More than 530 prospective students came to the open house — one of the most considerable turnouts the university has ever seen. That’s good news for WCU, which see campus tours as an increasingly important recruiting tool.
The rise in open house takers corresponds with rising enrollment and a rise in the freshmen retention rate.
“It is so vital for them to see who we are, what we are,” said Phil Cauley, director of student recruitment and transitions at Western Carolina.
Dozens of seemingly enthusiastic tour guides, donning purple T-shirts bearing the university logo, led small groups of students with parents in tow around campus. Guides sought to draw distinctions between their university and rivals, with Appalachian State coming up a lot, followed by UNC-Asheville. They were full of details. One guide, speaking before a small group gathered on the campus concourse, noted that the first three-pointer in college basketball history was made in the old university gymnasium.
The tone among visitors last week varied. Most of the prospective students were high school seniors, accompanied by their parents and siblings. Some gradually eased into the new setting as the day progressed, their strides between academic buildings sometimes turning
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