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 Grace student from Lima, Ohio, would wholeheartedly agree with this. She had a whole list of reasons why she wanted to attend Grace College – but it was the diligence and assistance of her admissions counselor, Drew Lyons, that made it possible for her to not only attend Grace College 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 Grace through the assistant principal of Temple Christian, BJ McPheron. A proud Grace alumnus, McPheron attended Grace 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 Grace), Anderson decided to give Grace a look. She had been set on attending another small Christian liberal arts school in Ohio for some time, so her first visit to Grace 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. “Grace 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 Grace.
“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 Grace – 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 bowling team.
Anderson looks back on her admissions process at Grace and wants other students to have as positive of an experience as she had. For those navigating college admissions now, she offers three tips:
If you’ve already applied to Grace 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!
