On Oct. 15 and 16, Winona State University is hosting a virtual fall open house for high school seniors who are interested in enrolling in the fall 2021 semester.

Freshman Admissions Counselor Liz Schwanke said there are three sessions for students to attend.

Sessions are held throughout the day to accommodate students’ schedules.

“The virtual open house will be a vibrant virtual experience with WSU Admissions, Housing and Residence Life and current atudents,” Schwanke said. “Sessions will be held throughout the day for the three core areas of Warrior Life: Becoming a Warrior, Living Like a Warrior and Succeeding as a Warrior.”

The session “Becoming a Warrior” is hosted by the Winona State Admissions Office and will cover Warrior Life and admissions, Schwanke said.

The “Living Like a Warrior” session is hosted by Winona State Housing and Residence Life Office student housing guides and covers the different residence halls on campus and the application process, Schwanke said.

The third available session features students who are currently enrolled at Winona State and will offer their advice to the prospective Warriors.

The “Succeeding as a Warrior” sessions will be hosted by the Winona State Ambassadors Honorary – a student organization of the current students that give the on-campus, in-person campus tours, Schwanke said.

“These current WSU Students will share information about how they came to choose WSU, what their favorite things are, advice to prospective students embarking on their college search process, as well as take some questions from the attendees,” Schwanke said.

In addition to the three sessions available for high school seniors, there are sessions available for students who have already graduated high school and are looking to transfer to Winona State.

“Transferring to be a Warrior” is a session for those prospective students who are currently attending, or have attended previously, another college or university after graduating from high school,” Schwanke said. “These two sessions will be hosted by the WSU Admissions Transfer Counselors.”

Schwanke said that through the virtual open house they are giving students the opportunity to learn more about Winona State.

“The goal of the virtual open house is to provide students interested in learning more about Winona State University with a  virtual engagement opportunity that covers admissions, warrior life, housing and residence life and the student experience while getting to safely experience our campus over the Fall Break / Minnesota Educator Academy (MEA) Weekend from the comfort of their home,” Schwanke said.

Interim Director of Admissions, Gale Lanning, said they are offering a different way to view the university for students.

“[We want] to provide interested students with a well-rounded look at the three core areas of Warrior Life,” Lanning said. “Whether it’s a student’s first look or they’ve connected with us before, this event will provide students with a unique look at WSU and the student experience.                                 

The virtual fall open house is just one of the ways that prospective students are able to learn about Winona State.

The university will be offering more virtual sessions throughout the semester as well as on-campus visits. However, the on-campus visits will have restrictions and guidelines due to COVID.

Schwanke said that on-campus visits require a reservation beforehand and all must adhere to safety guidelines, including wearing a face covering over one’s mouth and nose throughout the whole visit and completing Winona State’s Daily Self-Assessment survey.