Northwest College welcomed the annual influx of high school seniors as they entered the West Yellowstone Building for the college’s preview day Nov. 10. The college opened up its dorms, classes and most of their campus from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. to give prospective freshmen a taste of college life.

“Today is about you,”  Admissions Manager West Hernandez said.

This set the tone for the day, the entire day had been set aside and the college was opened up for visiting students to explore.

“Use this then as the comparison, find out what we do here and then compare it,” Financial Aid and Scholarship Director Shaman Quinn said. “Even if you’re not about us use this as the baseline.”

The college’s preview day was designed to give the students the choice on what they saw, and they were given schedules with flexible times in order to see all that was available for them to experience. NWC offered open tours of the campus as well as several dorms. Students even got to eat in the cafeteria and get a literal taste of college life.

Several NWC  students including freshmen Powell High School alumni Claire Miner, Katie Brown and sophomore Stephanie Liggett, thought it was important they guide students through the challenges of college to help others with the knowledge they have gained.

“Well I sorted my entire senior year planning on where I will go to college and what I would do and what classes I would take,” Miner said. “I think it’s very important some people can make it without college but I feel with it you can accomplish so much more and experience so much more.”

The other tour guides were also passionate about their college and helping others learn about college life, in order to make educated decisions on life after high school.

“I think preview day is super important because it allows prospective students to see everything that goes on at the college and talk to real students,” Brown said. ”They get a sense of the atmosphere of the college because they get to walk and around and explore for most of the day.” The visiting students seemed to also see the value in exploring the college and interacting with students and staff.

“I got a lot of help from the teachers during the class preview they went out of their way to help and answer all the questions I had,” Allyssa Gould.