Future Catamounts coming to WCU Open House

Aspiring students and family members meet with members of Entourage to discuss freshman housing. Photo by Haley Smith.

Over 650 potential WCU students and their families will attend the first Open House this year on Saturday, Feb. 25.

The event is managed by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions  along with the guidance of Entourage, WCU’s group of student tour guides. Attendees will be taken through the campus based on their possible fields of study and meet with the different departments.

There will be a chance for the potential Catamounts to see the academic buildings, resident halls, and dining establishments they may be spending their future college days in.

“Countless hours go into the setup and execution of Open House.  After each event, we take the feedback we receive from guests to make changes to ensure that the next group of guests are having the best experience possible,” Associate Director of Admissions Marketing & Recruitment, Patrick Frazier, said.

Entourage president, Reid Ogden, said that the goal of Open House is to “give the guest a lot of good info about Western, making this a school they want to attend.” Entourage members will be on hand all day to answer any questions the possible future students may have.

Potential students begin their tour towards Scott and Walker Halls. Photo by Meghan O’Sullivan

At this point in time there is approximately 650 students and 1,400 guests registered to attend Open House.

“The number of guests that attend Open House has increased steadily over the last five years due to the increased popularity of Western Carolina University as a whole,” informed Frazier.

Frazier added that in the 2017-18 school year WCU will have four open house event instead of three like last year.

“Having an extra event will allow the number of guests to potentially be spread out over the four events so that it does not impact the quality of the event,” Frazier said.

Doors at the Ramsey Center open at 8 a.m. and the event runs through the day with scheduled activities, ending at 4 p.m. after tours and information sessions have concluded.