Prospective students and parents visited Florida A&M for Fall Preview to learn more about the programs offered at the university this weekend.
For many students, the preview is the moment they realize they have found their home for the next few years.
Annalise Anise, a pharmacy student, attended a similar preview as a senior in high school and said it was the deciding factor in her choice to attend FAMU in the fall.
“I actually went to Spring Preview, which is similar to Fall Preview,” Anise said. “And I got to talk to the administration in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. I think that’s why my parents and I saw that Florida A&M was the best fit for us.”
This event, which is held each semester, took place Saturday in the Grand Ballroom. Beginning with registration, students participated in a schedule of events, including exhibits from academic departments and campus tours.
The group toured the Black Archives, which led to a showcase in Lee Hall and ended with tailgating before the football game.
The morning was filled with beneficial information for parents. Xavier Boyce said his encounter with faculty gave him the confidence he was looking for before letting his son leave home.
“It’s wonderful,” Boyce said. “It gives you the aspect to see exactly how the atmosphere of the clientele and faculty are. We get to see the college, you get to talk to all the department heads, and you also get to talk to the scholarship programs and you get a lot of information that you’re not accustomed to getting at regular events.”
Reginald Perry of the College of Engineering said he came looking to recruit a larger number of students for this upcoming year.
“We’re really looking to bring in between 200 to 250 new students into the College of Engineering,” Perry said. “And these events are ideal for us in terms of trying to sell our program to students.”
The Fall Preview is a tool in increasing program awareness and enrollment across the campus. Some students come unsure of what area to study but leave the preview with an area of concentration.
Anthony Norton, an adviser for the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, uses the preview as his opportunity to tell students what prerequisites they need to take while they are still in high school to make their transition into college easier.
“What I have here is basically the steps it takes to get into FAMU coming out of high school,” Norton said. “If they want to come in as a transfer student, I have that information as well.”