Panels, Tours, Tailgate - Preview Day Offers Prospective Students Inside Look at Mississippi College

Recruiting "Scouts" will show prospective students what life is like on the Clinton campus during Preview Day at Mississippi College Oct. 14.

While contemplating where to invest her undergraduate years, Abby McCoy of Southaven had plenty of Mississippi College family connections to consider.

Her father studied at the School of Law at MC, and her maternal grandmother and uncle attended MC as undergraduates. McCoy hadn’t seriously considered the Christian University in Clinton until she attended Preview Day as a high school student.

Then she fell in love with the Christian University.

“It felt like home,” the senior elementary education major with a minor in servant leadership and a special education endorsement recalled. “I thoroughly enjoyed getting to attend a mock class and meet professors. Everyone at Preview Day was so intentional, remembering my name and genuinely caring about my college decision.”

McCoy enjoyed the experience so much that she volunteered to become a student recruiter – also known as a “Scout” – to help rising high school students learn about everything MC offers.

“I know that a college visit can make or break a decision as a high school student, so I try to make sure I am expressing how much I love MC in the most genuine, Christ-like way possible,” she said. “In the end, we just want the students to find a place where they can grow and learn, but if it is MC, then, that is all the greater.

“I have loved helping students love MC the way I do through Preview Day.”

Prospective students will have an opportunity to learn what life is like on the Clinton campus during Mississippi College’s fall Preview Day, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 14. They’ll attend informational panels, tour the campus and state-of-the-art cadaver lab, get a peek at the impressive Gore Arts Complex, and experience game day Saturday on the Quad, complete with a tailgate lunch and a Gulf South Conference gridiron matchup against Valdosta (Georgia) State.

Angie Hardin, director of admissions and enrollment operations at MC, said every Preview Day is filled with excitement.

“MC’s Preview Days are special because there is a unique excitement in the air whenever you step onto campus,” Hardin said. “This is a time when students and families from all over the Southeast get the opportunity to experience student life on campus and see what the excitement is all about.

“They will hear from MC President Blake Thompson, attend a mock class taught by our incredible faculty, become acquainted with student organizations and ways to get involved, as well as tailgate and cheer for the Choctaw football team.”

She said the event provides a perfect opportunity for the students to ask questions, mingle with MC students, and get a feel of what it’s like to be a Choctaw.

“The goal for MC is to share with these guests a little piece of all the incredible things we offer on our campus and to let them feel what it would be like to be a part of such a friendly environment.”

“Preview Day is a blast,” McCoy said. “It is a wonderful opportunity to meet other prospective students as well as current MC students. You are surrounded by people who love and care about you.”

Preview Day will begin with breakfast and check-in at the B.C. Rogers Student Center, followed by an academic marketplace in Anderson Hall, where students can visit with faculty members representing each of MC’s academic departments. The admissions team will formally greet the visitors during a Welcome Session, and guests will learn about opportunities to get plugged into campus life during a Student Involvement Panel.

Mock classes and a deans’ panel will offer a glimpse of the rich academic tradition the Christian University is known for, and students will receive information about a plethora of financial aid opportunities. Student Scouts will lead tours of MC’s historic campus, which will end on the scenic Quad in time to cheer for the football team during the highly anticipated Choctaw Walk.

After a tailgate lunch, visitors may participate in a tour of the cadaver lab and Gore Arts Complex, or check out the GSC football game in Robinson-Hale Stadium. By the end of the day, visitors should be well-versed in how MC can benefit their academic careers.

“From Preview Day, I want prospective students to see the reality of life at MC,” McCoy said. “I want them to leave knowing and loving Jesus more. I want them to leave knowing that MC is a place where they can find their purpose in Christ, meet like-minded individuals they will call their best friends, and be encouraged daily by professors and staff.

“I want them to see how the academics here prepare them for the future and how they will grow to be who God is calling them to be.”

For more information about Preview Day at MC, including a complete schedule of events, click here.