Lancaster Bible College will host its second SOAR event of the summer on July 12, 2024. For many on campus, SOAR days are the highlight of summer. Even so, incoming and prospective students may find themselves asking, “What is SOAR?”
SOAR, which stands for Student Orientation And Registration, is a day for all incoming enrolled students to meet fellow new students and future professors, get practical college tips, see the residence halls and much more. LBC’s Admissions and Student Affairs teams plan SOAR for months in advance and highly encourage students to attend and engage with the beneficial activities.
“Campus will be filled with life again as 80-plus incoming students and their families will be joining us for the day,” shared Beth Kachel, Associate Dean for Student Affairs. “We will be showing them the ‘red carpet’ LBC treatment, and we look forward to the conversations and testimonies of how God is working in these students’ lives.”
In the morning, as students and their parents arrive at the Good Shepherd Chapel, they can check in and mingle while enjoying a light breakfast. Then, they will head into a time of Welcome & Worship where they will praise God in song and hear from the President’s Office as well as College Pastor Timothy Torres.
Next, students will split from their parents to attend various breakout sessions to learn about life in community at LBC, meet faculty and students from their program and review their fall class schedules. Meanwhile, moms and dads will attend a session designed specifically for them so they can learn how to best support their child through the college transition.
Next, parents and students meet up again at the Olewine Dining Commons for lunch and engaging with others. This is a favorite part of the day for many because it provides ample time to fellowship, perhaps with a roommate, student from a common major, or a professor or staff member.
Throughout the rest of the day, students have every possible resource at their fingertips. They can tour their residence hall, hear from Public Safety, Information Systems, Health & Wellness, the Ally Center, Career & Counseling Center, Student Activities and more. Plus, students and parents with specific questions can set up one-on-one meetings with the Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid or Solutions Center.
SOAR is the one-stop-shop for students to feel prepared to walk onto campus in the fall and a day incoming students won’t want to miss.
“SOAR helped prepare me to know the policies, what welcome weekend is going to look like, what life on campus is going to look like,” shared MacKenzie Arnold (’26), a Ministry Leadership major who attended the June SOAR event. “I feel well prepared for starting in the fall. I think SOAR is really good for freshman or transfer students, it’s a great way to meet some other students that are going to live alongside of you and get well prepared to live in the community on campus.”
Well said, MacKenzie! We couldn’t agree more!
