Wearing head to toe Eastern gear and walking around with bright eyes and smiles, prospective students get a feel for the campus Monday during Eastern’s open house.

Associate Director of Admissions and the coordinator of the open house, Brittany Tierney said once a student steps foot onto campus, they fall In love with the campus, people and the university.

“It’s been a really exciting, fun and energetic day,” Tierney said.

In order to make each student’s experience successful however, Tierney said initial contact with the prospective students starts about four weeks prior to the open house and her favorite part of the day is watching the event’s success unfold.

“I love seeing all of the families check in, and our staff welcoming the families,” Tierney said.

Tierney said there was also an increase in the number of people who attended this year’s open house compared to last year’s.

Music education transfer, Samantha Harris, from Tremont said her favorite part about the open house was getting all her questions answered by the friendly staff.

Harris learned about Eastern through a family friend and decided to check it out. She said she looks forward to getting to know new people and possibly joining vocal clubs that will help expand her career.

Some of the activities the students took advantage of was a student panel where they can ask current students questions, guided tours of campus, and complimentary meal tickets to get a taste of what Eastern students eat.

Applications to Eastern were also being offered and the $30 application fee was waived.

Chaela Krueger can be reached at 581-2812 or clkrueger@eiu.edu.