The Fight for Full Tuition
Taylor Whitaker - Staff Writer
Every year since 2012, Monmouth College has hosted a scholarship competition for potential incoming freshmen students. Students compete to see who will take home a full tuition scholarship. To enter, participants must meet a couple of qualifications. A student must have a 3.6 high school GPA or higher and have applied for and been accepted into the college.
Several scholarships are up for grabs: two Admiral Scholarships, which includes full tuition and a five-thousand-dollar enrichment fund; two Trustees Scholarships, a full tuition scholarship; and two Goldsborough Scholarships, a full tuition scholarship for students from the Chicago area. Every student who interviews has the potential to receive a President's Scholarship which is up to thirty-four thousand dollars annually. The competition brought nearly 300 people to campus.
Michelle Carlson, the Director of Enrollment, Visits, and Events oversaw over one hundred students who attended the competition. Carlson stated this was “by far my favorite event of the year. I love the energy on campus. We have close to 150 Monmouth people helping out and bringing the community together to make this a successful event. We really do roll out the red carpet for the Monmouth magic.”
A Scots Ambassador mentioned that out of her group, at least 50% of them had already accepted offers to attend in the fall. Carlson stated: “Of the people that funnel through for the competition, 60% of prospective students end up attending,” she stated.
Once arriving around noon, the participants’ entire day is structured around their 25-minute interview conducted by faculty, staff and alumni. Outside of their interviews, participants had the opportunity to get a free professional headshot and dinner afterwards. Scots Ambassadors accompanied groups on tours of the residential halls, SOFIA presentations, and mock classes throughout the day.
Guests of prospective students had a “choose your adventure” day. They got to sit in on a slew of different informational presentations, ranging from financial assistance to supporting student success.
Scots Fellows conducted interviews to get to know the prospective students better. Dante Sardelli, a Scots Fellow said: “It was nice meeting all the potential students and I enjoyed being a helpful hand in the process. It truly was a great experience, and I hope to see these people back in a few months as enrolled students.”
Students appreciated how close the buildings are and enjoyed the small town feel Monmouth College offers. “I like the feel and look of the older buildings, they are gorgeous” says one prospective student from Kansas. Another potential student from Illinois said, "I like how it has a small-town vibe; it feels like home.”
As for ‘why Monmouth College,’ many students who participated were joining an athletic program, though there were many who had siblings, family, and friends that have come and gone through Monmouth and had great experiences to share.
During the dinner, Lea Selquist spoke about her experiences at Monmouth College. “I am the one getting teary eyed at the thought of leaving this place in a few months, but still madly in love, I’m bummed and I know you will be too because I am not the first person to fall in love with Monmouth College and I sure won’t be the last,” she said.
President Patricia Draves also spoke, saying that Monmouth College is that place where “you will make friends that you will talk to, connect to, and vacation with for the rest of your life. And we get to help you do that and support you and watch you become you along the way. As you head home take a deep breath and relax knowing you did your best, knowing Monmouth is here to support you and lift you up and help you become even more you.”