STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS—They came, they saw, they toured.

Almost 1,700 students and family members—a record high—visited the Tarleton State University campus for the bi-annual Texan Tour, held on Nov. 7.

According to the school relations office, almost 650 of attendees were students, which is a 32 percent increase over last year’s attendance of 480.

Texan Tour provides a unique visitation day for high school and transfer students who get an up-close look at the university through conversations with currents students and sessions with various academic and support departments.

“We are really excited about the students who attended Texan Tour,” said Laurie Gaiser, director of school relations. “It was one of the best Texan Tours because the students were very interactive and asked wonderful questions. All the sessions were full.

“If Saturday’s Texan Tour was any indication about our upcoming fall semester, then we will have one of the best freshmen classes.”

On the day after Texan Tour, more than 70 applied for admittance to Tarleton in the fall 2010 semester.

Current Tarleton students, known as Texan Reps, guided groups on campus tours and answered questions from a student’s perspective throughout the day. The Texan Reps are students who meet certain requirements, including having completed one full semester at Tarleton.

“We believe current students are our best spokesmen when it comes to recruiting future students,” Gaiser said. “Their enthusiasm for Tarleton and their commitment to the university shines through when they talk about the campus.”


During Texan Tour, students attended an academic college open house, where they learned about their academic interests and toured inside the buildings. They were also treated to a pep rally with the Tarleton cheerleaders and the Sound and the Fury Marching Band followed by lunch in the Dining Hall.

The next Texan Tour will be held March 27. For more information or to register for Texan Tour, visit www.tarleton.edu/welcome and click on “Texan Tour.”