Anywhere from 700-900 prospective undergraduate students attend UMSL Day every fall to learn what the university has to offer. (Photos by August Jennewein)
What comes to mind when you picture your undergraduate experience?
Maybe you’re imagining walking across the quad with friends, studying into the night at the university library, competing on the field or court, participating in Greek life or joining a student organization.
That’s just a small taste of what the University of Missouri–St. Louis has to offer.
To see more of what makes the university a great place to spend your undergraduate career, join us on Nov. 9 for our signature open house: UMSL Day.
Open to any prospective undergraduate student – first-time freshman, transfer or returning – UMSL Day showcases what the university has to offer. That’s everything from academics, to campus resources, financial aid and much more. Whether you’re exploring college options or already have your heart set on UMSL, there’s a whole host of reasons to come to UMSL Day.
1. You’ll figure out if UMSL is the right fit for you.
UMSL Day is a one-stop shop for learning what UMSL is about. You’ll start the day off in the beautiful Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center lobby where you’ll check in and have a chance to explore UMSL’s many academic majors and minors.
“There’s a whole bunch of different booths set up,” senior music major Lexi Neal explains. “I got to walk over to each department that I was interested in and have a long conversation. I met the professor that I always wanted to study with, and I just got an awesome feel for what my time would be like at UMSL.”
You’ll also learn about housing, financial aid, multicultural student services, what it’s like to be a Triton and more.
“You can learn a lot online or from an admissions rep at a college fair, but you really can’t learn if it’s a fit for you without visiting,” UMSL Director of Admissions Dixie Williams says. “I think that’s the biggest reason to come see the campus and meet the people.”
Protip: There’s sessions for transfer and NOW (night, online and weekend) students.
Explore campus hangouts such as Cafe TJ in the library during UMSL Day.
2. You can meet current UMSL students.
There’s no better way to begin picturing where you might fit on campus than meeting current students and hearing about their experiences.
It was coming to campus and meeting students that made sophomore and media studies major Nicole Wisz decide on UMSL.
“Meeting so many people helped me realize that I really liked the environment of the campus and the culture of it,” Nicole says. “I was like, ‘This is my school.’”
You won’t just have opportunities to meet students during the event but also when touring the campus and checking out classic UMSL hangouts like the main eatery, The Nosh, and the Recreation and Wellness Center.
Protip: The approximately 7,500 undergraduates that attend UMSL represent 49 states and 78 countries.
3. You can customize your experience.
During UMSL Day, you’ll be able to customize how you explore campus. You’ll have your choice of walking or bus tours. You can follow your tour with no breaks, or you can stop to explore areas like the residence halls, fine arts facilities, Science Learning Complex or the College of Business Administration.
“UMSL Day definitely helps you see more of the campus,” said Dre Williams, a senior and double major in theater and business administration. “I didn’t realize like how big the campus is, especially with South Campus. That is the first stop to knowing what we have here.”
Another plus, explains Dixie Williams, is that you’ll be able to see the classrooms where you will be studying.
“It allows a student who’s in the sciences to see the science building and the science labs, for somebody who wants to go into business to see the building,” she says. “They can think, ‘Can I sit in this classroom and work in this lab?’”
Protip: UMSL is built on the former grounds of the Bellerive Country Club and still has rolling green hills and wooded areas.
You’ll have the chance to tour campus buildings and talk to administrators such as Alan Byrd, vice provost of enrollment management.
4. You’ll get your application fee waived. (Plus, you can get help applying.)
If you decide to apply before UMSL Day, your application fee will be waived once you preregister. Apply beforehand and you will be that much further along in the process, which will allow you to explore scholarship or financial aid options that much quicker during the event.
“The day is designed purposefully to be convenient for our guests that come to campus,” Dixie Williams says. “They can access admissions, financial aid, student involvement, housing – all of those things.”
If you haven’t applied yet, don’t sweat it! There will be admissions representatives on hand to guide you through the process, and your fee will still be waived.
Protip: Live in Illinois? You’ll receive in-state tuition at UMSL.
5. You’ll get excited about attending UMSL.
Whether you’re already psyched to attend UMSL or still thinking it over, the best reason for coming to UMSL Day is that you’ll start looking forward to the next step in your academic future. Whether you are excited about taking classes in new and interesting subjects, getting involved, making a whole bunch of new friends, studying abroad or living away from home for the first time, nothing is going to get your more inspired than seeing the university of your plans and dreams.
“You’re going to get excited for UMSL, and then you’re going to want to be involved,” Dre Williams says. “As a student, once you get here, you’re going to pay more attention to what the UMSL community has to offer because you’re going to know more of what it has to offer before you even come to the doors.”
That’s a feeling that Lexi Neal shares.
“When I came to UMSL Day,” she says, “I was really just impressed by the excitement of everyone who showed up and the welcoming faces that were there.”
Protip: What are you waiting for? RSVP today to reserve your spot and get your application fee waived!
