Tri-State University’s programs for newly admitted and prospective students June 18-21 brought 438 students to the Angola campus for presentations, meetings, lunch, and a look at the campus.

Newly admitted and deposited students took advantage of summer orientation and registration (SOAR) on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, 36 prospective students attended TSU’s Summer Frenzy open house.

Through SOAR, 402 new students registered for fall classes, heard presentations from deans and faculty members in their schools of study, and visited with representatives from social, charitable, athletic, and academic organizations on campus. Students and their families relaxed under a tent behind Forman Hall for lunch, to the accompaniment of live guitar music.

Including parents, family members, friends, and students, a total of 939 people visited TSU for SOAR, which outstripped last year’s crowd by 108. Additionally, 20 percent more students attended this year’s SOAR.

SOAR is an event hosted by the TSU Office of Student Life. Randy White, Dean of Student Life, called the event extremely successful. “The students already committed to attend TSU and their parents really appreciated their time here, to meet with faculty and dot the ‘i’s’ and cross the ‘t’s,’” White said. The chance to tour the new student apartments and receive roommate information also made a big impact on the incoming students, he said.

Summer Frenzy is one of a series of around 12 open houses offered throughout the year by the TSU Office of Admission to give prospective students a look at the campus and its programs. White said the mid-week event gave the two university offices a chance to examine how to better serve both types of students.