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Choosing a college is one of the most significant decisions a young person will make — and possibly the most consequential one a parent will support. The brochures look good. The website says the right things. But there's a reason the two most important words in college decision-making aren't found in any marketing piece.

Come and see.

That's exactly what Discover Emmaus Weekend (DEW) is designed for.

What Is Discover Emmaus Weekend?

Discover Emmaus Weekend is an immersive, multi-day campus experience that occurs twice a year (fall and spring) at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ in Dubuque, Iowa. It's open to high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, recent graduates — and their parents or youth leaders. Everyone who makes the trip is invited and encouraged to attend.

This isn't a campus tour with a rehearsed script. DEW is designed to give prospective students real, unfiltered access to what life at Emmaus actually looks like — the academics, the community, the spiritual environment, and the culture that holds it all together.

You sit in on real classes. You stay in the residence halls with current students. You eat in the dining hall. You have conversations with professors outside of formal settings. You meet other prospective students who are asking the same questions you are.

By the end of the weekend, you don't have to imagine what Emmaus is like. You've lived it.

Why Does It Matter So Much?

Campus visits are common. Discover Emmaus Weekend is different, and students who've attended consistently say the same thing: it's what made the decision clear.

One student who attended DEW three times before enrolling put it this way — each visit confirmed something she couldn't quite name until she was actually sitting in an Emmaus dorm room: the unity between students and faculty here isn't performed. It's real. The people aren't putting on a show for prospective students. What you see during the weekend is what you get every semester after that.

That's actually a bold thing for a university to offer. Most institutions control the visit experience carefully. DEW leans into transparency instead.

Another student described the deciding factor as personal conversations with current students — not the official presentations, not the tour, but the unscripted moments where a sophomore or junior talked honestly about how Emmaus had shaped their life, challenged their assumptions, and deepened their faith. That kind of conversation doesn't happen on a website. It happens in a residence hall common room at 10 p.m. during Discover Emmaus Weekend.

For students who've attended DEW, the phrase "deciding factor" comes up repeatedly. Not "helpful." Not "a good experience." The deciding factor. That's the kind of clarity a single weekend can provide when it's designed well and executed honestly.

What Happens During the Weekend?

DEW runs Thursday through Saturday, giving attendees enough time to actually settle into the campus rhythm rather than just passing through it.

Over the course of the weekend, you can expect to:

Sit in on real classes. You'll see how Emmaus faculty teach — how they integrate biblical truth into subject matter, how they engage students, and what academic life at a Christ-centered institution actually looks like from the inside of a classroom.

Meet faculty in social settings. At Emmaus, faculty aren't distant figures behind a lectern. DEW creates intentional opportunities to interact with professors outside of class — at meals, in conversations, and during campus events. You'll get a feel quickly for the kind of mentorship that's available here.

Stay in the residence halls. This is where the real picture forms. Living alongside current students, even for a weekend, reveals the community culture in ways nothing else can. What do students talk about? How do they treat each other? What does a Saturday night look like? You'll find out.

Connect with other prospective students. Some of the friendships that begin during DEW continue into enrollment and beyond. There's something meaningful about going through the discernment process alongside other students who are asking the same questions about vocation, faith, and what comes next.

Experience Emmaus's spiritual life firsthand. Christ is not incidental to the Emmaus experience — He's central to it. DEW reflects that. Prospective students don't just hear about Emmaus's biblical commitments; they experience how those commitments shape daily life on campus.

Worship and community events. Each DEW includes opportunities for collective worship and campus community gatherings that give visitors a genuine sense of the spiritual culture here.

A Word to Parents

If you're a parent reading this, your presence at Discover Emmaus Weekend matters. DEW is explicitly designed for parents and youth leaders as well as prospective students, because the college decision is a family decision — particularly in Christian households where questions of calling, vocation, and faith formation are part of the conversation.

You'll have the opportunity to meet admissions counselors, ask direct questions about academics and financial aid, and get a feel for the institutional culture your student would be entering. You'll also meet other families navigating the same decision, which is its own form of encouragement.

What you won't find at DEW is a high-pressure sales environment. Emmaus isn't trying to close a deal with your family. They're trying to give you enough honest information to make a good decision — whatever that decision turns out to be.

What Makes Emmaus the Right Environment for This Kind of Weekend?

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ has been Christ-centered since its founding, and that theological clarity is part of what makes DEW work. When an institution knows what it is, it can show prospective students something coherent rather than something curated.

The campus in Dubuque is small enough that visitors don't get lost in the crowd — relationships form quickly, and the scale of the community means you're interacting with real people, not navigating an institution. At the same time, Emmaus offers a full range of academic programs, from Bible and Theology to Business, Computer Studies, Counseling Psychology, Health Sciences, Music, Teacher Education, and more.

Students who thrive at Emmaus tend to be those who want their education and their faith to be integrated — not parallel tracks, but genuinely woven together. DEW gives prospective students enough time to evaluate whether that's what they're actually looking for, and whether Emmaus delivers on that promise in practice.

Practical Details

Discover Emmaus Weekend is held twice a year, once each semester. Registration is required in advance for all attendees, including parents.

• Open to: High school sophomores, juniors, seniors, recent graduates, and parents or youth leaders
• Format: Thursday through Saturday, multi-day immersive experience
• Location: ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, 2570 Asbury Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52001
• Registration deadline: Watch the DEW page for current year deadlines — spots fill up, so early registration is wise

Ready to Come and See?

The two most important words in college decision-making can't be replaced by a website visit, a virtual tour, or a phone call with an admissions counselor. They have to be lived.

If you're a sophomore in high school or older, and you're asking whether ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ could be where God is calling you — the most direct answer available is a weekend on campus.

Come and see for yourself.

Register for Discover Emmaus Weekend at emmaus.edu/dew

Questions before you register? Reach out to the Emmaus admissions team directly at admissions@emmaus.edu. They're real people who are genuinely glad to hear from you.