The West Virginia University community will welcome hundreds of prospective students and their families to campus during a fall open house Saturday, Oct. 13.

The annual event provides the University an opportunity to show off its highly acclaimed faculty members, academic programs and learning facilities to interested high school students. The day-long event is comprised of a campus tour, information fair and open houses by many of the schools and colleges at WVU .

Its difficult to look through a college catalog and get a full sense of a campus or its programs,said Courtney Jennings, coordinator of New Student Orientation.The open house provides students the chance to come and experience the people and places that are a part of the rich history and academic excellence that is WVU .

Check in for the day begins at 9 a.m. at the Creative Arts Center (CAC) followed by campus tours led by current WVU students. An information fair, also at the CAC , will allow students to get information about the academic programs, admissions, financial aid, scholarships and housing. Representatives will also be on hand with information about the WVU Honors College, ROTC program and Mountaineer Parents Club.

Welcoming remarks by Sharon Ryan, chair of the WVU Philosophy&Humanities department, will begin at 11 a.m. in the main theater of the Creative Arts Center. Tours of WVU s award-winning Student Recreation Center and lunch at the Evansdale Residential Complex dining hall will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Students will have an opportunity to meet the faculty and explore the academic programs and majors available to them during a school/college open house at 1:15 p.m. at locations across campus.

Space for the event is limited and reservations are required. For more information, call 304-293-2264 or visit:http://www.arc.wvu.edu/new_student_orientation/open_house.htm.