Admissions Process

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/unofficial copies of all academic transcripts (high school AND college, if applicable)
  • Official copy of standardized test scores will be considered but are not required – 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), Duolingo, or IELTS
  • 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 can be submitted online at www.mcpherson.edu/apply. Applicants must ask submit a copy of their secondary school record directly to McPherson College. Students’ credentials are reviewed upon receipt.

Criteria for admission include a state-certified high school transcript or the completion of the GED, corresponding standardized test scores (when required). 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.

Freshman Admissions Requirements

  • 3.0 and above  – test blind – automatic acceptance (regardless of test score)
  • 3.0 and above with 18 ACT equivalent continues to meet our admissions policy
  • 2.5 – 3.0 – no score or below 18 ACT equivalent – Materials reviewed by Associate Vice President for Enrollment
  •  Below 2.5– no score or below 18 ACT equivalent – Materials reviewed by Associate Vice President for Enrollment

Review Process:

  • 2.5 to 3.0 – no score or below 18 ACT equivalent – Associate VP and Director of Admissions will make a decision after reviewing information available, including:
    • High School transcript
      • A review of academic coursework
      • Level of academic rigor of courses (i.e. AP, College credit)
    • Class rank – if known
    • Test Scores – if provided
      • Date of test
      • Sub scores
    • Statement of college and career goals
    • The AVP and Director may ask for additional information such as input from the admissions counselor and or coach, high school counselor, teacher, or coach.  Additionally, the AVP and Director could request an in-person or virtual interview with the candidate.
    • On occasion, the AVP may recommend the student apply for conditional acceptance.
  • Below 2.5 – no score or below 18 ACT equivalent, Associate VP and Director of Admissions will make a decision after reviewing information available, including:
    • High School transcript
      • A review of academic coursework
      • Level of academic rigor of courses (i.e. AP, college credit)
    • Class rank – if known
    • Test Scores – if provided
      • Date of test
      • Sub scores
    • Statement of college and career goals
    • The AVP and Director may ask for additional information such as input from the admissions counselor and/or coach, high school counselor, or teacher. Additionally, the AVP and Director could request an in-person or virtual interview with the candidate.
    • On occasion, the AVP may recommend the student apply for conditional acceptance.

Students recommended for the conditional acceptance process will be referred to the Enrollment Committee for consideration.

Conditional Acceptance Process requires:

  • Personal Statement – How do you plan to be academically successful in college? (400-500 words)
  • 2 Letters of Recommendation from academic sources (e.g., teacher, principal, counselor)

The Enrollment Committee consists of the Vice President for Enrollment, Registrar, AVP for Enrollment, a faculty representative and a representative from athletics.

Transfer Applicant Requirements

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 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 A.A. or A.S. 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 its transfer credit policy since each institution decides what it 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 should contact the Registrar’s Office and 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 Applicant Requirements

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 Applicant Requirements

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:

  1. International Application for Admission
  2. 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.  INCRED charges a fee for processing. If the applicant is wanting to see if they are eligible to receive college credit for higher level high school work, they should choose the course by course evaluation.
  3.  Official test scores are required for all international students.
    • English proficiency is verified by the results of the TOEFL, Duolingo, or IELTS. Required minimum score for each test is listed below:

      • TOEFL = 79
      • Duolingo = 110
      • IELTS = 6.5
    • If a student does not meet the minimum requirements for language proficiency, their application will be reviewed additionally for acceptance eligibility.
    • 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.
  4. Affidavit of Support/Bank Statements
    • The affidavit should be signed by the party responsible for payment. Include with the affidavit six months of bank statements that support the ability of the responsible party to make payment.
  5. 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 you are accepted and 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.

The closest airport to McPherson College is Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT). It is located approximately 1 hour from McPherson College. If you are traveling from the Wichita airport, we estimate that this will cost approximately $100. Please plan for this expense. If you submit your receipt to the admissions office you will be reimbursed for this cost.

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 50 new students including 5 degree-holding transfers. To be admitted into the Automotive Restoration Program, an applicant must:

  1. Apply to McPherson College. Submit the free, online application to McPherson College.
  2. Submit required documents. High school students/first-time freshmen must provide a state-certified high school transcript or GED and corresponding standardized test scores. Transfer students must provide official copies of transcript(s) from all college(s) and an official copy of high school transcripts or a GED certificate. See Admissions Requirements page.
  3. Acceptance to McPherson College. You will be notified if all requirements are met and you are accepted to McPherson College.
  4. Apply for candidacy to the Automotive Restoration Program. Prepare and upload a portfolio, essay and resume to Slideroom. Please see upload requirements below.
    • Transcripts submitted for acceptance to the college will be considered in the review process. Strong candidates for the AR program will have a 3.0 or higher high school or cumulative transfer GPA.
  5. Interview for Acceptance. After students have submitted their portfolio, faculty will reach out to schedule an interview for acceptance into the program.
    • There will be 2 acceptance dates: Early November and early February. The first round of portfolios must be submitted by October 31st to be included in the first round of acceptances. The second round of portfolios must be submitted by January 31st for the second round of acceptances.
    • Faculty will review portfolios then contact the ones they would like to move on to the interview portion in early November and again in early February.
    • Submit Enrollment Deposit. Upon acceptance into the Automotive Restoration Program, students must submit a $250 deposit to reserve their place. The non-refundable deposit will be applied to her/his tuition. Early applications are encouraged because the size of the program is limited. Please do not submit your deposit until you hear about acceptance into the automotive restoration program. Depositing before you have been accepted will not guarantee your spot in the program.
  6. Upload Materials
    • 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 6 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 $12 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.

If you need additional clarification on portfolio submissions, reach out to admissions at [email protected].

Program Admissions Decisions

Portfolios will be reviewed by the committee and one of the following decisions will be made:

  • Accepted to Program – student is fully accepted into the Automotive Restoration program for the upcoming program.
  • Denied to Program – student is not admitted into the Automotive Restoration program.
  • Preferred Waitlist – student meets admissions requirements, but the program has reached capacity for the upcoming year. The student will be placed on a waitlist for the upcoming year, but guaranteed acceptance into the program the following academic year.

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.

Students entering the spring semester should apply prior to December 1 to be submitted prior to December 1.

Applicants for M.Ed. or Graduate Courses in Education

Students may choose any of the following options when applying to the graduate program: ESOL licensure courses, SPED licensure courses, or combine those courses with the core graduate courses to pursue a Master of Education degree.

Applying for ESOL licensure and/or SPED licensure:

  • Application for Admission
  • Official college transcript showing bachelor’s degree earned

Applying to M.Ed. Program with ESOL or SPED licensure:

  • Application for Admission
  • Official transcripts for all colleges attended and showing bachelor’s degree earned
  • College GPA of 3.0
  • Essay stating professional goals (300 words) – please email to [email protected]
  • 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 conditional status assuming there is reasonable evidence of candidate success. Conditionally admitted candidates must earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their first six hours in order to remain in the program.

Transfer of Graduate Credits

After acceptance into the M.Ed. program, students who have previously completed graduate credit hours at another accredited institution may apply to have up to 15 graduate credit hours accepted toward the M.Ed. degree as long as those credits have been earned in the last 10 years at the time of entry into the master’s program.

To request that previously-earned credits be considered for transfer, the student must submit a final official graduate transcript along with a formal request listing the credits from the transcript the student wants considered for transfer. The formal request should include descriptions of the coursework and how it meets the requirements of the M.Ed. program at McPherson College.

Only courses in which a grade of B or better has been earned will be accepted for credit toward the M.Ed. degree. Consequently, a student’s grade point average depends upon courses attempted at McPherson College only. The director of the M.Ed. program at McPherson College evaluates which courses qualify for transfer. The program director may request further information from the student, for example, course descriptions or syllabi, before making a recommendation to the registrar. With the programs director’s recommendation in hand, the registrar makes the final decision about the transfer credits. The registrar’s decision is final and cannot be appealed.