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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Almost 200 high school seniors and their parents headed to the Indian Hills campus Wednesday for the school's annual senior day.

This year was one of the biggest events yet and visiting seniors had a chance to check out the programs they are interested in, see the campus, each lunch and talk with current students and extracurricular groups.

Van Buren High School brought 32 students, who recognize the advantages of community college.

"Our students we bring up here every year, both junior and senior day, just to give them the opportunity to get on a college campus and get the feel for some of the programs and opportunities that are available for them here," said Julie Chapuis, Multi-Occupations Coordinator at Van Buren High School. "It's a great chance for them to see a college because many of them don't have the opportunity before we bring them to look around and so it gives them a starting point to think about what they want to do in in their futures."

"I like universities, but I think it would be better to start smaller, especially around home, the home thing is a big deal," said  Van Buren senior Stephanie Woodruff.

Indian Hills staff were also able to announce an exciting incentive for future engineering students. Hills just signed an articulation agreement with the University of Iowa, where participating students can attend Hills for a year and a half and transfer every credit they earn to Iowa and start there as a second semester sophomore.

The program will hopefully attract a new crop of students who may need a stepping stone to starting at a university.

"There's really two main steps when you start college, one you have to learn to study harder, it's a little harder than high school, you have to consistently study, so they have to make that transition," said Gil Negben, Associate Professor of Science and Math. "And the second is if you leave home, you have to adjust to being away from family, so this will allow you to make that first jump and maybe make the second one later and it's a financial incentive as well, so there's a lot of good reasons to do it."

The program is scheduled to begin in the fall of next year.