtual tour is available at https://salem.edu/tour.

Required High School Program

Applicants must complete secondary school graduation requirements before enrolling at Salem. Excluding consideration for exceptional circumstances by the Faculty Admission Committee, a candidate is expected to present at least 16 academic units and is encouraged to carry a full academic program in their junior and senior years. This should include 4 units of English, 3 units of mathematics, 2 units of the same second language, 2 units of science, and 2 units of history. In extenuating circumstances precluding fulfillment of the language requirement, the application may be reviewed by the Faculty Admission Committee on a case-by-case basis.

Elective units may be submitted from the following: classical or modern languages; mathematics, which may include additional algebra, calculus, geometry or trigonometry; social studies, which may include history, geography, civics, economics, psychology or sociology; fine arts; religion; general science; and additional laboratory sciences.

Applicants who have completed college courses during high school should submit a transcript to the Registrar’s Office for placement and/or credit evaluation.

Procedure for Admission

1. Official Application. Students may apply online with no application fee at https://salem.edu/apply or through The Common Application, available on www.commonapp.org. Salem accepts applications through a redirect from the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) application, which is found at www.cfnc.org. Prospective students should complete their application as soon as possible during the fall; however, decisions are released only beginning November 1st of the preceding year. Decisions of the Admissions Committee are released thereafter on a rolling basis as soon as all credentials are assembled and reviewed. Salem College adheres to the Candidates’ Reply Date of the College Board, and accepted first-year students are required to notify the College of intention to enroll before May 1 in order to be guaranteed admission and any merit-based aid offered prior to that date.
2. Secondary School Record. An applicant should have her secondary school record sent to the College. This record should give specific information regarding courses, grades, rank in class, standardized test scores, etc., through the junior year, and should indicate the subjects to be completed by the end of the senior year. Prior to enrollment, an admitted student must provide a final transcript showing proof of high school graduation or G.E.D. Salem accepts self-reported GPA for initial consideration, however the admissions committee must receive the full and official transcript prior to a final decision, which must accord with or exceed the G.P.A. in the self-report.
3. Test Requirements. The submission of the SAT of the College Entrance Examination Board or the ACT of the American College Testing Program is optional.
4. Recommendations. The College may require a letter of recommendation from a teacher in an academic subject. This letter may be sent to the Office of Admissions at admissions@Salem.edu or 601 South Church Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
5. Personal interview. A personal interview is not required but may be arranged by calling or emailing the Office of Admissions.
6. The faculty of the School of Music determine whether or not an assessment performance is required of candidates for music scholarships, which are available to students interested in the music concentration of the major in Visual and Performing Arts. Appointments are made through the Office of Admissions. The School of Music will accept a recording of the applicant’s performance (about 20 minutes in length) in lieu of an in-person performance.

Early Admissions

The College offers two early admissions programs for high school students of ability and talent who wish to begin their collegiate work after the junior year of high school.

1. Through the College early admissions program, a student may be admitted to Salem upon the completion of her junior year in high school. A student who wishes to enter the College through this program should present evidence of academic achievement and social maturity which indicate that they she can successfully undertake college work sooner than most college entrants. The application procedures are the same as for those who apply under the regular plan of admission. Additional information on early admission programs may be obtained by writing or calling the dean of admissions.
2. Eligible high school students in their junior or senior year may apply for dual enrollment classes at Salem. A high school student should apply through the Office of Admissions, submitting the required application form and essay and a copy of her high school transcript. Dual enrollment may include no more than two total courses in each regular semester (fall or spring). Questions about registration and all advising matters for dual enrollment students should be directed to the dean of undergraduate studies at (336) 721-2619.

Undergraduate Certificate Program

Salem College offers a certificate program in nonprofit management and community leadership, consisting of 6 college-level courses. The program is designed to provide the student with focused professional training and/or to provide the student with additional qualifications in their career trajectory. Students seeking admission to the certificate program must submit their application and provide proof of high-school completion or official transcripts of all prior college work.

Courses in Salem’s certificate program are open to degree-seeking and certificate-seeking students alike, and coursework is fully applicable toward a Salem bachelor’s degree, however students wishing to convert from certificate-seeking to degree-seeking status will be required to make a separate application. A complete description of the certificate program’s curriculum may be found in the “Certificate Programs” section of this Catalog.

Non-Degree Enrollment

Special enrollment is available to those who wish to take courses for academic credit but who are not applying for consideration to pursue a degree at Salem. This category is appropriate, for example, for individuals who take a semester of study initially as special enrollees, teachers preparing for licensure or post-baccalaureate students who are preparing for graduate programs such as a medical degree or a master’s in business administration. Applicants must provide proof of high school completion (or higher) in order to be considered for special enrollment. Prospective students interested in special enrollment should contact the Office of Admissions.

Auditors

A student may not attend a class unless they are officially registered, either for credit or as an auditor. Registration as an auditor permits a student to enroll in a course without working for a grade or credit. An auditor is expected to attend class regularly and participate in class discussion or activities as invited by the instructor. Complete information on auditing may be found in the “Academic Regulations” section of this catalog. Prospective students should contact the Office of Admissions.

International Admissions

International students seeking admission to Salem College should submit the following documents:

1. A formal application for admission as an undergraduate student
2. Secondary school records with an English translation
3. Exam results if student took GCEs, Ordinary Levels, Advanced Levels or International Baccalaureate exams
4. TOEFL results (score must be at least 550 on the paper-based test, 213 on the computer-based test or 79 on the Internet-based test), IELTS results (score must be at least 6.5), or Duolingo results (score must be at least 100). See Conditional admission policy below
5. A letter of recommendation, typically from a teacher
6. A Certificate of Finance and Application for Financial Aid for International Students

All of the forms necessary for completing an application to Salem can be found on-line at https://Salem.edu/global.

Any student who has university credit from an international college or university must also submit a copy of their postsecondary transcript complete with a course-by-course evaluation of credit from World Education Services Inc. (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). WES can be reached at www.wes.org. ECE can be reached at www.ece.org.

Salem College will not review international transcripts or award credit without an evaluation from WES or ECE. All credits accepted as a result of this evaluation will be given grades of P (“Pass”).

Conditional Admission for International Students

American Language Academy® (ALA) provides intensive English language program classes for students who require additional English language study prior to beginning their academic studies at Salem. Under an official memorandum of understanding between ALA and Salem College, students may be admitted to Salem College upon completing the ALA course of study in lieu of the TOEFL test, provided that they meet all other Salem admission requirements. ALA® Students may receive a Conditional Letter of Admission (CLA) to Salem College upon enrollment in our intensive English program. To apply for admission to American Language Academy®, please visit www.alaenglish.com or contact (336) 285-7318.

Admission to the College Honors Program

Salem provides formal opportunities for qualified students to undertake honors study. Entering first-year students who are eligible for admission to the College Honors Program include those students who rank in the upper 10 percent of the entering class (if it is ranked) and have a cumulative high school grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or greater based on a 4.0 scale. Entering students whose GPA is 4.0 or higher on the same scale may be eligible for an Honors Scholarship toward tuition over and above other merit aid. Alternatively, undergraduate students earning a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in or beyond their first semester at Salem are eligible for admission to the College Honors Program. See the description of the College Honors Program in the “Academic Program” section of this catalog for greater detail.

Transfer Admissions and Credit Information

Each year students transfer to Salem College from other two- and four-year colleges. Normally, the high school record of a transfer student should demonstrate that at the time of graduation, the student met general first-year entrance requirements, although special consideration is given to individual cases, and that in addition the students has performed at a similar level in college work. The following credentials must be presented by each applicant for admission as a transfer student:

1. A formal application for admission.
2. One letter of recommendation from a teacher.
3. An official transcript from each college attended and a transcript of the secondary school record.

Transfer Credit Policy

College-level educational work completed at any institution accredited by an accreditor that was recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the U. S. Department of Education at the time the credits were awarded, may, where applicable, be credited towards the requirements for a degree at Salem. If a student has taken college-equivalent coursework at a postsecondary institution that holds no accreditation, the student may submit an appeal to have the coursework considered for possible transfer credit. Coursework must be comparable to what would be found in an accredited college or university program and must be compatible with a liberal arts education. Coursework for potential credit will be reviewed and approved by the appropriate division or designated bodies. The student may be required to complete an appeal form that requires substantial additional information on the coursework in question (textbooks, instructor credentials, contact hours, etc.). If the program of study which the student pursued is one typically offered by various four-year colleges and universities, but is not part of the traditional liberal arts and is not offered at Salem, the student may receive a maximum of twenty-four semester hours of elective credit (examples: theater arts, engineering, etc.).

College-level courses taken at an institution accredited by an accreditor that was recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the U. S. Department of Education will only be considered for transfer credit if the student has earned a grade of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better. Grades from other institutions do not transfer into Salem College and are not included in the cumulative GPA.

To be admitted to Salem, the minimum GPA for the sum of all college-level coursework to be transferred into Salem College from other institutions must be 2.0 based on a 4.0 scale. In cases where the student’s prior coursework was completed five or more years prior to the intended date of enrollment at Salem, the coursework completed at that institution may be excluded from the GPA calculation for purposes of admissions decisions. Students with less than a 2.0 GPA may be admitted conditionally, with the permission of the Admissions Committee. Students must meet any conditions of enrollment in order to maintain their registration at Salem.

A student who enters Salem as a senior must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours at Salem in order to qualify for graduation. A maximum of 70 Salem semester hours may be awarded for work completed at a two-year college. A maximum of 90 Salem semester hours may be awarded for work completed at a four-year college. While coursework which exceeds the maximum transferable credit will not be applied to the minimum credits required for graduation, that coursework may, where appropriate, and with the permission of relevant academic divisions, be used to waive prerequisites or other program requirements.

Transcripts of prior work will be evaluated by the Registrar’s Office and final acceptance, or rejection of the transfer credit lies with the College. All transfer credit will be regarded as tentative, pending the finalization of the student’s enrollment at Salem at the end of the drop/add period.

Any student who is approved for readmission after one calendar year or more or who returns to the College after a “step out” period of one calendar year or more will be bound by all requirements (including general degree requirements and major requirements) of the catalog in effect at the time of re-enrollment; the college may also re-evaluate previously awarded transfer credit. Prior-year catalogs are viewable at registrar@salem.edu.

Transferability of Online Laboratory Coursework in Chemistry and Physics
The Salem College chemistry faculty strongly believes in the importance of laboratory experience. As such, transfer students wishing to have chemistry or physics course credit containing online or virtual laboratory experience transfer into their degree program at Salem must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Students may not register for CHEM 201 (Organic Chemistry I) without having completed at least one semester of hands-on lab (i.e., not a virtual lab or online lab) toward the equivalent of CHEM 110 or CHEM 120. A student who completed both the equivalent of CHEM 110 and 120 with only a virtual lab prior to enrollment at Salem would be required to repeat the laboratory portion of CHEM 120 prior to registering for CHEM 201. A student who completed any chemistry course higher than 120 with an online or virtual lab would be required to repeat the laboratory portion of the course to have the transfer credit count toward her major.
2. A student who completed both the equivalent of PHYS 210 and 220 with a virtual lab prior to enrollment at Salem would be required to repeat the laboratory portion of either PHYS 210 or 220 to have the transfer credit count toward her major.
3. Once a student is enrolled at Salem, she may not enroll in any subsequent courses with an online or virtual lab at another institution and have such a transfer course count toward any Salem degree requirements.

Transfer Articulation with North Carolina Community College System

Salem College is a signatory institution of the Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU) and the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS). This agreement, signed in 2009 and renewed in 2015, expands opportunities for students to transfer to Salem. As part of this agreement, Salem College guarantees that NCCCS students who graduate with the associate in arts (AA) or associate in science (AS) degree, or who have completed the Core curriculum Core for the AA or AS, and who are admitted to and enroll at Salem, shall be considered to have completed the requirements for the lower-division Salem Impact core curriculum core. Such students will still need to meet Salem’s foreign language, and gender inquiry, where applicable, as well as SALEM 110 or 111 (if AA or AS was earned in a high school dual enrollment program) and all upper-division Salem Impact requirements toward the degree (see section on Academic Standing and Classification).

Students who graduated with an AA or AS from a NCCCS college prior to fall 1997 do not fall under the provisions of the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement. Students who graduate from an NCCCS college with a degree other than the AA or AS are not subject to the articulation agreement. Since no core curriculum waiver is granted to such students, evaluation of their prior coursework is performed on a course-by-course basis.

Once a student is enrolled at Salem, courses taken at other institutions accredited by an accreditor that is recognized by the Council for Higher Education or the U.S. Department of Education are applicable to the degree only if approved in advance by 1) the relevant program director offering a comparable course, 2) the registrar, and 3) the student’s advisor. Pre-approval ensures course transferability, applicability toward degree, major, or minor requirements, and adherence to Salem residency requirements. Transfer credit pre-approval forms can be obtained online at registrar@salem.edu. Once coursework is completed, the student must have official transcripts of coursework sent to the Office of the Registrar at Salem.

Any student who is approved for readmission after one calendar year or more or who returns to the College after a “step out” period of one calendar year or more will be bound by all requirements (including general degree requirements and major requirements) of the catalog in effect at the time of re-enrollment; the college may also re-evaluate previously awarded transfer credit. Prior-year catalogs are viewable at registrar@salem.edu.

NOTE: Full-time students may not enroll concurrently at another college, except to take courses at another institution’s summer-school program, subject to the residency requirements of their degree program. Transfer credit pre-approval is required. 

Transfer Agreement with Forsyth Technical Community College

Salem College announced on October 10, 2019, a co-admission agreement with Forsyth Technical Community College to facilitate degree completion and student success by improving access to undergraduate educational resources, university facilities, and support systems. As part of this agreement, Salem College guarantees admission to FTCC students who graduate with the associate in arts (AA), associate in science (AS), or associate in applied science (AAS) degree with a 2.0 GPA or higher.

Memoranda of Understanding

Salem has a range of agreements with community colleges to assist students transferring to Salem, as well as agreements with a number of graduate programs to assist Salem students in getting into graduate programs of their choice. To learn more about Salem’s articulation agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with other schools, visit the Salem website page on Articulation Agreements or contact the Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Placement Information

Advanced Placement (AP)

An entering first-year student may apply for advanced placement and/or credit if she submits scores of four or five (depending on the exam) on the Advanced Placement tests of the College Board. In addition, an entering student who has completed courses/tests in the International Baccalaureate Program may apply for advanced placement and/or credit in certain academic areas if she submits scores of five or above on higher level exams (depending on the exam). For specific information on these opportunities, see the policies on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate in the Academic Regulations portion of this catalog.

Mathematics Placement Information

Mathematics placement recommendations are based on a holistic look at the student’s interests, past high school and college courses, transfer credits, any end-of-course or end-of-grade standardized test scores, ACT or SAT scores, planned course of study, and other information in the student’s academic record.

Placement recommendations are provided to first-year advisors, the Registrar’s Office, and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies when a student enters Salem. If, after consulting with her academic advisor, a student wishes to contest the recommended course or to take a course that was not recommended for which prerequisites are not met, she may request that the mathematics program director review the recommendation or may submit an Academic Appeal to request enrollment in a different course.

Foreign Language Placement Information

Students who wish to study French or Spanish, who are not transferring college-level credit in those languages, and who either have taken one of those languages in high school or have otherwise learned to speak it, should take the appropriate online language placement test. The results of the test will inform the student of the particular course in French or Spanish in which the student should continue her study of that language. Students starting a new language or who are placed at level 010 will need to complete levels 010 and 020, while those who are placed at a higher level will be required to only complete one.

Students who wish to study Latin or Classical Greek, who are not transferring college-level credit in those languages, and who have taken one of those languages in high school should contact the dean of undergraduate studies for information on course placement.