High school students fill campus for AACS days
BJU will host the American Association of Christian Schools National Competition, which will begin on Tuesday with the Bible quiz competition and finish on Thursday night with the final awards ceremony.
Mr. David Christ, director of Admissions, encourages university students to see this as an opportunity to make contact with prospective students.
“According to our records, approximately 120 students who came as freshmen this year were also here for the AACS competition,” Mr. Christ said. “All of our research indicates that the primary recruitment for students that choose BJU is a visit to the campus.”
Allison Buhr, a sophomore nursing major, remembers the influence that the competition made on her college decision. She attended the competition both her freshman and sophomore years of high school.
“Both years I was put in a room with a nursing major,” Allison said. “I was able to ask them questions about the major, and that helped me decide if nursing was right for me. I saw one of the girls at a nursing party last year, and she remembered me. It was encouraging to know a nursing major who made it through the program.”
Along with academic decisions, prospective students also get to experience the social aspect of college. Allison said experiencing campus life before coming to BJU was a good decision.
“Most of the memories were good, but I got lost numerous times on campus,” Allison said. “I found myself wandering around the guys’ dorms looking for Mary Gaston.”
A campus visit can also clarify ideas that prospective students may have about college. Brinkley Roberson, a senior comprehensive business management major, said the residence hall life showed him a different perspective of university students.
“I saw a lot of camaraderie between students in the dorms,” Brinkley said. “I originally thought they really did not have any interaction with others around them because the students were so busy.”
Mr. David Orr, Guest Services coordinator, said the school expects to host about 2,300 students who come from 300 different schools and represent 38 states.
“We try to honor room requests if someone has a present brother or sister enrolled as a university student,” Mr. Orr said. “We use about every single available bed, and we have to bring in mattresses. If we tried to match everyone up with who they wanted to stay with, it would be insane. It’s basically a random process because of the very short amount of time we have to process requests.”
Mr. Orr said university students can help the program the most if they have the right mindset during the week. He suggested students try to have an attitude of anticipation because of the opportunity to minister to someone’s life.
“I realize that a lot of university students are trying to get off campus the week of competition, but for those that are here, it is a good chance for them to see how they can impact kids’ lives,” Mr. Orr said. “The Lord has providentially placed each one of us in one another’s lives. What people see will form an opinion in one’s mind about the school, but even more, what people see will form an opinion about the Lord that our students are serving.”
