College!?!

By Steven Cholak

Hey … have you been thinking about college? The time must be getting pretty close for some of you to decide where to spend the next four years of your life. I agree it is a pretty difficult decision. There lies before you the option of public schools, you know the Ohio State University, the University of Indiana, or Colorado State just to name a few. You could also pick one of the thousand private universities such as Notre Dame or Harvard. But how about the Concordia University System?

What is the Concordia University System (CUS)? The CUS is an organization of ten schools of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. The universities are located all over the United States from Portland, Oregon, to Bronxville, New York. They have schools in Illinois and Alabama as well as Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska, California, and Minnesota. So wherever you live, there is a Concordia near you … but you may ask, why a Concordia?

I had the wonderful experience of attending Concordia University-River Forest. Some of the greatest days of my life were spent within its hallowed gates. The Concordia system schools are not very large universities and, therefore, offer a family atmosphere. One of the greatest parts about being a Concordia student is that everyone cares about the community. Truly fostering a Christian atmosphere, the Concordias have family character-not just any family character, but a Christian family character. Each of the Concordias has strong liberal arts or education departments with competent and caring faculties allowing for students to specialize in what they love. These are also surrounded by strong departments of theology, allowing continued study of the church as well as Biblical languages to prepare you for later work if necessary.

The Concordia University System allows for students to participate in exchange programs with other Concordias as well. This is a wonderful asset for students who need specific course work or need to fulfill specific requirements, as they can do so easily.

All of this makes the Concordias caring, fun, learning environments where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is lifted up. There is a CUS school for you, whether you like sunny California or the Windy City of Chicago, you will find a home … I encourage you to visit a Concordia and see for yourself. God's blessings on your decision!

Steve Cholak is a first-year seminarian at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.