Students and parents take a peek at UNG during open house

As a University of North Georgia (UNG) student ambassador, Jack Camp enjoys sharing the "inside scoop" about the university with potential students and their parents, especially since he has attended two other Georgia institutions.

"Some people may not realize there are certain things to brag about unless you have been in a place that didn't do it," said Camp, a 25-year-old junior majoring in biology from Conyers, Georgia.

Camp explained at another university he had to decipher a map to locate a professor's office.

"But on (UNG’s) Gainesville Campus, if you need a science professor, you go to the science building to find them there," he said. "And there are a ton of high points like that on this campus and others."

Camp, who also took classes on the Oconee Campus, plans to impart those highlights to future UNG students and their parents at the upcoming open house this spring.

The open houses are scheduled for:

• Blue Ridge: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5
• Cumming: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 21
• Dahlonega: 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 24
• Gainesville: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 14
• Oconee: 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 3

Molly Potts, director of undergraduate admissions at UNG, said the open houses at all five UNG campuses offer parents and students the opportunity to learn about the university. Sessions during the open houses feature topics on admissions, financial aid, orientation and transition programs, language programs, study aboard opportunities, and transferring to UNG. Other sessions are specific to each campus. For example, housing, meal programs and the Corps of Cadets are discussed on the Dahlonega Campus.

University of North Georgia student ambassador Edrea Douglas gives students a tour of the Gainesville Campus. Students and parents will receive tours during the open houses on all five UNG campuses.

A new session on the Gainesville Campus will be delivered in Spanish for students and parents.

"We have a lot of native Spanish speakers, so we are combining the three sessions of financial aid, admissions and next steps into one session for them," Potts said. "We know that the demographic of the Hispanic population is growing in Gainesville. So we want to reach out to them and make them feel comfortable with UNG."

Conducting the session will be Iris Trejo, admissions coordinator who is based on the Gainesville Campus.

"Her new job is to focus on the diversity of our students," Potts said.

Joining her will be Katie Johnson, an admissions officer who is based on the Dahlonega Campus. Both women are bilingual.

"We are going to start this on the Gainesville Campus first and gauge the participation," Potts said, explaining the sessions will be promoted at area high schools and to area guidance counselors.

If it proves successful, UNG will determine whether to offer sessions in Spanish on other UNG campuses.

Another change this spring is the Cumming Campus' open house has moved from an evening activity to a Saturday morning affair.

"Cumming had low turnout, and we chalked it up to people being busy in the evening," Potts said. "So we are going to try a Saturday option to see if we can get a better participation."

For more information on the open houses, visit the UNG's undergraduate admissions webpage.