You’re getting closer to high school graduation and now it’s time to start thinking about next steps. Explore CSU can help!

When: September 8, 2023. There is a morning event and an afternoon event, with supplemental information sessions and tours available.

Who it's for: High school juniors and seniors (and their guests) who are in the early stages of their college and major explorations.

Where it is: Explore CSU is held at CSU's main campus in Fort Collins at the Lory Student Center.

What it is: Explore CSU is an experiential event designed to expose high school juniors and seniors to the university setting. Students will have the opportunity to choose two of four tracks that provide a glimpse into what our different programs offer.

Parents, guardians, and guests will be provided a separate experience where they will meet with Financial Aid, the Career Center, Housing and Dinning, and Parent and Family Programs.

Students and their support systems will meet up for a resource fair and the opportunity to meet CAM the Ram! Supplemental tours and information sessions will also be provided to event registrants only.

Sign up!

Register to save your spot for Explore CSU.

At Explore CSU, you’ll choose to attend the morning or afternoon session. The morning session runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the afternoon session runs from 11:45 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. You may start later or finish earlier based on the sessions you want to attend.

Students and their guests will have different experiences throughout the day.

The student experience

Upon registration, you’ll pick two out of four academic tracks to attend. These are hands-on breakout sessions that help you engage with different CSU academic departments in an immersive way.

Track options:

  • Land, Plant, Animals, and Environment
  • Humanities, Design, and Enterprise
  • Health, Life, and Food Sciences
  • Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering

The family and guest experience

While your student is busy meeting peers, learning about different academic options, and meeting future classmates and faculty, family and guests will participate in the following sessions:

  • Financial aid
  • Parent and family Q&A
  • “Why a college degree?” presentation by the Career Center
  • Housing and dining presentation and tour
Morning event
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.Check-in
8:45 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.Welcome session
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.Guests transition to next sessions
9:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.Guests follow either student or family schedules listed below
12:15 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.Guests transition to next events or can go home
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.CAM the Ram meet and greet
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.Resource Fair
Student schedule
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.Student session 1 (choose one): Land, Plant, Animals, and Environment, or Humanities, Design, and Enterprise, or Health, Life, and Food Sciences, or Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.Students transition to session 2
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.Student session 2 (choose one): Land, Plant, Animals, and Environment, or Humanities, Design, and Enterprise, or Health, Life, and Food Sciences, or Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering
Family/Guest schedule
9:25 a.m. – 9:55 a.m.Financial aid presentation
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.Parent and family Q&A
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.Break
10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.“Why a college degree?” with CSU’s Career Center
11:15 p.m. – 11:45 a.m.Housing and Dining presentation
11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.Tour of Parmelee Residence Hall
Afternoon event
11:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.Check-in
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.CAM the Ram meet and greet
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.Resource Fair
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.Late check-in
2:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.Welcome session
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.Guests transition to next sessions
2:35 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.Guests follow either student or family schedules listed below
5:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.Guests transition back to Lory Student Center, event concludes
Student schedule
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.Student session 1 (choose one): Land, Plant, Animals, and Environment, or Humanities, Design, and Enterprise, or Health, Life, and Food Sciences, or Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering
4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.Students transition to session 2
4:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.Student session 2 (choose one): Land, Plant, Animals, and Environment, or Humanities, Design, and Enterprise, or Health, Life, and Food Sciences, or Math, Physical Sciences and Engineering
Family/Guest schedule
2:35 p.m. – 3:05 p.m.Financial aid presentation
3:05 p.m. – 3:35 p.m.“Why a college degree?” with CSU’s Career Center
3:35 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.Break
3:50 p.m. – 4:20 p.m.Parent and family Q&A
4:20 p.m. – 4:50 p.m.Housing and Dining presentation
4:50 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.Tour of Parmelee Residence Hall

Parking for your event is free, but you must provide your vehicle’s license plate when you register for your visit in order to obtain a digital permit.

Parking will be held in the Moby Arena parking lot (#195). For those using a GPS, the best address is 951 W. Plum Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521. Upon arriving, please park in an “A” parking space.

For turn-by-turn directions to the Moby parking lot and other locations around campus, follow the information below or use this link.

For those traveling on I-25 to reach Fort Collins, use these directions:

  • Use exit 268, Prospect Road.
  • Head west and continue on Prospect Road for about 5 miles.
  • Turn right on Shields Street and continue for 0.2 miles.
  • Turn right on Elizabeth Street into the Moby Arena Parking lot.
  • Dress appropriately as you will be outside touring campus during your visit.
  • We’re here rain or shine! You’ll be notified via text if the weather does impact your visit. Keep up to date by checking CSU’s safety website.
  • Stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, and be kind to yourself as you are at 5,000 feet of elevation.
  • Explore Fort Collins to make the most of your visit. Get tips from students and locals!

Coming from out of town?

For those traveling to Fort Collins by air, Denver International Airport is the closest major airport to Fort Collins. We are about 65 miles north of the airport, and there are several options for transportation following your flight.

Need a place to stay? Learn more about lodging in Fort Collins.

When will we receive a finalized schedule for the day?

A finalized schedule will be posted on our website 14 days in advance of the event.

How do I decide how to schedule my day?

Explore CSU is designed for you to experience different academic areas. Select 2 of 4 tracks that sound interesting. There’s still plenty of time in your college search journey to learn more about other academic areas so we really want you to EXPLORE at this event. For families and caregivers, you have a set schedule with breakout sessions hosted by financial aid, the career center, housing and dining, and others.

Which tracks should I select?
Descriptions of each track will be available during registration so you can learn more about each academic track and pick the two that sound most interesting. You will be able to talk with other colleges and programs at the Resource Fair. We’d also be happy to set-up another customized visit opportunity for you with any other colleges you are interested in exploring further.

When will my day start?

Your day starts at 8am or 11:45am, depending on whether you register for the morning session or afternoon session.

What if we’re running late?

Late check-in will be available. With hundreds of guests for this event, we encourage you to arrive early and on-time. Classes will be in session, so there will be additional on-campus traffic to consider. Additionally, the interstate can be unpredictable, among other factors. While we strive to make check-in as easy and quick as possible, lines will likely be unavoidable at times, and we want to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

What do I need for check-in?

We will check-in guests using the QR code in the email you will receive on September 6. Please have your cell phone out with the QR code pulled up before you get to check-in. We’ll have plenty of staff available to assist you with this process, as well.

Can I bring my parents, guests, caregiver or siblings?

Parents and caregivers are welcome to join you for this event and will even have programming specifically for them. If you’d like to bring your friends or siblings who are also current high school juniors or seniors, we ask that they register independently for the student tracks.

What if there is a weather emergency?

In the event CSU is closed due to weather, all registrants will receive a text notification of the event’s cancellation, and a notice will be posted at safety.colostate.edu. It is rare for CSU to close due to weather due to our well-equipped facilities department, but we want you to make the decision whether to attend based on your circumstances and comfort.

What should I wear?

We recommend you wear comfortable clothing that is appropriate for the weather. You may be a part of sessions that are both indoors and outdoors, especially if you choose to attend a supplemental campus tour.

I cannot find the confirmation email after registering. Where do I find it?

Please contact admissionsvisits@colostate.edu for your confirmation email to be re-sent.

My parents or caregiver registered me under a different name. How can I change my name on the registration?

Please contact admissionsvisits@colostate.edu they will be able to assist with changing the name in the registration.

Contact our admissions events team at admissionsvisits@colostate.edu.