CROWN POINT | As eighth-grader Jared Smoot walked the halls of Crown Point High School on Thursday, he noted the size of the building and the nice computers.

"You could get lost in here, it's so big," he said.

Smoot was one of more than 500 Taft Middle School students who toured Crown Point High School in anticipation of ninth grade this fall.

Four groups of students were bused to the high school beginning at 7:45 a.m. The students listened to a presentation in the auditorium with an overview of the school, then broke into smaller groups with high school students serving as tour guides.

Crown Point High School guidance director Brenda Wolski said the tours help students feel more comfortable when they get to the high school.

"They get a chance to talk to the high school students who act as guides and ask questions of their peers," Wolski said.

Wolski said guidance counselors went to Taft Middle School earlier in the week to speak with students regarding course selection and extracurricular activities.

Smoot, who is 6 foot 5 inches tall, joked that he would be the next NFL star. The teen said he plays basketball and football at Taft and looks forward to playing high school sports.

Media aide Mary Beth Nelson welcomed the students into the library and pointed out the prizes they could win for reading books.

The school looks pretty cool, said Cleo Wilbanks, 15.

"It looks like a good place to go," he said.