Preparing for the future is a priority through many students’ junior and senior year of high school. With the help of the resources around them, including meeting with college representatives, students have the opportunity to ease the pressure and relieve some of the stress of preparing for the next stage of life.

“Basically, the college [representatives] will come in from the various universities and students can talk to them about their admission criteria, and what they are looking for in a student that applies. Sometimes it is a good idea for students to make those contacts, especially if you are one of those students who is on the bubble and don’t know if you have what it takes to get into the school. By making that contact and them being able to put a face to the name and the application, that could help you in the application process,” Ms. Jamie Rodgers, Guidance, said.

College visitations take place in Main Street during lunch hours, or after school in the Guidance Office at 2:15 p.m. These visits will be available for students through the rest of fall and into the spring season.

“It is one on one or a small group, so [the representatives] could tell you things that you could go online and find, but they can also share more personal stories and update anything that has changed. The scholarships are [constantly] changing, so they always [offer] the most up to date information that you could possibly get,” Ms. Julie Meyers, Guidance, said.

It is helpful to start looking into the visitations as early as sophomore year so students can begin to explore what type of college they would prefer to attend. It is best to choose a college based on area, size, location and studies, not on one factor alone. If choosing a college based solely on major, students run the risk of having few options if they choose to change majors later on.

“[At some schools] you have that ability to switch your major, and that is what college is for too. You are still growing and exploring who you are and what your likes or dislikes are. You change from when you are in your teenage years to your twenties, [and] you are still changing and evolving as a person. Sometimes it is unrealistic for an 18-year-old to know what they want to do [with his or her life]. Other people know right from age six, so it depends on who you are, and you should have the right and flexibility to change if you want to,” Ms. Rodgers said.

These college visits should be taken advantage of to better prepare for the future.

“They’ll give you a business card and contact information so that way if it is an interest, you could always contact that particular person via email or phone instead of going through an 800 number,” Ms. Meyers said.