Increase puts camp at top of list
By Brent Yarina
Staff Reporter

Frog Camp attracts a higher percentage of its incoming freshman class than any other university camp in the nation, Carrie Zimmerman, director of the first year experience, said.

Zimmerman said since Frog Camp was created in 1994, the popularity of the program has increased each year. In its first year, only 9 percent of the incoming freshman class attended Frog Camp, she said.

In 1998, however, Frog Camp attracted 52 percent of the freshman class. Zimmerman said last summer, 60 percent of freshmen attended the camp.

“The goal of Frog Camp is to provide the students with a smooth transition into college,” Zimmerman said. “We want them to learn as much about TCU as possible. We want them to know the cheers of the university, the older students and the faculty before classes start.”

She said students who attend Frog Camp experience an easier transition into college, compared to those who do not attend the camp. In fact, the average first-year retention of freshmen has increased from 76 percent to 82 percent since the camp’s first year, she said.

“Frog Camp gives them the advantage to succeed at TCU,” Zimmerman said. “I also feel it raises a student’s comfort level and shows them what it means to be a TCU student.”

However, Zimmerman said, the primary reason for the dramatic increase in Frog Camp attendance is the result of the camp’s endless recruiting and its great reputation.

“To interest students in Frog Camp, we hound them to death,” Zimmerman said.

Prospective students are either receiving phone calls from current students or postcards from the university publicizing the camps on a regular basis, she said.

Mike Shank-Taylor, director of fun, said Frog Camp is successful because it provides students with the opportunity to be surrounded by others who are in the same position as themselves. He said every freshman comes to the university overwhelmed by the thought of entering college but that Frog Camp eliminates this feeling because it allows the student to get established in their new community.

“Frog Camp is a great way to introduce students to college life,” Shank-Taylor said. “Students become more comfortable with TCU and its surroundings after attending Frog Camp, which makes them more accepting of the university.”

Erin Campbell, Casa Nueva assistant director, said Frog Camp is successful because it ensures students that they will have friends when they attend the first day of classes.

“Freshmen who go to Frog Camp feel more confident on that first day due to the introduction of TCU they receive from their peers, the facilitators and the faculty,” Campbell said.

Another reason for the popularity of Frog Camp is that freshmen are able to establish relationships with upperclassmen who they can trust and go to for advice, she said.

Jennifer Scott, a freshman radio-TV-film major, said her experiences at the Quest Frog Camp were so great that she plans to become a facilitator.

“I enjoyed Frog Camp a lot and met two of my best friends while there,” Scott said. “I’m glad my dad forced me to go because it was fun and I think it had a positive effect.”

In its nine years, Zimmerman said, Frog Camp has grown both in popularity and availability. She said as more students attended the camp, it became necessary to expand the activities and locations of Frog Camp in order to meet every student’s needs.
Frog Camp sessions have included Resolana, Alpine, Challenge, Quest and Casa Nueva, she said.

Brent Yarina