September marks the time of year when high school students prepare to enter the college admissions process. It can be an intimidating, and sometimes expensive, endeavor for those on a tight budget as most colleges charge some sort of application fee. However, Melannie Cunningham, associate director of admissions at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), encourages local students to apply to as many colleges and universities as they can afford to, starting with PLU.
Applying to multiple universities “increases [students’] odds of being accepted,” she said, noting that completing the application process is the first step in figuring out what sort of financial aid would be best for the student.
“We can’t make [students] an offer of financial aid if they don’t apply.”
At PLU, it is free to apply via the university’s website, www.plu.edu, and this is true for other universities as well.
Cunningham is also coordinator of multicultural recruitment for PLU, a position created by the university just a few years ago. She is the voice for PLU’s ongoing efforts at purposeful and intentional outreach to recruit students of color. Efforts to recruit such students are part of the board of regents’ long-range plan, which sets out specific goals to increase diversity among the student body.
Among the 3,670 students enrolled at PLU, Cunningham said 20 percent are students of color. “This is a great thing we’re celebrating here,” she said. “If you have diverse voices, faces and perspectives in the classroom, that’s how learning occurs.”
Cunningham noted that students of color and all prospective students thinking about attending PLU should know that one does not have to be Lutheran to attend there. “What people need to understand about Lutheran higher education is it is a journey to help students figure out their purpose in life and how they’re called to serve in this world.”
She said another challenge she faces as a campus recruiter is that students often think PLU it too close to home at a time when they are ready to spread their wings. “Once you get on our campus it’s a world of its own. You can make your own life here.”
While some may think that PLU being a private school equals an unaffordable tuition, “don’t rule us out,” Cunningham advised, especially to lower-income students. “The money issue should be the last thing on the agenda when students start looking at their college fit. It’s in the equation, but not the first thing.” What should be first considered, she said, are the characteristics of the university, whether the visiting student feels at home there, and whether it has the student’s desired academic programs.
She said 95 percent of the PLU student body is on some form of financial aid, and that getting good grades at PLU can help minimize the dollar amount of student loans. “One of the things we pride ourselves on here at PLU are the generous merit scholarships we offer students that come academically prepared.”
She encouraged all students thinking about going to college to bring along their parents and other family members to attend PLU’s Fall Preview Day on Sept. 21, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., where they will learn all about what the university has to offer. While PLU is academically rigorous – the average freshman grade point average is 3.59 – and may not be for everyone, Cunningham said that for those seeking a top-notch education experience PLU is the place to investigate.
For complete information and schedules for Fall Preview Day, and to pre-register, visit www.plu.edu or call (800) 274-6758.
