Tours Influence College Decision, Says UAFS Campus Visit Coordinator

Written By: Ian Silvester

Making the decision to go to college should not be taken lightly. Neither should the decision of where to receive that college education.  

Admissions advisors and ambassadors at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith understand this is a big decision for students and take steps year-round to ensure every question is answered and anyone considering UAFS has a chance to see the campus firsthand. 

“You have to know what you’re getting into,” said Darbi Owen, campus visit coordinator for UAFS.  

Campus visits and tours give students the opportunity not only to explore the university where they may be spending the next few years of their lives, but also the opportunity for questions about how to apply, what scholarships are available, or what students do at college, while learning about academic opportunities offered at UAFS. 

“I like to think of UAFS as an underdog. You don’t expect what we have until you’re here on campus and you hear all about it,” Owen said, explaining how tours take students to where the new shared research lab will be in the Math Science Building or to the Pebley Center, a community archive, at the Boreham Library. “It’s really important to know your options and to know what the university has to offer you, and that’s coming from somebody who never toured the campus that she went to when she went to college.” 

Students who want to visit UAFS or go on a campus tour are led by admissions staff and student workers. Each tour begins with a short presentation where staff go over all aspects of the UAFS admissions process, followed by an hour-long tour around campus led by a current student for groups as large 25 and as small as individuals and their families. 

“These are more one-on-one instead of coming to a big event,” Owen said. “You get to ask questions right when they pop into your head, rather than walking around all day and thinking about them.” 

Owen said nearly all tours are given by admissions’ student workers because of their enthusiasm to share their love of UAFS and their personal connection to what they are showing. 

“It’s about being able to connect with students and hopefully for them to see themselves as a student here,” she said. 

During the academic year, Owen said high school groups frequent UAFS in October and November and February through April. She explained that fall visits tend to benefit high school seniors most because they aren’t necessarily in a time crunch to decide where to go to college but are visiting when things like the FAFSA and admissions applications are opening. Spring visits are more beneficial for juniors because they can serve as a good refresher before the fall semester begins. 

Owen added that larger admissions and informational days such as Den Day are open to all high school students. 

So, what about summer when fewer people are on campus? Owen said summer is still a great time to plan a visit. 

“Typically, we offer Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday,” she said. “Also, during summer, we offer twilight tours. They’re the same campus tour, but we try to cater to those who work and can’t come in the morning.” 

Over the summer, interested students can schedule campus tours on Mondays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. On Tuesdays, the admissions team hosts Transfer Tuesday Tours beginning at 9 a.m. and on Thursdays, twilight tours at 5:30 p.m. 

During the spring and fall semesters, Owen said tours are held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon. Spanish tours are held on Monday mornings, and transfer tours are held on Fridays, specifically for transfer students. 

While the goal of every tour and visit is to help a student decide to come to UAFS, Owen said it’s just not possible that any university is one-size-fits-all.  

“We don’t try to be everything for everybody. We want everybody to come here, but we are also realistic in the fact that if you want to do meteorology, you can’t do that here. But I feel like our whole team does a really good job of pointing students in the direction of where we think they would find the best fit,” Owen said. 

Campus tours and visits can be scheduled online by clicking the “Visit” tab on the UAFS website or by visiting https://uafs.edu/admissions/visit.php. By selecting the “Register for a Campus Tour” widget, students can choose a day and time to visit. If availability doesn’t align with calendar options, Owen said to email her at darbi.owenFREEuafs. High schools can also sign up to schedule group tours at https://lions.uafs.edu/register/GroupTourInquiry. 

• Tags:
• Transfer Students
• Campus Tours
• Admissions
• New Students