Over the past five years, an average of about 1,200 students attend an OHIO Up Close event each year.
Alexis Mroczka knew she made the right decision to attend Ohio University when she went to OHIO Up Close during her senior year of high school.
OHIO Up Close is a full-day open house program designed for admitted students and their families, according to Candace Boeninger, assistant vice provost for enrollment management and director of Undergraduate Admissions.
In total, there are seven OHIO Up Close visits scheduled for this year. The first was Feb. 15 and the remaining will be March 11 and 18, April 1, 8, 15 and 22, according to OU's website.
“(OHIO Up Close) definitely solidified everything, and I was like, 'Yes, I’m definitely going here,' ” Mroczka, a sophomore studying sociology pre-law, said.
During the past five years, about 1,200 students have attended an Up Close event each year, according to numbers provided by Boeninger. 2014 saw the highest student attendance with more than 1,400.
On average, OHIO Up Close costs about $4,400 per program, Boeninger said. It is unclear whether the university or the students foot that bill.
"The cost varies by number of admitted students and guests in attendance, of course, and it also may vary depending on the various venues that are available for the individual components of the program," Boeninger said in an email.
“The day’s agenda highlights what they can expect to experience as an enrolled student here,” Boeninger said.
Mroczka recommends that prospective students attend OHIO Up Close.
“I’m really glad (I attended),” Mroczka said. “Right away, I knew I picked the right school.”
During an Up Close visit, students meet with faculty in the academic program they wish to pursue, Boeninger said.
“Undergraduate Admissions hosts a variety of visit opportunities for admitted students, and OHIO Up Close is consistently popular among families,” Boeninger said in an email.
Alexis Ziemak, a freshman studying chemistry pre-med, went to OHIO Up Close when she was making her college decision, which was her first time visiting OU.
Ziemak said the experience helped her pick OU.
“It was a rainy day, but OU’s still pretty,” Ziemak said. “It’s definitely home.”
The program also involves a resource fair with representatives from all of the academic colleges, Housing and Residence Life, the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, learning community programs and the Office for Multicultural Student Access and Retention and more, Boeninger said.
During OHIO Up Close, prospective students get to see a residence hall and eat lunch in one the dining halls, Boeninger said
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Ziemak and Mroczka both said they notice when it's an OHIO Close Up day because of how crowded the campus is.
“It’s so cute because I see them and I’m like ‘oh, I was you,’ ” Mroczka said.
The primary goal of OHIO Up Close, Boeninger said, is to help the students and families feel welcomed and help them see if OU can become their college home.
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