Admissions Leaders Visit Mississippi College

Admissions leaders from Christian colleges nationwide are meeting at Mississippi College to talk about the best approaches to recruit students, tackle financial aid, and improve communications.

About 65 school officials are visiting the Clinton campus this week for the summer conference of the National Association of Baptist Enrollment Professionals. The three-day conference concludes Wednesday. The association was created to prepare its members to do the best they can in a career field they deeply care about.  Sharing ideas and networking were a big part of the MC conference.

While the U.S. economy remains stuck in a recession, admissions representatives say they see opportunities ahead for higher education growth.

Many unable to find good jobs, “choose to go to college,” says Gary Lamm, associate vice president for enrollment management at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Mary Hardin-Baylor admissions counselors like Elizabeth Webb work long hours as they hit the road, meet with prospective students and tell them of the advantages of getting a “Christ-centered education,” on the Texas campus.

During a break between conference sessions Tuesday, Blue Mountain College admissions director Marie Teel says she sees a strong possibility of enrollment growth this fall even though the Magnolia State’s jobless rate exceeds 11 percent. “Some companies are giving help to students to go back to school,” she says.

In her area in North Mississippi, Teel says the construction of the Toyota plant in Blue Springs near Tupelo will spark enrollment growth for her Baptist-affiliated school and provide an enormous economic boost to the region for decades to come.

Despite a weak economy, Mississippi College has seen its enrollment grow to a record of nearly 4,900 students in Fall 2009 and school staffers anticipate another increase this fall.

These days, recruiting college students takes time, energy and dedication. Like many of their colleagues around the country, recruiters at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas say they spend two months a year on the road.

“A lot of it is trying to point out the advantages of going to a private Christian university,” says admissions counselor Laura Cobb. At the 1,500-student school, competition is keen – from the University of Arkansas and Dallas Baptist University, among others.

At conference sessions at Self Hall Tuesday morning, visitors from colleges stretching from North Carolina to Texas and Missouri learned from Mississippi College hosts about the best way to conduct campus tours for visiting students and families. There were also meetings on making the most of student workers as school ambassadors and orientation leaders.

Michael Wright, MC’s assistant director of admissions, Kyle Brantley, the university’s interim director of admissions, and Jessica McNeil, MC’s senior admissions counselor, were among the conference presenters. Wednesday’s session on international student recruitment will be led by Emerson Toledo, director of international admissions at William Carey University in Hattiesburg.