Fall Enrollment Grows at Mississippi College

Fahad Alotaibi enrolled at Mississippi College to earn a master’s degree in chemistry and pursue his dreams of becoming a professor in his native Saudi Arabia.

“I’m happy with my choice,” says Alotaibi, 24, president of the MC Saudi Student Club. “The faculty is very helpful.”

Fahad is among 70 new students from Saudi Arabia who helped Mississippi College’s enrollment grow this fall. The university enrolls 5,063 students this fall, including a record 377 international students from nearly two dozen nations. With about 100 students from Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, on the Clinton campus, “I’m not quite as homesick,” he says.

While international enrollment welcomed 181 new students, Mississippi College officials on Wednesday reported that graduate school enrollment also rose by nearly 5 percent to climb to 1,517 students. That includes 94 students in the physician assistant program, the only one of its kind in Mississippi.

The 592 new Mississippi College freshmen and 302 transfer students added to the overall school increase from the 5,030 students enrolled last fall.

“Our decision to change the financial aid strategy and begin targeting better prepared students much earlier in the process are the most compelling factors driving our success,” said Mark Hughes, associate vice president and dean of enrollment services.

Students are entering MC’s front gates from around the South and other parts of the USA, but also from nations thousands of miles away such as China, India and Saudi Arabia. Some of the newcomers are here to play NCAA Division II sports like freshman Madison Frazier of Pascagoula.

“I came from a small Christian school and I like the feel of the community,” says Madison, an 18-year-old volleyball player. With her chemistry degree at MC, she wants to go to pharmacy school in a few years.

A scholarship from Saudi Arabia’s government helped make his MC education possible. Fahad Alotaibi selected MC over such schools as the University of Texas in Austin and Rice University in Houston after a Saudi Arabian friend in graduate school encouraged him to come here.

Others didn’t travel nearly as far to become MC students this fall.

Mississippi College’s Christian environment and small classes were the biggest factors attracting freshman Lindsey Magee of Columbia to the Clinton campus.

Soon after Lindsey first visited MC on a Preview Day, “I felt like God was saying this was it,” says the Columbia Academy graduate who will study nursing. “I didn’t want to be a number.”

Freshman Matthew Atkinson, 18, liked the short drive from the campus to his home in Clinton. “It was close and I’ve been interested in graphic design for years.”

In addition, Matthew, who was homeschooled, had family connections. His father, Mark Atkinson, is a Mississippi College alumnus.

Freshman Hailey Williams, 18, of Hazlehurst, says her father, an emergency room physician, encouraged her to apply because of Mississippi College’s strong nursing program. She’s delighted with her choice.

New reports show that MC’s freshman class is a bright bunch. The average GPA for freshmen is 3.56 and the average ACT score is 24.4 to set a new record.

“While our freshman class is slightly smaller than last year, this year’s class is the best academic group of freshmen we have ever recruited to MC,” Hughes said.

MC’s 181 new international students include 109 new graduate students and 72 undergraduates.

Office of Global Education Director Mei-Chi Piletz, who logged long hours with colleagues to assist the newcomers, says they’re outstanding students who will enhance the university’s world culture. With the largest numbers from China, students are also here from countries like Guatemala, Panama and New Guinea. There are 50 new students from India enrolled at Mississippi College.