This week’s Spring Preview Day paralleled Biola’s increased enrollment, bringing in the most visiting students Biola has seen in recent years.

According to Michelle Reider, assistant director of Admissions events and outreach, Sunday and Monday’s Spring Preview had 323 prospective students, with 602 visitors total, including relatives and friends. Reider said the numbers were considerably higher than 2010’s Spring Preview Day, which had a total attendance of 437 visitors.

Students and families enjoy Nationball

Sunday night’s Nationball event in Chase Gymnasium served as a kickoff for visiting students. The event had a relatively small turnout compared to September’s game, with plenty of extra space on the bleachers for prospective students and their families.

Many visiting students participated in the dodgeball tournament. The first round started with the Off Campus Community defeating the men of Emerson, who had all dressed to the theme of revolutionaries. Horton overcame Stewart and Sigma, respectively, to defeat their rival, Hope Hall.

Spring Preview shows different aspects of Biola

The Spring Preview also included class visitations; a Biola fair highlighting the graduate schools, the athletic programs, and major departments; and an overnight stay in a current student’s dorm room. Because there were so many visitors, almost every student who signed up to host a prospective student was assigned someone, Reider said.

Courtney Engleton, a prospective transfer student, said she hopes to major in psychology if she is accepted to Biola. Engleton visited the psychology booth at the fair and sat in on Christopher Grace’s introduction to psychology class.

“It’s been a great experience,” Engleton said, reflecting on the day. “It’s the first and only school I’m going to visit. I already applied and I hope that I get in after I send in my transcripts so I can come in the fall.”

Engleton’s sentiments were echoed by Reider’s hopes for all students who visited.

“I can give presentations on Biola forever, but it’s so different when [the students] get to experience it for themselves,” Reider said. “I just get really thankful when people come and visit campus because that’s the only way they can get a feel for if Biola’s the right school for them.”