Prospective college students now have two new ways they can apply for admission at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, thanks to a new mobile app and a revamped online enrollment application.
The UAFS mobile app debuted in November for smartphones as part of an effort to appeal to the upcoming classes of graduating high school students. The app provides plenty of information for current students -- including financial aid, advising, UAFS news and an academic calendar -- but it’s highlighted by an applications process that Marketing Director Jeff Harmon of Greenwood said will be a “game changer.”
“The application process we had before was much less convenient and much less streamlined,” he said. “This app makes the process extremely easy, and we are one of the few colleges in the state, if not the only one, that offers an enrollment application through a mobile device.”
Harmon said that in the first two months, they have received over 175 applications and over 125 inquiries from prospective students about the University.
“It’s been a huge success. I’m kind of shocked with how many come in every day,” he said. “It’s been really great to partner with admissions to work on this project.”
The app provides a platform for prospective college students raised on mobile devices to apply for admission, according to Harmon.
“I think the app really adds another dimension to our recruiting efforts,” he said. “But I think the instant impact it’s having is proving how high school students want to interact through mobile devices.”
The UAFS Admissions Office has also made applying for college easier for prospective students. The office collaborated with the offices of Technology Application Support and Marketing and Communications to launch a five-minute application through the website in late October which has simplified the process, according to Kelly DeWitt of Fort Smith, interim director of admissions.
“The new online application for admissions makes it quicker and easier for students to apply at UAFS,” she said. “The former online application was more time-consuming to students, especially those from out of state. We’ve simplified some of the categories that were troublesome.”
DeWitt said the Admissions Office, which received a total of 6,577 online applications in 2012, has received approximately 100 per week since the new process launched.
“It’s our hope that students will realize the simplicity of the online application versus the paper version, but we welcome students to apply either way,” she said.
The UAFS mobile app is available through iTunes and Google Play. To apply online at UAFS, visit www.uafs.edu/apply. For more information, contact the Admissions Office at 479-788-7120.