West Virginia University faculty, staff and students are set to welcome more than 400 prospective students and parents during WVU s fall open house Saturday, Sept. 30. The event is an opportunity for WVU to show off its highly acclaimed academic programs and for high school students to gather information about programs and services that will help them in the college decisionmaking process, said Regan Bruni, New Student Orientation coordinator.

Visiting campus is a great way to know if WVU is right for you, and the fall season is a beautiful time to visit Morgantown, she added.

Check-in begins at 9 a.m. at the Creative Arts Center lobby on the Evansdale Campus. The open house will feature campus tours led by current WVU students and an information fair from 9-10:45 a.m. at the CAC .

During the fair, various campus services will be on hand to answer questions regarding admissions, housing, various majors, the Honors College and ROTC programs.

Families can learn how to finance studentseducation and about the many scholarships available to themplus how to get involved in the Mountaineer Parents Club with a network of 14,000 members and nearly 70 local clubs.

A representative from Potomac State College will also be available to meet students interested in beginning their WVU careers there.

Following the information fair, there will be welcoming remarks by WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. at 11 a.m. at the CAC , tours of WVU s award-winning Student Recreation Center at 11:30 a.m. and then lunch at the Evansdale Residential Complex dining hall.

In the afternoon, students will have the opportunity to inquire about majors and meet faculty members behind WVU s cutting-edge research and diverse academic offerings during a school/college open house from 1:15-2:15 p.m. at various campus locations.

Informal information programs like this one are some of the best ways to learn about WVU , organizers say.

We know that prospective students will benefit greatly from this first-hand experience,Bruni said.Its one thing to read about WVU , but its another thing to see it for yourself. The open house offers an exciting overview of academic excellence and student support services at the University.

We are expecting mostly seniors, but anyone is welcome to attend,she added.Whats unique to this program is that students have the opportunity to visit the college or school that houses their major.

For more information, call 304-293-2264 or e-mail orientation@mail.wvu.edu