Admissions gives high-school upperclassmen a “Corban Experience”
February 11 , 2009
High-school juniors and seniors, almost 140 in all, visited campus Sunday through Monday. The Admissions Office’s visit weekend allows prospective students a sense of what it is like to be a Corban student, complete with an overnight stay with current students in their residence halls.
Approximately 120 current students hosted the 89 girls and 49 boys. Freshman Erin Kropf willingly shared her room: “I like hosting because it gives me a chance to meet possible future students, and if they do come next year, it’s cool to see them as students here. I know from my own experience. The person who hosted me when I came for the Experience was on my floor the next year when I came as a student, and we actually became good friends.”
The prospective students attended a variety of activities: regular classes, a chapel service, a financial aid workshop, and even a Professor Fair where they met and asked questions of 20 faculty members. Additionally, they toured campus and ate in the dining hall. Some met with Corban coaches and others auditioned for music scholarships.
Director of Admissions Heidi Stowman highlighted Sunday night’s Christian comedian Brad Stine, who entertained in the Psalm Performing Arts Center, as part of the Experience’s welcome. Moreover, her evaluation forms indicated the high-school students loved interacting with Corban students and professors.
“That was the key,” said Stowman, “mingling with real-life Corban people.”
One prospective student wrote, “It was amazing to visit here. I really felt welcomed and have met a lot of new people. I loved getting to go to classes and see how much the professors were invested in their students.”
Kropf and the other hosts and hostesses made the Experience authentic, offering more than just a place to sleep: valuable perspective. “It’s just a cool thing to be able to share with them what college life is really like here.”
