Juniors Explore the Opportunity of Taking College Visits
By Kendall Shada
Juniors taking a college visit are stepping into one of the most exciting parts of their high school experience.
It is a chance for them to explore campuses, picture their futures, and get a feel for what life after graduation might look like. From touring classrooms and dorms to talking with admissions staff, these visits help students discover what they want and do not want in a college. For many juniors, it is the first real moment where the future starts to feel close, real, and full of possibilities.
Juniors at Pierce High School have the option to take two college visits. Students can sign up for a college visit by visiting with Danielle Goetsch, the guidance counselor, or Rachel Abler, guidance assistant. Students may also sign up for college visits by looking at a college's visit days and registering for one of those days. Pre-arranged sheets are issued to students once the counseling office can verify the date and time of the college visit. The counseling office will need to see an email or text verifying the college visit registration.
“College visits are the evidence students need to make informed decisions about future opportunities and possibilities,” Goetsch states. “The visit can cement or deter a student's interest in a particular college or a particular program of study. The visit can also inspire exploring other classes at the high school level.”
Haley Scholting, a junior, took a visit to Central Community College in Columbus earlier this school year.
“I went on it because their basketball coach was reaching out for me to come on a visit. I really enjoyed it because it was nice to see what the facilities were like, talk with the basketball coach, and the visit tour guides did a great job of discussing the activities offered at the college, where certain learning departments were located, and what the atmosphere was like there,” Scholting says.
Junior Gavin Lubischer went on a college visit to the University of Sioux Falls and Augustana University, which is also in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
“I thought the colleges were pretty nice, I feel like they keep their areas clean and make it look very presentable,” Lubischer says If you don't really know where you want to go, you can learn a lot of stuff on the visits and ask a lot of questions that'll get answered.”
Overall, the experience helps juniors feel more prepared and excited for what comes next, giving them a clearer path as they continue planning for life after high school.
