For seniors and graduating juniors this upcoming fall, college visits are the place to be.  Some have started researching colleges their junior or their sophomore year and know exactly where they want to go.  For others they are just narrowing it down to the top colleges of their choice.

Senior Brenden Pursell has been on 13 college visits.  He enjoys going on visits because it is ‘fun’ to see all the differences the colleges have to offer.  “It’s like going on mini-vacations because I’ve never seen the campuses before,” Pursell said.

Pursell encourages students to go on college visits because it helps narrow down the list of potential schools.  “I knew right away if I liked the college or not.  It just felt right.  Like I was at home,” Pursell said.

Students like Juliet Horsley have also gone on some college visits and narrowed down the list.  “I really enjoyed getting an up-close view of somewhere I would potentially be living for the next four years as well as talking with former students.  It gave a good insight as to what the school was like,” Horsley said.

“Absolutely students need to visit college campuses,” EHS guidance counselor Mrs. Heather Neese said.  “Students will potentially be spending four years at the college they choose and they need to experience the campus.”

Going to the college campuses can be nerve-wracking and intriguing at the same time.  “It’s kind of scary thinking how I would be leaving home to go to these places,” Pursell said.  “These visits can be intense because you get bombarded with information, but at the same time they can be exciting.”

Senior Katie Ayres does not see the value in visiting colleges.  “I don’t have enough time to visit the colleges of my choice and I think that the online tours are pretty much the same thing as actually being on campus,” Ayres said.

The preparation for college is different for every senior or graduating junior.  Everyone goes through a different process and has specific attributes they are looking for in a college. Some may find visiting colleges helpful and others may find it a waste of time.