Cedarville Magazine, Spring/Summer 2015

As parents, and especially Christian parents, what hopes did you have for your kids as far as college was concerned? Kay Watson (KW) – In addition to great academics and professors who care about them and who are involved in making sure they succeed academically, we really wanted Caroline ’18 and Josiah ’18 to come here and make lifelong friends and to have close, deep “iron sharpens iron” friendships that would encourage them in their walk with the Lord. Tom Ruhlman (TR) – Our first hope was that they’d immediately find good friends in the residence halls, and they all immediately did! We also wanted them to be heavily involved in a local church right from the start, and they were all able to do that as well, serving on worship teams, working in the nursery, serving with the youth group — you name it. Sue Treide (ST) – We hoped he would mature in all areas of life — academically and spiritually. We wanted him to learn how to adapt to his circumstances, live with other people, and essentially grow up. The friends who first introduced us to Cedarville told us they’d sent their son off to the University as a boy and he had come back a man, and that’s what we wanted for Alex ’15. What caught your attention about Cedarville as a possible school for your kids? Greg Watson (GW) – We feel comfortable with the school trying to control costs and with our kids’ ability to be employed after they graduate. That’s what it takes for us to be comfortable with them taking on any amount of debt. Cedarville is committed to good stewardship of students’ time. If you’re going to spend four years here, are they four wasted years, or are these the four years that become foundational to the rest of your life? Many people find their spouse, their occupation, and/or their calling in these four years as a young adult, and this is the sort of environment in which we feel very comfortable having our kids. KW – I really like the weekday chapels and quality speakers our kids get to hear. Josiah has told us that the Fall Bible Conference and Missions Conference have been life-changing for him. Something else that caught my attention is how involved the professors are and how much they care for students. They constantly offer help and prayer, and they see the big picture. How did finances factor into your family’s college selection process? Phil Treide (PT) – It definitely always plays a role. You have to look at the value proposition — what the school offers — and obviously you want to come out prepared for graduate school or prepared for direct entry into your field, and you don’t want to be loaded with debt. There’s certainly a balance that needs to be struck there, and we were impressed with Cedarville’s quality of education and the ranking of the school versus the cost of the education. TR – Cedarville has a great academic scholarship system, and they have a whole list of scholarships we could apply for. Our As high school seniors and their parents sit down this spring to make final college decisions, one topic will present a daunting hurdle: the rising cost of a college education. While many universities — including Cedarville —are taking dramatic steps to curb that upward trend, parents are increasingly looking at job placement rates in order to weigh an institution’s benefits against its costs in an effort to decide whether or not a considerable investment is worthwhile. Cedarville Magazine spoke with Greg and Kay Watson (West Liberty, Ohio), Tom and Becky Ruhlman (Shoreline, Washington), and Phil and Sue Treide (Uxbridge, Massachusetts) to find out what draws parents and students to Cedarville, what kind of return on investment (ROI) they’re seeking, how students are prepared for success both spiritually and professionally, and why a Cedarville education is worth every penny. by Stephen Port ’13 A GREAT ROI Cedarville Magazine | 21