About 120 to 130 high school students today will bustle out of buses from Baltimore, New York City, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia searching for the minority experience at Penn State.

The students will take part in the Student Minority Advisory and Recruitment Team's Minority Achiever's Weekend which begins at about 5:30 tonight where they will meet their hosts in 207 Shields. Later, a pizza social will be held in Pollock Recreation Room from 8 to 10 p.m.

Tony Moore, director of minority admissions, said the weekend's purpose is to enable prospective minority students to meet with students, faculty members and administrators to broaden their perception of the University and aid them in deciding whether to attend the University.

"We have a responsibility as African-Americans to recruit other students to the University," Cassandra Brown, assistant vice president of SMART, said. "It is better to have people who have experience (as students here) and who will tell the truth."

Moore, who helps promote SMART's work through minority admissions, said the group, which is mostly comprised of African-Americans, is starting to work more closely with organizations such as Latino Caucus, Asian-American Student Coalition and other support groups.

"This time we have gotten more Asian-American students and Indian Americans to participate in the weekend," Moore said. "The Asian-American Student Coalition has been great in supporting our efforts."

Brown said it is helpful that University students, some of whom took part in SMART visitation weekends, will host the participants because some made their decision to attend Penn State after the visit.

Brown said she became involved with SMART in 1988 because she wanted to aid in recruitment and retention of minority students.

"We will basically be telling them what it takes to plan a college career, some basic survival skills and financial aid resources," Brown said.

Employees in the Student Aid office will be on hand to discuss the University's funding difficulties and suggest ways to seek aid from outside sources, Brown said.

Some highlights of tomorrow's activities include: an academic guidance session conducted by Yvonne Terrell of the Career Placement Center from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in 207 Shields; a financial aid workshop in 314 Shields from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.; and a social and dance at 9 p.m. sponsored by Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship.

On Saturday, a student fair will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Paul Robeson Cultural Center, and from 7 to 9 p.m. Black Caucus will sponsor a "Sister to Sister and Brother to Brother" talk.

On Sunday, students will depart from the University at 12:45 p.m.