The summer between junior and senior year is a significant one. It’s often that time of year when life after high school starts to feel real to rising seniors. Students planning on applying to college prepare to fill out their applications and welcome the next chapter of their lives. To make those crucial decisions on which schools to choose, and which applications to invest time and money, many incoming seniors embark on college tours.
“This summer I visited UC Santa Barbara, San Diego State University and UC San Diego. Each school was awesome and unique,” senior Ryan Rosenthal said. “UCSB was beautiful, right by the beach, and they are a big research school which is cool. SDSU had a really pretty campus. I loved that the architecture and [their] business major is really big there which is good for me.”
Beyond California, there are many options for college. Every state has their own set of unique schools with unique opportunities.
“My family and I did a month and a half round trip to schools in the south. We started our road trip in Florida and visited both Florida State University and University of Florida, two schools I’ll be applying to and fell in love with,” senior Taylor Mansmann said. “We also saw University of South Carolina, North Carolina State, University of Tennessee, Coastal Carolina, High Point in North Carolina, Elon and Wake Forest. It was really nice to see these schools and what they had to offer. I think actually seeing schools is important because you can try and imagine yourself on the campuses.”
Though the Midwest is a considerable distance from California, it also offers many exceptional programs. Keeping an open mind can help one maintain positivity in the college process.
“I had not given much thought to attending college in the Midwest until I saw some of these amazing campuses,” senior Elle Hazelton said. “I have family that lives in Michigan, so when I went to visit them, I was able to see University of Michigan and Michigan State. I was drawn to these schools because of the school spirit especially… However, every college will have things you don’t like. For example, I didn’t like that the north campus is a bus ride away to and from the main campus at [University of Michigan].”
States like Ohio and Indiana may not be the first locations Californians think to move to, however, they too have some incredible schools.
“Ohio State was one of my favorite colleges to visit. The buildings are really pretty,” Hazelton said. “They had some really pretty modern looking buildings which I thought were cool. Indiana University is a school I always heard about being really fun. The campus life and overall environment feel very safe…It’s a big school, but once you’re there for a couple days, you start to know your way around.”
Sometimes, students will make the 6-hour flight just to see schools they are considering. This can act as a deciding factor in whether or not they choose to apply.
“My sister who graduated from Oak Park two years ago goes to New York University and she was in New York for the summer so we went to see her and I toured it,” senior Tyler Kang said. “It is in the heart of New York, all the buildings are integrated into the city which makes it really different from other schools. I really like NYC and being able to see NYU this summer is definitely a big reason I’m going to apply there.”
Touring a college campus is an experience like no other— you are able to really get a feel for the environment and culture of the school, which may not be possible to understand from websites and brochures. College tours are typically free as colleges want prospective students to learn about the school.
Now more than ever, there are so many colleges that provide students with countless opportunities and directions. It is important to remember, especially at an academic high school like Oak Park, that there is a surplus of colleges all over the nation accepting students of all GPAs, extracurriculars and test scores. If one is interested and in the position to go, visit schools out of state as well as in-state. They might just stumble upon the college that is the right fit for them.
