02 Admission to McPherson College

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.

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 860 (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 credit may be required to take the ACT or SAT examination for diagnostic purposes.

Students who transfer to McPherson College during the 2016-17 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. 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:

1. International Application for Admission
2. Official copies of your academic records with English translations. Please provide records beginning with your secondary education. Records should include marks reports as well as certificates of completion.
   • If your academic records can’t be translated to English please submit them to World Education Services (WES). This is done at the applicant’s expense.
3. Official results of English proficiency. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper based) or 213 (internet based) is required. Equivalent scores from other testing agencies may be considered (e.g. IELTS, CSEPT, etc.).
   • For students from English speaking countries, a minimum SAT I combined score of 860 is required for admission. McPherson College SAT code is #6404.
4. Affidavit of Financial Support with supporting documentation. In addition to signing the affidavit, please provide bank statements reflecting the most recent six months of account activity. (Bank accounts should reflect the name of the person accepting financial responsibility).
5. A photocopy of your passport. To ensure that immigration documents are prepared accurately, please provide a copy of your valid passport.
   All documentation should be original or certified copies

If your academic records can’t be translated to English please submit them to one of the credential evaluation services.

Credential Evaluation Consultants For Review of International Transcripts

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers International Education Services
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 520
Washington DC 20036-113
Telephone: 202.296.3359
Fax: 202.822.3910
Email: [email protected]
www.aacrao.org

Educational Credential Evaluators, INC
PO Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470
Telephone: 414.289.3400
Fax: 414.289.3411
Email: [email protected]
www.ece.org

Educational Perspectives
PO Box 618056
Chicago, IL 60661-8056
Telephone: 312.421.9300
Fax: 312.421.9353
Email: [email protected]
www.edperspective.org

Josef Silny & Associates, INC
7101 SW 102^nd Ave
Miami, FL 33173
Telephone: 3005.273.1616
Fax: 305.273.1338
Email: [email protected]
www.jsilny.com

Once a student is ACCEPTED

• A letter of Acceptance will be mailed to you
• 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 your home address. 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 technology 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. The non-refundable deposit will be applied to her/his tuition.
• Early applications are encouraged because the number of students admitted to the program is limited.

Bachelor’s Degree Completion Applicants

The requirements to enter this non-traditional program include an associate of arts or associate of science degree or sixty-four (64) college-level credit hours. It is preferred that students have an associate’s degree to ensure that the lower-level courses have been completed. As classes are discussion-oriented, preference may be given to students with three to five years of work experience or significant volunteer service experience. Individuals seeking to apply must submit:

• A completed Degree Completion Application for Admission available at http://www.mcpherson.edu/complete/application.
• Official copies of academic transcripts from all colleges/universities the student has attended (students must possess a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0)

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.

Students who transfer to McPherson College during the 2016-2017 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 distribution requirements met. Please refer to the General Education section in this catalog.

Transfer students who have achieved 80 semester hours of credit from a community or junior college may not transfer further two-year college credit.

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.”

For more information about the degree completion program and its courses, visit: http://www.mcpherson.edu/complete/

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 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
• 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.

Notification of Admission

Notification of acceptance is given in writing, usually within one week of completion of the application process.

Students who are admitted through the Admissions Appeal process may receive conditions of enrollment with the acceptance letter. Restrictions for conditionally admitted students continue through the first semester of enrollment. At the completion of the first full semester, the student’s academic progress will be evaluated.

Students may be admitted based on partial high school (6th or 7th semester) or college transcripts and exam score reports. However, students must provide FINAL OFFICIAL copies of all academic documentation prior to enrollment:

• High School Transcript – Must include official seal or signature and be sent to McPherson College directly from your school. Transcript should include graduation date, class rank and cumulative GPA.
• College/University Transcript – Must include official seal or signature, include grades for final semester of attendance and be sent directly from the college/ university to McPherson College.
• ACT/SAT Score Reports – Must be sent directly from ACT or the College Board to McPherson College OR have the official ACT/SAT score reported on the official high school transcript.

Students will receive regular reminders from the Office of Admissions identifying information needed to complete the admissions and financial aid record.

Conditional Admittance

Individuals who do not meet the admissions criteria may be considered for conditional acceptance to McPherson College. The Vice President for Enrollment and the Vice President for Academic Affairs will together evaluate the student’s academic history to determine if the student is accepted “conditionally” or denied acceptance. The “conditional” acceptance may include but not limited to the following conditions:

1. Meet with the Vice President for Academic Affairs prior to the start of the semester.
2. Enroll in no more than 12-13 total semester hours during the first semester.
3. Enroll in College Reading/Study Skills – ID109 – 2 hours.
4. Enroll in College Rhetoric – EN110 – 3 hours.
5. Enroll in College Learning Skills – ID100 – 1 hour
6. Meet regularly with your academic advisor as directed by him/her.
7. Make satisfactory academic progress.
8. Complete every course for which you are enrolled earning a grade of “C” or better.
9. Regular class attendance is required.
10. Any unexcused absences may result in academic suspension.
11. Meet with the Director of the Center for Academic Development for an assessment of your academic plans and goals and arranging for any services that may be necessary to assist you in being successful..

Admissions representatives are available to answer questions related to this process. All appeals must be submitted to the Office of Admissions where they will be forwarded to the Enrollment Committee for consideration. Students will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision.