It's coming at you from all sides. No matter which way you turn, you just can't escape advice about college. Sometimes that advice is true and wise, but other times it's based on false perceptions. So, how do you make sense of what everyone is telling you? We talked to four admissions experts to separate fact from fiction.

Joshua Smith, assistant director of admissions marketing at Biola University in La Mirada, California, says many people assume a Christian college means a campus full of like-minded students and faculty where one's beliefs are never challenged or questioned. That's not true—and that's not a bad thing.

"Your college years are the time when you're making your beliefs your own and finding out why you believe what you believe," says Smith, a Biola graduate. "Before I went to college, I never considered many of the different perspectives that exist in the Christian faith. It can be intensely disillusioning at first to be around people who share different beliefs than you."

While it can be scary at first, an environment where you discuss and question your beliefs can force you to truly understand what you believe. Smith says Biola professors regularly bring up controversial topics such as evolution and abortion to start discussions about real-world issues. Discussing and debating tough issues forces you to think more deeply about how your faith is understood and lived out in a complicated and messy world.

Students on Christian campuses are challenged to grow not only intellectually, but also spiritually. You'll have numerous opportunities to step outside your comfort zones and stretch your faith through various opportunities, such as mission trips, ministries to the homeless or mentoring local elementary school children, and more.

Whether inside or outside the classroom, Christian college students discover how faith applies to their lives and their future careers. Smith says: "We want to help students answer questions like, 'What does a successful businessperson with a strong Christian testimony look like?'"

General Education courses (in English, science, math, etc.) are required for a Bachelor of Arts degree from Christian liberal arts colleges. Some critics feel like these courses are not worth the money. Not true.

"Gen ed courses make you a well-rounded student and professional," says Paula O'Brien, associate director of admissions for Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "That makes you more marketable in your job search."

A former recruiter for a large company, O'Brien says employers look at a student's overall grade point average, not just the GPA in his or her major courses. "When I was a recruiter, I concentrated on those graduates whose overall GPAs were at least 3.0 or higher," she says. In addition, O'Brien has discovered that most jobs benefit from well-rounded students with study outside their field. For instance, many employers are looking for graduates with good communication skills, no matter what the position is. "You might not be an expert at algebra or English, but at least you have that general knowledge," she says.

"People think that because a school is Christian it's just a lot of fluff," says Biola's Smith. "They think the Christian faith is not intellectual, and that's just not true."

In fact, Smith says that like any secular school, Christian colleges hire the best quality faculty and staff. "When you look at the caliber of full-time faculty at Christian schools, you have to acknowledge they must be in it for more than the money," Smith says. "They believe in the quality of Christian education and are passionate about touching students' lives. Their presence on campus and commitment to their disciplines does a lot to raise the academic caliber of their institutions, and likewise, of their students."

Instead of looking solely at the sticker price of a school, Pepper Dill, vice president for enrollment management at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois, encourages families to make a distinction between "price" and "cost." He explains: "People sometimes stop at the dollar figure alone and don't think about the long-term costs. You might save money, but is it going to benefit you in the same ways?

Still, how do families afford a Christian college with a shocking sticker price that may be thousands more than a state school? Dill says students should remember there is a difference between the sticker price and the actual out-of-pocket cost for a college.

Scholarships, grants and loans help knock down that sticker price. "Most people don't mind driving off the lot with a new car that depreciates immediately," says Dill. "Instead, invest your money into things that appreciate, like an education."

"As both a coach and an admissions representative, I've had several students tell me they want to run cross country," says Eric Jackson of Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. "But then I find out they've either never run cross country before, or they only have running times comparable to students at the junior varsity level."

But many Christian colleges are very competitive at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) levels. "If a college is investing in their program with facilities and scholarships, coaches are looking for athletes who can take their programs to the next level," Jackson says.

To find out if your abilities match up with any prospective college, Jackson encourages you to check out a team's statistics and records, usually found on the school's website. By comparing this information with your own statistics, you can judge whether you'd be able to compete.

If you find you can't compete at the college level, don't be discouraged. Almost all campuses have intramural programs. While many intramural programs are highly competitive, they're more accessible to any student wanting to play. They mirror varsity athletics by awarding trophies and recognizing outstanding team members. Some intramural teams, Jackson says, even compete against teams from nearby colleges.

"Everybody seems to buy into this," Greenville's Dill says. "But you don't need to know your major yet. It's more important to know what interests you and what fits you. College is about acquiring the skills that prepare you for life, not just a major."

Since most Christian liberal arts colleges have many of the same basic majors, students should look beyond what classes are offered and focus on a bigger question: How can this school shape your life morally, spiritually and intellectually? As you look for a college, Dill recommends checking out programs that will enrich you both academically and spiritually. This includes checking out campus activities, including chapel services, dorm Bible studies, service projects and mission trips.

Along with shaping you as a total person, the school you choose should also prepare you for today's career realities. Because the economy and job market are changing so quickly, Dill says that right now many students end up working in a field outside their major within five years of graduating. "The core curriculum of most Christian schools integrates life skills that benefit you in whatever job you find with your specific major," he explains. "If you end up in another occupation, you will have the life skills you need to make that adjustment."

Copyright © 2006 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.
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