Thousands of prospective students attend CFAW

Liberty University’s largest-ever College for a Weekend crowd helps pack the Vines Center at Friday convocation.

A record-breaking 2,647 prospective students and their family members have arrived on the Liberty University campus for another exciting College For A Weekend (CFAW).

CFAW, held four times a year, is one of the largest recruitment efforts hosted by Liberty. It is an opportunity for prospective students (current high school sophomores, juniors, seniors or transfer students) to experience the life of a college student — they can stay in the residence halls, eat at the dining hall and attend regular classes. They can also take in all the social and recreational activities the school offers, ranging from paintball to late-night ice skating. The schedule is jam-packed — from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon.

Prospective students, along with parents, youth pastors and group leaders, have traveled from all over to attend CFAW. The top 10 locations are: Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Florida, New York, Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina and Ontario, Canada.

LU sponsors many bus trips to CFAW, from Canada to South Florida. One current Liberty student is responsible for bringing 50 students from her hometown youth group in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, via a Liberty-sponsored bus.

The highlight of each CFAW is a concert with a popular Christian artist. On Saturday night, Liberty alumnus Kevin Michael McKeehan (TobyMac) will perform to a sold-out crowd at the Vines Center. Skillet joins him on the Awake Tonight Tour.

When it comes to radio success, sales power and critical acclaim, TobyMac ranks among the most successful artists in Christian music history. In his career he has been awarded with two Gold albums, six number one singles and two Grammy nominations. As a student at Liberty University in the 1980s, Toby met Michael Tait and Kevin Max, who formed the chart-topping Christian rock/rap band dc Talk.
Just prior to the concert, Liberty will choose its own star of the weekend by awarding a four-year scholarship to a CFAW attendee who has applied to Liberty and confirmed enrollment by Saturday at 3 p.m.

Also on Saturday, CFAW participants can attend the Dew Games at Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, a slope-style and big air competition. Snowflex is the first snowless ski park of its kind in North America, defying seasonal change by offering skiing, snowboarding and tubing year-round. The event will feature sponsored snowboarder Keir Dillon. CFAW students will have the opportunity to try out Snowflex for themselves throughout the weekend.

With all that CFAW has to offer, LU’s recruitment staff say the most beneficial aspect is assisting students in making their decision about where to go to school. Being able to experience college life at CFAW helps thousands of prospective students find their place at Liberty University.

• The next College For A Weekend is Sept. 30-Oct. 3. To secure a spot, call (800) 543-5317 to speak with a Liberty representative or e-mail cfaw@liberty.edu with any questions.