More than 40 Olathe high school juniors visited Wichita recently on a recruiting trip sponsored by Wichita State University.

Students from Olathe high schools North and Northwest were each offered $2,000 scholarships if they decide to attend WSU.

The students also toured the city, making stops at a number of attractions including the Sedgwick County Zoo, Cessna Aircraft Co. and the Museum of World Treasures.

The visit, conceptualized by Ron Kopita, vice president for Campus Life and University Relations, and the admissions office, was designed to market the university to Kansas City-area students unfamiliar with WSU. The goal also was to bust myths that Wichita has little to offer.

According to Bobby Gandu, WSU assistant director of admissions, research conducted by the university shows that many Kansas City-area students perceive Wichita to be dull and unappealing and rarely choose WSU in collegiate endeavors.

Ashley Brown, 16, from Olathe North, said she wasn’t expecting to see much when she came to Wichita.

“On our way down here I thought it would be small and boring and look like country,” she said, “and I thought WSU would be like a community college.”

But her impressions were quite the opposite by the end of the day. Brown’s favorite stop was the zoo and she was surprised by the number of nice buildings in town. She said she would consider living in Wichita, but wouldn’t have before the trip.

Another student, Hussam Aly, 18, from Olathe Northwest, was also impressed with Wichita, having enjoyed the tour of Cessna, and said the experience changed his mind about WSU.

“Coming up I was thinking it would be a plain, older school,” Aly said. “Wow, I was amazed.”

During the tour, Gandu pointed out what sets WSU apart from other universities.

“We’re different from Lawrence and Manhattan,” he said. “With Wichita versus Johnson County, as early as your junior year you can be working in your field.”

After a full day of sightseeing came to a close, the group had a relaxing dinner at Piztros pizza bistro and headed into Old Town for dessert at Caffe Moderne before heading back to their hotel at the Waterfront.

The following day, the group attended Junior Day, a campus event for juniors from across Kansas to visit WSU classrooms, meet current students, learn about activities and have the opportunity to win scholarships.

Overall, the recruiting trip was considered a success by its organizers. Gandu said the students expressed interest in Wichita and WSU, and he is eagerly anticipating the results from written evaluations as well as one-on-one phone calls being made to each student.

“I feel good about the students we hosted,” he said. “They had a great experience.”

Gandu and his team in admissions already have ideas on how to improve future visits.