Deciding where to attend college is a huge decision for most students and settling on a choice can bring a sense of relief and satisfaction. Then a daunting reality sets in as the students and their parents realize they face the next big question: How do we make this actually happen?
Navigating the process of applying for admission, housing, and grants and scholarships
can feel overwhelming, which is why experts at the University of Arkansas advise starting
as early as possible. Visit the campuses of the colleges you are interested in during
your sophomore and junior years, and apply for admission at the end of your junior
year to the ones you most want to attend. Once you are accepted for admission and
decide where you plan to go, dive into the details.
At the U of A, you can schedule a campus visit at https://admissions.uark.edu/visit/ and apply for admission at https://admissions.uark.edu/apply/.
Housing is another priority, so go to https://housing.uark.edu/ to research your options for dorms and meal plans.
Then there’s the big, bad gorilla in the road known as funding. The U of A has a webpage
that covers the basics: https://walton.uark.edu/future-students/cost-tuition.php.
Some other helpful links regarding undergraduate scholarships include:
- General scholarships for freshmen: https://scholarships.uark.edu/guide-to-academic-freshman-scholarships/index.php
- Honors College Fellowships: https://honorscollege.uark.edu/prospective-students/fellowships/fellowship-application-checklist.php
- Walton College scholarships: https://walton.uark.edu/student-engagement/scholarships.php (February 15 deadline)
- Arkansas Alumni Association scholarships: https://www.arkansasalumni.org/s/1429/bp20/interior.aspx?sid=1429&gid=1&pgid=436 (February 15 deadline)
The Walton College, other colleges at the UA, and the alumni association all use the same application software system. Once students fill out the general application questions, the software should direct them to fill out more specific questions related to their college.
All of these web-based resources are great, but sometimes, of course, there’s a need for a real person to answer a question or bring clarity to the confusion. For students enrolling in the Walton College, that person is Megan Garland (undergraduate recruiter, megang@uark.edu) or Autumn Parker (director for undergraduate recruitment and enrollment management, aparker@walton.uark.edu). Both also can be reached at the Undergraduate Programs Office by calling 479-575-4622.
