Admissions

The school is expensive, since it is a private school, but the Student Financial Services (SFS) department provides great service to help students afford their costs for tuition and fees. SFS provides several scholarships and grants and information for you to apply for various local and state scholarships and grants as well. The school also has connections with Tuition Management Systems (TMS), which allows you to pay your bill in smaller monthly payments.

Ok, so here are some tips for you prospective students:

1. Do your best in high school, specifically your senior year! Don't slack off and say you have the case of senioritis cuz guess what? That's not gonna cut it in college. You can kiss that A goodbye!

2. Talk to your counselor. I know you might be a little intimidated, but trust me on this one. I always touched bases with my counselor in high school. And don't ever EVER think you're counselor doesn't care because they do! They want you to succeed in high school.

3. Scholarships, scholarships, SCHOLARSHIPS!!! I can't stress this tip enough. This will be the most tiring, grueling part of getting into college, but you need to work at it. Cappex is a very good scholarship website to look at as well as many others. If you don't have crazy good writing skills don't worry--there are other scholarships for music, art, pretty much anything. You just have to look. No procrastination allowed!

4. Pick what college suits you. You'll be spending 4 or more years at that college so choose wisely. These questions should come to mind: Rural or urban? Cost? Religion? etc.

5. Do your homework. This kind of homework won't be graded of course. This is what I did, and it was the smartest thing I've ever done. I wrote all the colleges down on a piece of paper and researched them. When I came to my top 10, I put them on a tri-fold poster board, wrote them on a piece of paper, and wrote down the cost of tuition, how many people were there, for me, if it was a Christian university, etc. Then I narrowed it down from there.

6. DON'T BE LAZY!!! I'm sure you're either on Facebook or Youtube, probably on that right now as you're reading this. You're already on the internet. Google some colleges that interest you as well as scholarships! Even if you're a freshman in high school, it's never to early to start researching. The earlier the better!

Visit the campus and set up an interview in which you plan to dress to impress. Also, actually read through Point Loma's covenant agreement which you have to sign in order to even apply to the school. It contains all of the school's policies about drinking/drugs, weapons, premarital sex on campus, class attendance, chapel attendance and student conduct in general. Read through it and make sure you are capable of and willing to play by the rules. Finally, don't go into college thinking that everything is going to be perfect and easy at Point Loma becuase it's a small Christian school, every school has it's flaws and has at least a handful of kids some refer to as bad seeds. The staff of Point Loma does their best to make the university fun, educational and enjoyable for all of their students so don't be too hard on them and remember to be thankful for all of the amazing things the school has to offer.

Interviews are not mandatory but if you want to impress make an interview and dress professionally

1. Get involved. Point Loma offers many different ministries, clubs, intramural sports and groups that will allow students to find their way into their own little niche in Point Loma. I saw too many girls in my dorm hall not get involved and their year was not as exciting as they hoped. This year I got involved in Ministries with Mexico, an outreach ministry that travels to Mexico to help the people there through construction, medical attending and mentoring. During my spring break trip I went with a group of students to help build a church and pastor's house for a pastor in Rosarito. Not only was this trip a great experience that allowed me to help others and learn a lot about construction, but during that trip I created several close friendships that are now a large part of my life. Had I not gone outside my comfort zone and gone on that trip I would have never met those people and experienced a week full of love, hard work and joy.
2. Learn how you study best. Up until college I had just gotten by in school. I thought that studying meant doing the study guide or simply studying the night before yet little did I know, but college was completely different. Each class has its own best way of studying yet being able to identify that as soon as you can, will help you tremendously throughout the class.
3. Understand balancing your time. Although studying is extremely important and the entire reason you are in college (to get an education), having a social life is extremely important because it helps you stay sane. Friends are there to support you when it gets tough and honestly sometimes you just need to get out.
4. Branch out. Talk to the people on your hall and get to know them even if you think you usually would not hang out with someone like that, still go out and make the effort because people will surprise you.
5. Be honest with your roommate. If you have a problem, tell him or her because it makes it so much easier to live with them. But ...

Come visit Point Loma. Contact the Admissions Office, and schedule a night to stay in a dorm. Get to know the amazing community that makes Point Loma great, and what a better way to do this than by being part of the community itself. Point Loma may seem strict at first glance, but it really is set up to give one freedom. Check it out before making any judgements.

Even though the school is a bit pricey, don't let the price tag scare you away too quickly. The PLNU experience is life-changing and 100% worth any student loans you might need to take out, in my opinion.

Apply for the Cal-Grant early, as well as completing your FAFSA before the end of February. March is the date when a lot of scholarships require you have your FAFSA completed in order to be recognized which includes the Cal-Grant. I missed the Cal-Grant this year because I was a week late on completing my FAFSA.

Come prepared to learn. This is not a college to joke around when it comes to academics, if you put in the effort you will get a lot of the experience. Also, if you are looking for a huge night or party scene this most likely isn't the school for you since there isn't a very big one. Hince, the Nazarene in the school name kind of gives that away but you would be surprised how some people don't catch on to that. Lastly, Point Loma has a lot to offer extracurricular wise so get involved! There is literally something for everyone so it is a great way to meet people and enjoy doing things that you are passionate about.

Students, if you want a great view and want to go far away then Point Loma is the place for you. For students who have majors on their minds I suggest you go to Point Loma because they have every major except Japanese language. This school is also able to help disabled students.