Students interested in or planning to attend Mississippi State this year can get a taste of what the university has to offer by attending this year’s “Discovery: MSU.”
The event is scheduled to take place on Friday from 8-11:30 a.m. After prospective students from high schools and community colleges attend registration in The Colvard Union lobby, they and their parents will attend the opening assembly in The Union Ball room.
Faculty members and advisors will make themselves available to participants, as will staff members from campus offices especially relevant to incoming students. Various student organizations, the office of admissions, campus housing, financial aid and cooperative education will all be represented.
John Dickerson, director of the Office of Enrollment Services, said that the main benefit of “Discovery” is convenience for students and their parents.
“In a few hours, they can talk to every academic and student organization on this campus. It’s a great format,” Dickerson said.
Along with interaction with representatives from the university’s fields of study, prospective students can enjoy interactive displays, entertainment from campus groups, refreshments and and academic competitions in the subjects of American history, art, chemistry, foreign languages and physics.
“Not only are the competitions good academic exercise, but students can also win scholarships to attend Mississippi State through them,” Dickerson said.
Students also benefit from “Discovery” by making contacts and placing themselves on mailing lists. This way, they can receive more information on the schools they are most interested in studying.
Dickerson said that general assemblies offered at Discovery Day also help students gather more specialized knowledge.
“We offer two general assemblies so that prospective students can hear the university president and the SA president speak,” Dickerson said. “Then they can go and visit with representatives of a school they’re interested in to get more specific info on thet area of study.”
As a major part of the recruiting process, MSU takes great strides to attract students to “Discovery.”
“A month prior to the event we send out cards to everyone in our database, as well as posters to high schools and community colleges,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson also wants current MSU students to invite other potentials.
“I encourage students to ask people to come that they know may be interested,” he said.