Which is the best OBU campus visit for you?

September 25, 2017

You’ve dreamt of heading off to college for years, from meeting lifelong friends to learning more about the vocation you feel called to, and you can’t wait to explore everything an undergrad experience has to offer. But as you’re making these choices and visiting different universities, you may be bombarded with information and find it difficult to wade through your options.

Don’t worry. At Oklahoma Baptist University, we want to streamline your search and help you make the best decision possible for your future. We offer prospective students several different ways to learn about our culture and our campus.  

 “We want students to leave [a campus visit] having seen everything they wanted and to know everything that they’ve been wondering about,” Admissions Director Will Brantley says.

For this reason, OBU offers students three main campus visit events, as well as personalized one-on-one tours. 

Be a Bison Day

Did you know that once upon a time, a live bison lived on the OBU campus? A student organization known as “The Sacred Order of the Bison” brought the first lively animal and named him “Belshazzar.” After his death, Belshazzar I, II, III and IV lived on campus and were cared for by the student-led group.

Not only is the bison the United States’ national mammal, but the bison also serves as OBU’s mascot. What is today called “Bison Hill” on campus used to be a buffalo wallow (a place where buffalo and bison would go for water) before the campus was built. These days, you may not see any live bison roaming around campus, but don’t let that stop you from visiting campus for Be a Bison Day to see everything our school has to offer.

Be a Bison Day is a one-day event that brings together a small gathering — typically about 30 to 50 students — and lets them experience what a day in the life of an OBU Bison is all about, Brantley said. During these visits, students get a chance to go to chapel, eat in the cafeteria and attend an actual class on campus.

Pablo Villa, a freshman Pastoral Ministry major, attended Be a Bison day before choosing OBU because it gave him the opportunity to meet other students who were in the same decision-making place as him while also providing an opportunity to know the campus better.

Villa says, “The best part about visiting campus was to imagine myself spending the next four years of my life living here and how that thought did not scare me because I loved every single aspect of it.”

An average Be a Bison Day may look like the following:

The next Be a Bison Day will be scheduled for Fall 2018. Dates will be posted here when they become available. 

Night on the Hill

If you’re a high school senior and are interested in immersing yourself in the complete college experience, spend the night at OBU with current students to get a true taste of the complete college experience. Similar to Be a Bison Day, students will attend class, go to chapel and tour the campus, but they also get to stay overnight.

Madeleine Foster, an undeclared freshman, attended Night on the Hill and says, “I came to Shawnee for Night on the Hill last year and loved it! It was super awesome and my favorite part had to be witnessing the environment I knew I was going to be living in the next fall.”

An average Night on the Hill weekend may follow this schedule:

The next Night on the Hill will be scheduled for Fall 2018. Dates will be posted here when they become available. 

Preview Day

Whether you’re a high school freshman, senior or anything in between, Preview Day is open to all high school students to provide information about OBU and the various options you will find on campus. There are generally more than 150 students visiting during Preview Day, and they have the option to attend breakout sessions depending on what they want to see, do and participate in.

Corbin Sanderson, an undeclared freshman, chose to attend a Preview Day first because of the low-pressure environment. Sanderson says, “The best part of visiting campus was how genuine everyone was. They want you to pick the right campus for you, even if it isn’t OBU. They are honest about what OBU is and know that it may not be for everyone, but they want you here.”

An average Preview Day schedule may follow this schedule:

The next Preview Day will be scheduled for Fall 2018. Dates will be posted here when they become available. 

Individual Visit

Of course, you’re not limited to visiting the OBU campus just during these specific events. We’d love to give you a one-on-one tour of campus and answer any questions you might have. Schedule an individual visit for a personalized tour of our campus and let us answer any questions you might have.

Tim Duncan, a freshman Social Entrepreneurship major, chose an Individual Visit to OBU because of the scheduling flexibility. When asked about his experience, Duncan says, “I loved the atmosphere of OBU and how my guide was able to answer my questions.”

We can’t wait to meet you and help you move one step closer to joining the Bison family!