William Jessup University Opens its Doors to Prospective Students During Preview Day
Photo by Rob Ryan

CUTLINE: Steven Roelofs of William Jessup University leads a group of prospective students on a tour of the campus last week during Preview Day. There were a record number of students taking a look at the Rocklin campus, which houses the only four-year private residential university in the Greater Sacramento area.

ROCKLIN – Like many high school seniors, Jennifer Hardwick of Vacaville was struggling internally, unsure of which college to attend. A gifted student, she was accepted to the University of California-Berkeley, where she could pursue her love of art. Yet Hardwick was apprehensive concerning life on a large campus.

Was Cal the right fit? She just didn’t know.

That uncertainty led Hardwick to Rocklin, where she decided to attend Preview Day last February at William Jessup University, a Christian liberal arts university that is the only four-year private residential university in the Greater Sacramento area.

“Everyone was so personable when I visited here on Preview Day, I just loved the students and the professors I met,” Hardwick recalls. “I had always wanted to go to Cal, but after visiting William Jessup I knew this was where I was supposed to go.”

Now firmly entrenched on the 126-acre William Jessup campus, Hardwick was among the welcoming students when the University hosted a record number of 100 students and 65 parents Nov. 20 during Preview Day.

The event is designed to give students and parents the opportunity to attend classes and interact with faculty in an intimate setting. They also received a glimpse of the new dormitories, which will double the occupancy on campus to nearly 400 students by the fall 2009.

“Preview Day is a unique way for students and their families to understand how seriously we take our commitment to educating the whole student: academically, spiritually and socially,” explained Vance Pascua, Director of Admission at William Jessup University.

Preview Day typically attracts students from all over Northern California, yet many of them are located right in William Jessup’s back yard, like Austin Gee of Rocklin. A senior at Woodcreek High School, Gee has applied to WJU for a number of reasons.

“It offers liberal arts studies and I want to become a teacher,” Gee said. “The students and the faculty share the same moral values and ethical background that I do; that’s important to me. I was pleasantly surprised to see how nice the dorms were. I got a chance to see how life is on campus and how the students live and connect with each other.”

William Jessup also offers a solid athletic program, which is one of the reasons Drew Creeks and his parents made the trip from Georgetown. Creeks became enamored with the University while attending a William Jessup basketball camp.

“It’s such a positive environment here, like one giant family,” said Creeks, a senior at Golden Sierra High School.

Creeks has applied to William Jessup and has the endorsement of his mother. “William Jessup has everything he wants, I’m crossing my fingers that Drew will go here,” Jennifer Creeks said. “He has a huge heart and I know it will continue to grow here. It’s the perfect fit.”

Michael Kares of Lincoln also attended Preview Day.

“I didn’t know much about William Jessup but from that visit I could tell this was a place where the teachers and the staff really cared about the students,” Kares recalls. “It’s really true, they do care about every student. The tuition costs are really reasonable, I would recommend William Jessup to anyone looking for this type of college experience.”

Selecting a college has never been an easy chore, but for students looking to attend a four-year institution in California the decision has grown more difficult with the increasing tuition costs, higher academic standards, and this year the Cal State system has reduced its enrollment by 10,000 students.

With scholarships, William Jessup can be more affordable than a University of California school. William Jessup offers a variety of scholarships and financial assistance. Last year, the university awarded more than $2.2 million in institutional financial aid which was distributed among 98 percent of the students.

The University offers a wide variety of degree opportunities, including Business Administration, Christian Education, English, History, Intercultural Studies, Liberal Studies (Teacher Education), Music, Pastoral Ministry, Psychology, Public Policy and Youth Ministry. The student-to-faculty ratio is 12 to 1 and the average class size is 15 students

WJU students don’t have the challenge that public university students have when it comes to assuring that they get the classes they need to complete requirements, which is why many students are able to graduate in four years.

“It always excites me to meet students who come to Preview Day and see all the potential they bring,” said Bryce Jessup, the University President. “We care and mentor them while they are here and give them the best possible Christian education available. We have created a culture where they can find their roots for life, then we send them out into the community where they continue to blossom.”

For more information about William Jessup University, visit www.jessup.edu or call (916) 577-2200.