More than 70 students and their parents joined McPherson College staff online Saturday, April 4 for the first-ever Virtual Presidential Scholarship Competition. Despite the event transitioning to an online format, more students than ever participated.
The Presidential Scholarship is the most prestigious of the McPherson College scholarships and is awarded for those who qualify based on a cognitive ability activity, round table discussion, personal interview, and high school academic record. The virtual event included interviews, a roundtable discussion, and presentations submitted by students. Christi Hopkins, vice president for enrollment management, also hosted parents in a Livestream chat to answer questions.
“Presidential Scholarship Day is one of our favorite visit days. It allows us an opportunity to spend time with students and their families,” Hopkins said. “Although this was a new format for us, we were encouraged by parents and students who said they were grateful we didn’t cancel the event.”
One of the parents commended the college on its smooth transition from the on-campus event to an entirely virtual experience. “Your team did a great job adapting to the current situation,” he said. “I work with Fortune 500 companies and state government organizations and they’ve been struggling to get up to speed with online activities. It almost appears as if your school was prepared in advance due to how seamlessly your school has appeared to move to an online format.”
Although prospective students are not visiting campus in person, campus visits and other recruiting events continue virtually. Updates about the campus regarding the COVID-19 situation can be found at www.mcpherson.edu/covid. The college is sharing a variety of information and on Facebook @McPhersonCollege, Twitter @Mac_College, and Instagram @McPhersonCollege.