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There are countless factors that play into a college decision. Academics. Costs. Campus culture. Athletics. Extracurricular opportunities. The list goes on and on. Walking with you through all of these things is a trusty team of admissions counselors and financial aid personnel to help you get your questions answered so that you can make the most informed decision and maximize your college experience.

Maddy Anderson, a first-year ���Ĵ�ý student from Lima, Ohio, would wholeheartedly agree with this. She had a whole list of reasons why she wanted to attend ���Ĵ�ý – but it was the diligence and assistance of her admissions counselor, Drew Lyons, that made it possible for her to not only attend ���Ĵ�ý but also take advantage of college credits in high school, allowing her to save money and graduate in 2 ½ years. 

Anderson was introduced to ���Ĵ�ý through the assistant principal of Temple Christian, BJ McPheron. A proud ���Ĵ�ý alumnus, McPheron attended ���Ĵ�ý at the same time as Vice President of Enrollment Management, Dr. Mark Pohl, and does everything he can to help send students Pohl’s way. 

As a result of McPheron’s nudging (with some additional persuasion from friends who attend ���Ĵ�ý), Anderson decided to give ���Ĵ�ý a look. She had been set on attending another small Christian liberal arts school in Ohio for some time, so her first visit to ���Ĵ�ý caught her by surprise.  

“The atmosphere and people were so welcoming,” says Anderson. “It felt really homey here, and everybody said hi to me as I passed them on campus.” 

She was impressed by the variety of events taking place on campus and thoroughly enjoyed her experience at the school’s chapel service. “���Ĵ�ý had so many community-based events going on. It just felt different,” she said. 

After her visit, Anderson’s admissions counselor, Drew Lyons stayed in contact with her, regularly sending her updates about how to take the next steps in the admissions process and advising her about which of her college credits in high school would be accepted at ���Ĵ�ý. 

“Throughout high school, I took several online college classes, and I wanted to make sure that extra work paid off,”  said Anderson. “So I would email Drew about which college credits in high school would be accepted before I got there.”

As a result, Anderson was able to transfer twelve college credits to ���Ĵ�ý – a whole semester’s worth of classes. Lyons’ assistance was timely, helpful, and personalized, and that made a world of a difference for Anderson. 

“I really appreciated how Drew was always contacting me and helping me stay on track with everything in the admissions process,” said Anderson. “To this day, Drew sees me on campus and knows my name.”

Now a psychology major on campus, Anderson is working toward her dream of counseling teenagers and young adults in a place that she loves. 

“I have always wanted to help people,” said Anderson. “When people are struggling, I want to be there for them and lend a listening ear. God has continually brought me to places where I can really invest in people. So I want to become a therapist to help people through their problems and journey with them to find solutions.” 

When she’s not taking a course on Biblical Psychology or Motivation and Emotion, you can find Anderson serving it up in intramural competitive volleyball or celebrating a strike as a member of the .

Anderson looks back on her admissions process at ���Ĵ�ý and wants other students to have as positive of an experience as she had. For those navigating college admissions now, she offers three tips: 

1. “Make sure that you’re taking the right classes so that your college credits in high school will transfer. Who knows? This could save you a whole semester of college costs like it did for me!”
2. “Make sure that you get all of the forms you need filled out earlier rather than later. I did not do a great job of this, and I was stressed out the summer before college trying to get everything done. Do yourself a favor and deposit as soon as you can and fill out the housing forms to get the best shot at your dorm of choice!”
3. “Make sure you’re staying connected with your admissions counselor and asking any questions that you have. ���Ĵ�ý has an amazing team of ACs who will help you along your journey to college!”

If you’ve already applied to ���Ĵ�ý and you’re wondering how to know if college credits will transfer, reach out to your admissions counselor. And if you haven’t applied yet, today is a great day to do so! Our application is free and only takes five minutes to complete!