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Tuesday Morning Epistles
Welcome to "Tuesday Morning"—where every day is a good day
to be encouraged, or to give encouragement to someone who
needs it.
College Admissions Services is a national organization that
advises parents of high school seniors on how to search for
the "right" college for their kids. CAS lists ten factors to
consider when creating an initial pool of colleges from
which to choose. The ten factors should not surprise anyone,
but here they are: geographic location; enrollment; campus
setting; campus safety; public vs. private; religious vs.
non-denominational; single-sex vs. coed; academic focus;
structured or free environment; and sports affiliations. (I
found it interesting that "affordability" is not listed as a
separate subject.) For a complete discussion of these
factors, go to Google and type in the search box, "How to
Select Colleges."
According to CAS, "Once you have selected a pool of colleges
based on your preferences, get your percentage chances of
admission for each of the colleges, so that you can
determine whether you have chosen a sufficient number of
safety, likely, and reach schools." Finally, they suggest
that you redefine your pool of colleges "so that you do not
paint yourself into a corner later in the admission
process."
If you, or your child, have done your homework well, you may
already be well on the way to select (and apply for
admission at) the college of your choice. But if that
decision is still in process, you may want to read the
"Tuesday Morning" for this week. The subject is, "The
Christian College." If this subject interests you, continue
to read on. I have tried to present a rationale for choosing
a Christian college over a secular institution of higher
learning. I welcome any feedback from you, our reader.
Thanks.
Tom Barnard
Editor
___________________________________________________________
The Christian College Tom Barnard
undreds of thousands of high school seniors—and their parents—are making decisions about where they will spend the next few years. They have listened to high school counselors. They have attended college fairs. Most college-bound, high-school graduating seniors have sent their test scores and transcripts to colleges and universities of their choice. They have solicited leaders in their church and community to write letters of recommendation. They have applied for scholarships and grants. They hope to hear from at least one of their top two or three college choices. And soon.
Where should high school seniors and their parents look in terms of choosing a college? Not just any college. The right college—at least the right college for them. There are many options to consider. How about the community college in the town where they live? Or the state college in the next town? Then there’s the university that is nationally recognized for the programs that interest them the most. Or what about the Ivy League school that everyone’s talking about? Then there’s the land-grant university that offers “green” programs. And don’t forget the universities that promise opportunities for graduate work beyond the four-year programs. Then there are the colleges that feature job placement after graduation.
Beyond the attractive features, is there anything else to consider when choosing a college? Absolutely. Some call it the values factor. Not the value received for the investment made, but the values the college or university holds as an integral part of its mission. The late Donald Metz, Ph.D., spent most of his adult life in college teaching and administration. Here is a paragraph I underlined in one of his books:
“The Christian college may well be one of the last best hopes of mankind. In a society that is degenerating into moral anarchy and intellectual stagnation the Christian college stands as a potential source of power and direction. The roots of the Christian college are well planted. The mission of the Christian college is clearly stated. The possibilities of the Christian college are unlimited.”
Dr. Donald Wellman pastored large churches in Colorado, Oregon, Florida, and Arizona. In a conference for ministers where Don was guest speaker, he referred to a study that one of his churches conducted over a period of years that traced the high school graduates from that congregation. He said the study revealed that of high school graduates that went on to college, nine out of ten that attended a Christian college or university remained spiritually committed to the Christian values they were taught in the church of their youth. On the other hand, Dr. Wellman said that of the high school graduates that pursued their college work at secular institutions of higher learning, about nine out of ten laid aside their Christian faith within a few years after they left home for college. While the study conducted by his church was not a truly scientific one, the conclusions were impressive.
Maybe those conclusions do not apply to your family or the college you choose. Maybe there are other factors that lead young people to remain true to the faith of their youth after college. Maybe the results where you live would show only 6 out of ten, or 7 out of ten kept their faith. But if, as Dr. Metz argues, “The Christian college (is) one of the last best hopes for mankind,” wouldn’t it be prudent to include this option as one of the reasons to encourage young people from your church to consider making a Christian college the college of their choice?
Experience shows that many crucial life-decisions for young adults occur between the age of 18 and 22—roughly the years most students attend college. Where do you want your youth to be when they make these decisions—in an environment where moral values are seldom taught or completely ignored, or in a God-honoring environment where positive influences for right living are embraced and taught? Don’t let financial concerns alone influence your decision about where your children attend college. It pays to be right the first time. |