Academic Advising

Welcome to Minnesota North College from the Academic Advising Department!

Our advisors and counselors empower students to develop a vision and a plan for their academic goals. We are your personal advocate while you are at Minnesota North College from the day you walk through our doors to the day you walk out as a graduate, and beyond.

Once you have been accepted to Minnesota North College, you will be assigned an academic advisor or counselor based on your program of study and/or TRIO/SSS eligibility. They will help you build a personalized academic plan and provide information and referrals to help ensure your success.

Your Minnesota North College counselor/advisor will help you:

  • Explore your career goals to find a program that matches those goals
  • Select classes to take each semester
  • Stay on track with completing degree requirements
  • Navigate your college experience and access college and community resources
  • Transfer to another college or university

When you have a question and don’t know who to ask or where to turn, we’re here to help. We look forward to meeting with you to discuss any questions concerning your academic experience.

*Note: academic advisors and counselors can both assist you with your academics, while counselors specifically can help you with personal, crisis, and career counseling services. Our counselors are available to meet with any student needing these resources. Counseling Services

Minnesota North College’s course placement process determines a student’s readiness for reading, writing, and mathematics courses. It is used to assist a student with the selection of appropriate courses to help assure a student’s success. All degree-seeking students are required to satisfy course placement. Course placement can be determined using one or a combination of the following information:

  • High school GPA – valid within the last 10 calendar years
  • Scores form ACT, SAT, MN Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) – valid within the last 5 calendar years
  • Standardized score reports from Advance Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and International Baccalaureate (IB)
  • Completion of college-level coursework from an accredited U.S. college or university
  • Accuplacer test scores
  • Self-Guided Placement – if you don’t have valid high school GPA or other score reports mentioned above.

You are EXEMPT from all assessment requirements if you:

  • Have an associate or bachelor’s degree or higher, or
  • Have completed courses at another college/university (i.e. Comp 1 and college level math)

High School GPA:

  • Students must have a 2.6 cumulative GPA or higher in order to be considered college-ready in reading and writing.
  • Students must have a 2.8 cumulative GPA & have passed Advanced Algebra (Alg II) with a C- or better to be considered college-ready for math.

If students do not meet the high school stand-alone GPA, multiple measures are evaluated for placement.

College Level Reading Placement Measures:

  • High School GPA 2.60 or higher
  • ACT Reading score of 21+ OR 19-20 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.5+
  • SAT Evidence based reading and writing test score of 480+ OR 440-479 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.5+
  • MCA Reading score: 1047+ OR 1042-1046 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.5+
  • Next Generation Reading Accuplacer 250+ OR 236-249 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.5+
  • Guided self-placement

College Level Writing Placement Measures:

Engl 1231 – College Composition 1

  • High School GPA 2.6 or higher
  • ACT English score of 18+ OR 16-17 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.5+
  • SAT Evidence based reading/writing score of 480+ OR 440-479 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.5+
  • MCA – there is no applicable MCA score for college writing placement
  • Next Generation Reading Accuplacer 250+ OR 236-249 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.5+
  • Guided self-placement

College Level Math Placement Measures:

Math 1220 – College Algebra • Math 1225 – Trigonometry • Math 1300 – Precalculus

  • High School GPA 2.8 or higher with Alg II (Advanced Alg). Grade C- or better
  • ACT MATH score of 22+ OR 20-21 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.7+
  • SAT MATH score of 530+ OR 520-529 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.7+
  • MCA score 1158+ OR 1152-1157 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.7+
  • Next Generation Accuplacer Adv. Alg. & Functions test 250+ OR 236-249 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.7+
  • Intermediate Algebra Accuplacer 60+
  • Math Guided self-placement


Math 1200 – Liberal Arts Math • Math 1215 – Statistics • Math 1100 – Math for Elementary Teachers (if needed for major) • Math 0300 – Intermediate Algebra (not a college level course)

  • High School GPA 2.3-2.79
  • Next Generation Accuplacer Advanced Alg & Functions 230-249
  • Next Generation Quantitative Reasoning, Alg & Stats 250+
  • Intermediate Alg 40-59
  • Next Generation Arithmetic 280+
  • MCA score 1150+ OR 1146-1149 & HS cumulative GPA of 2.7+
  • Math Guided self-placement


Calculus 1 – Math 1311

  • Next Generation Advanced Alg & Functions test 276+
  • ACT math score 27+

If you are not able to meet the multiple measures above for placement and decide an Accuplacer test is needed for course placement, you can review practice tests prior to completing the test(s).

Preparation: Next Generation Accuplacer Sample Questions · Reading Sample Questions · Arithmetic Sample Questions · Quantitative Reasoning Sample Questions · Intermediate Algebra Sample Questions · Advanced Algebra Sample Questions

ACCUPLACER FREE STUDY APP

More practice sites: Review “NEXT GENERATION” tests

http://www.mathhelp.com/accuplacer-math-test-prep/

https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/student/practice

https://www.learningexpresshub.com/productengine/LELIndex.html#/center/college-center/home

Student Review Materials (This site is not endorsed by Minnesota North or the Accuplacer College Board. However, students have found this review helpful in preparing for the placement tests.) · Accuplacer Sample Test Questions · Math Practice Exams with Video Solutions (developed by ARCC Math Dept.)

Advising Staff By Campus

Meet your Minnesota North College advising staff:

Lisa Bestul
College Counselor
lisa.bestul@minnesotanorth.edu
218.403.9224
Book an Appointment

Christina Brown
Academic Advisor, TRIO Student Support Services & Accessibility Coordinator
christina.brown@minnesotanorth.edu
218.403.9217
Book an Appointment

Michelle Chamernick
Academic Advisor, TRIO Student Support Services
michelle.chamernick@minnesotanorth.edu
218.403.9218
Book an Appointment

Mary Iozzo
Academic Advisor
mary.iozzo@minnesotanorth.edu
218.403.9228
Book an Appointment

Charlene Buss
Academic Advisor/PSEO Advisor
charlene.norlander@minnesotanorth.edu
218.403.9227
Book an Appointment

Melissa Wilson
TRIO Student Support Services Counselor
melissa.wilson@minnesotanorth.edu
218.403.9209
Book an Appointment

Becky Niemi
College Counselor
becky.niemi@minnesotanorth.edu
218.322.2321
Book an Appointment

Amie Furlong 

Amie Furlong

TRIO SSS Counselor
amie.furlong@minnesotanorth.edu
218.322.2361
Book an Appointment

Jackie Gallop
Academic Advisor, TRIO Student Support Services
jackie.gallop@minnesotanorth.edu
218.322.2430
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Elizabeth Gillman
Academic Advisor, TRIO Student Support Services
elizabeth.gillman@minnesotanorth.edu
218.322.2390
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Ann Vidovic
Program Supervisor – TRIO Student Support Services and Accessibility Services
ann.vidovic@minnesotanorth.edu
218.398.7306 Cell
218.322.2433 Office
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Kim Damiani
Academic Advisor
kimberly.damiani@minnesotanorth.edu
218.322.2370
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Kelly Dailey
TRIO Student Support Services Counselor
kelly.dailey@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2506
Book an Appointment

Tom Inforzato
Academic Advisor/Head Football Coach
thomas.inforzato@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2517
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Kevin Langdon
Academic Advisor – TRIO Student Support Services and Accessibility Services
kevin.langdon@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2524
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Sabrina Skeens
College Counselor
sabrina.skeens@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2619
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Antavius Thomas
Academic Advisor/Assistant Football Coach
antavius.thomas@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2544
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Christopher Vito
PSEO Advisor/Head Baseball Coach
christopher.vito@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2546
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Jennifer Willard
Director of TRIO Student Support Services/TRIO Advisor
jennifer.willard@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2548
Book an Appointment

Matt Jarva
TRIO and Technical Program Academic Advisor
matt.jarva@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2608

Sabrina Skeens
College Counselor
sabrina.skeens@minnesotanorth.edu
218.550.2619
Book an Appointment

Amy Amundsen
TRIO Student Support Services Academic Advisor, PSEO Advisor
amy.amundsen@minnesotanorth.edu
218.598.9326
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Kristi Huffaker
Retention Specialist & Rainy River Foundation Director
kristi.huffaker@minnesotanorth.edu
218.598.9342
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Kate Cowley
College Counselor
kate.cowley@minnesotanorth.edu
218.235.2121
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Marcia Chambers
TRIO Retention Specialist – Academic Advisor
marcia.chambers@minnesotanorth.edu
218.235.2174
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Annette Horvat
Supervisor for Academic Resources & TRIO Student Support Services
annette.horvat@minnesotanorth.edu
218.235.2176
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Molly Johnston
Academic Advisor – Assessment – Accessibility Services
molly.johnston@minnesotanorth.edu
218.235.2119
Book an Appointment

Shannan Harding
TRIO SSS Project Retention Assistant & Academic Advisor
shannan.harding@minnesotanorth.edu
218.235.2175
Book an Appointment

Additional Minnesota North College Support Services

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