On Nov. 14, IU Southeast had an open house for prospective students.
In the Hoosier Room, the prospective students were informed about what IU Southeast has to offer.
Welcome sessions were held every fifteen minutes.
JoAnna Jarboe, admissions counselor, said it is typical that half of the students who attend the open house have already been admitted.
Inside the Hoosier Room, visitors explored what IU Southeast has to offer by walking to different booths.
There were booths to learn about Admissions, Athletics, Campus Life and the Study Abroad Program. The ROTC program and UPS also had booths for students to visit.
Visitors could also learn about the on-campus housing.
“I think they like that it’s like their own apartment,” Jen Crompton, assistant director of Residence Life, said.
Crompton said she thought students also liked on-campus housing because it’s close to their classes. She said students like activities like the board games that are played in the dorms.
Some of the students were not incoming freshman, but transfer students from other schools.
Cara Storer, incoming biology major, said she was transferring from IU South Bend. She said she would be transferring schools after she got married.
“My fiancé got a job at Geek Squad,” Storer said.
She said she liked the school because of the campus and because it was close to the Louisville Zoo.
Visitors said they liked the school for various reasons and because it stood out from other schools.
Visitors enjoyed cookies and drinks as they walked around the Hoosier Room.
There was also a chance for visitors to win T-shirts and bags as door prizes.
Students also had the chance to go to the School of Arts and Letters, Natural Sciences or Nursing open house.
At these open houses, visitors could take tours of the art studios, concert halls, art gallery and science labs. They also had the opportunity to talk with faculty and students.
Visitors had the option of taking a campus tour. Students could explore the campus and learn a little about each building. They could also take a tour of the resident halls.
Kimberly Lewis, Financial Aid counselor, led the Financial Aid workshop.
She said for this school year, tuition would be around $2,400 for 12 credit hours. She also said books should cost about $45 per credit hour.
Lewis gave suggestions to visitors about how to pay for college.
She said to check with employers to see if they offer any tuition reimbursement, or students should check if there are military benefits available.
She said it was important to find out if you are eligible for grants that are given on the federal, state and local level.
She also said she suggested looking for scholarships that were given by IU Southeast and private scholarship funds.
Lewis informed students of the work-study programs that are available on campus. She said that it was first-come, first-served and that you had to have financial need for these jobs.
Lewis said she stressed the importance of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form and getting it in on time.
She said the only way to receive grants or to be eligible for the work-study program was to have the form filled out and turned in on time.
Checking e-mail and OneStart for vital class and financial information was also discussed.
By KATHERINE PITTELKO
Staff Writer
kpittelk@ius.edu