Photo Credits: Emily Tyler
Focus Days began in 2024 when the ATU Office of Admissions sought to create an event where future students could integrate themselves into a typical day as a college student at Arkansas Tech University. ATU’s largest preview event of the year, Time Out for Tech, is designed to showcase every aspect of campus and is “a big party,” aimed in attracting prospective students and making them feel welcome, according to Hailey Addison, coordinator of events and family engagement.
While the event attracted just over 1,000 students in 2025, the admissions staff wanted to create something that offered a more personal connection for incoming students. “We don’t just want them to come. We want them to be comfortable,” Addison said. “The change from high school to college is such a massive difference. It’s full of a lot of unknowns.”
Focus Days was created to help eliminate those unknowns by allowing seniors to attend classes within their intended major, meet professors and interact with other students who share similar academic interests.
The personalization begins as soon as students register. “When they sign up, I personally go through and look at their major and I assign them to a track,” she said. “And then from there, I assign them to a group number. We hand-make their name tags. We assign them a schedule. We put on the buttons before they come. So, it’s very personalized.”
Beyond logistics and recruitment goals, Addison said the deeper mission is helping students feel at home. “What people say about Tech is that it feels like a family. I feel like this is my second home,” she said. “This is kind of an opportunity for these students to come and kind of see the spaces that they’re going to be in and see the processes of how the day works as a college student.”
ATU Focus Days 2026 will continue throughout the spring semester, with designated days for each academic college. Events are open to all high school seniors and their parents or supporters. Registration is available at www.atu.edu/focusdays and additional information can be obtained through the ATU Office of Admissions.
