Seventy-four freshman and sophomore EOSC (Eastern Oklahoma State College) GEAR UP students from Atoka Public Schools recently participated in a virtual college tour day. GEAR UP Education Coordinator, Denise Lovell, began the tour by discussing how to choose a college based on location, size, cost, academic programs, and scholarships. Next, Karen Darby, Admissions Recruiter, for EOSC met with students on the Atoka campus and gave them an overview of Eastern and the many opportunities the college offers.  With locations in Wilburton, McAlester, Idabel, and Antlers, the school is readily accessible to students in southeastern Oklahoma and is more affordable than many other area universities. EOSC is a two-year college and offers a large variety of programs. EOSC works in association with four-year colleges to provide placement for the Eastern graduates. Darby discussed Eastern’s top academic programs, including nursing, respiratory therapy, and agricultural education. The nursing program prepares individuals to perform patient care at the beginning staff nurse level, and job placement upon graduation has been 100 percent for the last several years. EOSC is the only institution in Oklahoma and surrounding states that offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree in meat processing and food safety. In addition to academia, Darby encouraged students to become involved in campus life. She also invited students to physically tour the campus and explore the area in the near future. The session ended with a question and answer segment where students inquired about financial aid, scholarships, and campus living. Darby explained the advantages of a smaller campus and recommended students consider attending EOSC upon graduation. The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College’s GEAR UP program. Eastern received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant in 2017, and will serve more than 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.