McPherson College is an ideal place for students to develop as whole persons, to learn, to explore and to grow. Offering a challenging liberal arts foundation, relevant career-oriented majors, and broad opportunities for internships in real-life settings, McPherson College provides a nurturing environment in which tomorrow’s leaders can discover their life’s work and their place in the world. Students who invest in the McPherson College experience will discover success measured in terms of classroom achievement, personal relationships, career opportunities and the enrichment of their entire lives.
Individuals wishing to be considered for admission must submit the following:
- A completed Application for Admission
- An application fee is NOT required
- Official copies of all academic transcripts (high school AND college, if applicable)
- Official copy of standardized test scores – Acceptable standardized testing programs are the American College Testing Program (ACT), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Students who are accepted are required to pay a $150 deposit prior to being enrolled in classes. $100 is applied to the student’s account. For Automotive Restoration students the deposit is $250, with $200 applied to the student’s account.
McPherson College welcomes all students, regardless of sex, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation or national origin, with equal opportunity for admission. Specific admissions procedures and criteria follow.
First-time Freshman Applicants
After the completion of the junior year (6th semester) of high school, an official application form can be submitted online at www.mcpherson.edu/admissions/application. Applicants must ask their high school guidance counselor to forward a copy of their secondary school record directly to McPherson College. Students’ credentials are reviewed as soon as a completed application is received.
Criteria for admission include a state-certified high school transcript or the completion of the GED, corresponding standardized test scores, and appropriate personal qualifications. Recommendations from high school guidance personnel, teachers and pastors may be examined concerning character traits and personal qualifications. We welcome applications from home school applicants. Students with the following admission criteria are more likely to succeed at McPherson College:
- A minimum cumulative high school GPA of 2.0 (3.0 preferred) and
- A minimum ACT composite score of 18 (20 ACT preferred) or
- A minimum SAT score of 940 (combining critical reading and math)
Transfer Applicants
Criteria for admission include
- Official copy of transcript(s) from all colleges or universities attended demonstrating satisfactory completion of 12 hours of college- level coursework.
- A minimum cumulative college GPA of 2.0 from all transfer college-level coursework.
Only academic work from accredited institutions will be accepted at McPherson College. Credit accepted for transfer to McPherson College shall count as hours earned. Hours attempted and grade points achieved will not be transferred. Only courses in which a grade of C or better has been earned will be transferred as credit toward graduation. Consequently, a student’s grade point average will be dependent upon courses attempted at McPherson College.
Courses taken at another institution to replace a letter grade in a McPherson College course will not be accepted. McPherson College courses taken as a replacement course will be listed on the student’s transcript along with the initial and replacement course grades. Both course grades count toward a student’s cumulative GPA.
Applicants with fewer than 12 hours of college level credit may be required to take the ACT or SAT examination for diagnostic purposes.
Students who transfer to McPherson College during the 2017-2018 academic year will be expected to complete the general education requirements as outlined in this catalog. Transfer students holding an associate of arts or associate of science degree may be admitted with all earned credits transferring, and with general education foundation and distribution requirements met provided the student is not working toward teacher licensure. Students holding a certificate or degree other than an AA or AS will be evaluated on a course by course basis. Please refer to the General Education Requirements section.
Students wanting to transfer from McPherson College should work with the transferring institution in regards to their transfer credit policy since each institution decides what they will accept for credit.
Transfer students who have earned 64 credit hours may not transfer further two-year college credit. The last 60 hours of the bachelor’s degree must be taken at a four-year institution. Credit may be given for the service-training program conducted by the various branches of the Armed Services as recommended by the American Council on Education in “A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces.”
Reverse Transfer
McPherson College participates in a universal reverse transfer program with the Kansas Community Colleges. This program allows students to receive an associate’s degree from their most recent community college by combining credits earned at McPherson College with credits earned at the community college. Students who transfer at least 45 credit hours to McPherson College from Hesston College, Donnelly College, or any Kansas public community college are eligible to participate in the reverse transfer program.
Students who wish to participate must sign a Reverse Transfer Agreement. At the end of each semester, McPherson College will submit an official transcript back to the student’s community college for each student who is enrolled in the Reverse Transfer program and has at least 60 cumulative earned credit hours. Once the student has met all degree requirements for their declared associate’s degree, the community college will award the associate’s degree to the student.
Returning Applicants
Students who have previously attended McPherson College and who have interrupted their McPherson College program for longer than the period of one semester must make application for readmission by submitting:
- A completed Reapplication for Admissions
- Copies of academic transcripts from McPherson College and any colleges/universities the student has attended (students must possess a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0)
International Applicants
All non-United States citizens who are not permanent residents and who wish to study at McPherson College must complete the International Student Application.
Required Materials for Admission to McPherson College:
- International Application for Admission
- Official copies of your academic records submitted to INCRED (International Credential Evaluation).
- Create an account at https://incredevals.org and upload an official copy of your transcript. Please choose McPherson College as the recipient of the evaluation. There is an $85 fee for processing.
- Official TOEFL or SAT scores are required for all international students.
- English proficiency is verified by the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL.) Required minimum TOEFL score for McPherson College is 79 (iBT) or 550 (PBT).
- The SAT can be substituted for the TOEFL with a minimum required score of 940 composite (Reading and Math only.) McPherson College SAT code is #6404.
- English proficiency is verified by the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL.) Required minimum TOEFL score for McPherson College is 79 (iBT) or 550 (PBT).
- Affidavit of Support/Bank Statements
- The affidavit should be signed by the party responsible for payment. Include with the affidavit 6 months of bank statements that support the ability of the responsible party to make payment.
- A photocopy of your passport. To ensure that immigration documents are prepared accurately, please provide a copy of your valid passport.
Once a student is ACCEPTED
- A letter of Acceptance will be emailed to you at the email address you supply on your application.
- Please submit your $500 Enrollment/Housing Deposit.
I-20 – will be sent ONLY after your $500 Enrollment/Housing Deposit is received
The I-20 is mailed to you at the address listed on your application. You will use this to obtain an F-1 Visa which will allow you to enter the US to attend McPherson College.
Please work with the Admissions Office to arrange pick-up from the Wichita, KS (ICT) Airport.
Automotive Restoration Applicants
Individuals interested in studying automotive restoration technology must be admitted separately to the program after being admitted to the college. Enrollment in the automotive restoration technology program is limited. To be admitted into the program, an applicant must:
- Apply to McPherson College.
- Prepare and Upload the Following Materials to Slideroom:
1) A brief statement of interest (between 100 – 500 words) describing the applicant’s motivation for seeking a bachelor’s degree in Automotive Restoration at McPherson College;
2) A résumé outlining applicant’s education, activities, honors, employment, service and leadership experience where applicable;
3) Submit six to 25 images that represent applicant’s aptitude for restoring antique automobiles or motorcycles, where applicable. Personal experience in automotive restoration is beneficial, but examples of an applicant’s skills and/or craftsmanship in other areas are acceptable. Images that show a progression of work or that illustrate work in process are particularly meaningful to reviewers. All images should be accompanied by captions. The captions may be included in the images themselves, added to the end of applicant’s statement of interest, or uploaded as a separate file.
Submit the aforementioned materials to Slideroom using the following link: https://mcphersoncollegeautorestoration.slideroom.com. There is a $10 fee that must be paid to Slideroom for the use of this service. Once accepted to the college, applicant’s materials will be reviewed in their entirety. A decision will be made within three to five business days. Applicants will be notified by email and a letter regarding the outcome of this review.
- Upon acceptance into the automotive restoration program, students must submit a $250 deposit to reserve their place. $200 of the deposit will be applied to the student’s account. Entrance to the program is not finalized until acceptance and deposit are completed.
- Early applications are encouraged because the number of students admitted to the program is limited.
Mid-year Undergraduate Entrance
Most baccalaureate degree programs are available to students who wish to start their academic careers second semester. Consequently, each year a number of students enter the college at the beginning of the spring semester. The Admissions Office welcomes inquiries concerning mid-year entrance.
Applicants for M.Ed. or Graduate Courses in Education
Individuals wishing to be considered for admission to take graduate courses in education at McPherson College should visit http://www.mcpherson.edu/grad-courses.
Admission Requirements and Process
- Application (no fee required)
- Proof of bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
- Official transcripts from all colleges
- GPA of 3.0
- Essay stating professional goals (approximately 300 words)
- Two letters of recommendation
All materials are reviewed by a subcommittee of the Teacher Education Board. The subcommittee’s recommendation is forwarded to Teacher Education Board for final approval.
Conditional Admission
Candidates not meeting the GPA requirement identified above may be admitted to the program on a provisional status assuming there is reasonable evidence of candidate success. Provisionally admitted candidates must earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their first six hours in order to remain in the program.