One more chance to ‘Meet Maryville’ as MC remains on track for another record enrollment year
April 4, 2024
The Maryville College Office of Admissions is once again on track to break records with fall enrollment, but the message remains the same: There’s room under the Scots banner for everyone.
Rising high school seniors and soon-to-be graduates are invited to see for themselves on Saturday, April 20, why admissions applications and deposits by incoming first-year students for the fall 2024-25 academic year are outpacing previous years. The triannual event known as “Meet Maryville,” held twice in the fall and once in the spring, is a preview day designed to help students get to know the institution, discover academic and potential career paths and experience a taste of student life.
“Visiting the website is one thing, but nothing can take the place of seeing the campus for yourself and really getting to know what makes it so special,” said Dr. Alayne Bowman, vice president of Admissions and Financial Aid. “We’re a nationally ranked school, and one of the oldest colleges in America, but we offer so many things that make potential students feel at home. From more personalized attention by faculty and staff to smaller class sizes to the academic opportunities to the Great Smoky Mountains in our backyard, we have so many reasons why those exploring their college options should consider MC.”
At Meet Maryville, Bowman added, potential students and their families can talk to faculty members, meet current students, get to know staff members and further explore those options. More importantly, they can get to know the region of which Maryville College is both a part of and an advocate for: Starting at 8:30 a.m., registrants can take part in walking tours of the downtown Maryville area, just across the pedestrian bridge from campus, led by staff members of Mountain Challenge, an on-campus program that seeks to build teamwork, enhance communication and teach problem-solving skills through outdoor experiences.
In addition to learning more about the College’s programs of study and campus life, students and parents will have opportunities to learn about financial aid and scholarships, including the full-tuition McGill Scholarship, which is awarded to high-achieving applicants. Long held in March, this spring’s Meet Maryville event was pushed back to April, Bowman added, so that more in-depth and informative financial aid discussions could be held with graduating high school seniors in light of the delayed update to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
“We want parents of rising seniors to know that we’ll help them navigate this process to make it as stress-free as possible, and we’ll have financial counseling available at Meet Maryville,” Bowman said
Check-in for Meet Maryville takes place in the Clayton Center for the Arts — at 8:30 a.m. for those interested in a walking tour of downtown Maryville, and at 9 a.m. for other attendees — followed by a 10 a.m. welcome address by College President Dr. Bryan F. Coker in the complex’s Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall. At 10:30 a.m., attendees can browse the Academic Division and Student Life Fair in the William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer, where faculty and staff members of the College’s nine academic divisions will be on hand to answer questions and provide information.
In addition, representatives from various auxiliary on-campus organizations and departments will be available to provide information about such programs as Mountain Challenge; the Military Student Center; Disability Resources and Accessibility; Athletics; Study Abroad opportunities through the Center for Global Engagement; academic support services; faith and community engagement involvement; student clubs and organizations; and more.
The April 20 event will also include Q&A sessions for parents and students; tours of campus; lunch in Pearsons Hall; and afternoon activities that include introductions to enrollment counselors, tours of on-campus residence halls, and an information session for first-generation college students.
“We’re expecting well over 100 attendees at this spring’s Meet Maryville, so it’s also a great opportunity for potential students to meet peers who might also choose us,” Bowman said. “We know that deciding on a college is a big decision, but we’re confident when students and their parents come to campus and really see what we’re about and everything that goes on here, they’ll believe, as we do, that Maryville College is a place where great futures can be made.”
Additional opportunities
For students and family members who cannot attend Meet Maryville, the Admissions office offers several other options to visit campus.
During the academic year (September through April), the Office of Admissions offers tours Monday through Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Summer tours (May through August) are offered at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, and at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays. (The College is in the Eastern time zone.)
“Even if they attend a Meet Maryville, we encourage students to schedule an individual visit at a later date, which can be more personalized,” Bowman said. “Visits that allow students to sit in on a class that relates to their area of interest and talk to faculty members who teach in their areas of interest really help prospective students answer that question of ‘fit’ – ‘Am I a good fit for Maryville College?’ ‘Is Maryville a good fit for me?’”
The College’s Admissions Office will offer Saturday tours at 10 a.m. Eastern time on April 6, 13 and 20.
For more information about “Meet Maryville” or scheduling a campus tour, please call 865.981.8092 or visit maryvillecollege.edu/visit.