LONDON, Ohio -- The Ohio State University regional campuses of Newark, Marion, Mansfield and Lima will have a presence for the first time at this year's Farm Science Review to attract some of the more than 5,000 high school students who visit the show.
Jill Tyson, coordinator of admissions for Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, said that the regional campuses will join the Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) and CFAES department representatives from main campus in Columbus to share educational materials with young adults potentially interested in enrolling at Ohio State.
"It's common for me to meet with students and their families who would benefit by starting their higher education at a regional campus and live either at home or closer to home, rather than begin at the Columbus campus," said Tyson. "Whether students obtain their degrees at a regional campus or eventually transfer to main campus, we want to be sure that those regional campuses have a chance to share their information with potential students coming to Farm Science Review. OSU is OSU in our eyes."
According to Tyson, last year over 16 percent of incoming students enrolled in CFAES were from ATI or one of the regional campuses.
Farm Science Review will be held Sept. 16-18 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio. CFAES student recruitment opportunities will be held in the Bailey Building located on Friday Avenue. The building will be open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sept. 16-17 and 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Sept. 18.
Young adults who visit the Bailey Building can learn more about what CFAES has to offer through a fun, interactive activity known as Buckeye World.
"Students fill out a card with their contact information, and then they visit all of the booths and exhibits in the Bailey Building and participate in a game or other activity. They get their card stamped for each location and then when the card is filled they can redeem the card for a prize," said Tyson. "The purpose of the game is to encourage high school students to visit each booth and see what our college really does have to offer as far as majors and opportunities." Buckeye World will be offered from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. each day of Farm Science Review.
Tyson said that the college presence from a student recruitment standpoint is an important component of the educational aspect of Farm Science Review.
"Sometimes Farm Science Review is the first stop for a student to learn more about Ohio State University," said Tyson. "It's a central place where we are able to reach out to students to either expose them to the university or present them with something new that they might not already be familiar with."
Farm Science Review is sponsored by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. It attracts upwards of 140,000 visitors from all over the country and Canada, who come for three days to peruse 4,000 product lines from 600 commercial exhibitors, and learn the latest in agricultural research, conservation, family and nutrition, and gardening and landscape.
Tickets are $8 at the gate or $5 in advance when purchased from county offices of OSU Extension or participating agribusinesses. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 16-17 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 18. To learn more, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu.