With the warm weather and two months off of school, vacationing during the summer is the most common activity for students, except for seniors. Most seniors take the summer to their advantage to travel around for reasons other than the average get away: college visits.
Touring colleges is an extremely important step to the college application process. The admissions officers at colleges like to see that the students have shown interest in their school by touring it, which subsequently increases the numbers of tours that students go on. Touring the school is a major factor in acceptance at some schools. For example, Tulane University has declined several students here who had the grades for their school yet displayed no interest. Even if touring doesn’t have a major impact on schools acceptance of students, many students still tour to have an overall feel of the school. “I toured Tulane University this summer and I loved it. I also met with the admissions officer and asked all the questions that I had about the school. They love to see student interest, so I am glad that I did this,” senior Grace Llewellyn said,
Of the approximately 1,400 colleges in the United States, the majority of students apply to the same core schools. As of 2017, there were 55 applicants to Indiana University, 119 applicants to Penn State University, 53 applicants to Ohio State University, and 348 applicants to the University of Maryland. The large number of students who apply to these schools make the competition extremely competitive. “When I toured Penn State this past summer, I loved every aspect of it. The weather was beautiful, which made the visit even more enjoyable. I really hope to get accepted into the school,” senior Allison Geringer said,
Some juniors as well have started thinking ahead about the college process and toured schools this past summer. Starting to tour schools early gives students an idea of where they want and don’t want to apply, making the application process during senior year less stressful. “I toured the University of South Carolina this past summer with a few friends and I am glad that I did. I now know that this is a school that I definitely want to apply to,” junior Kayla Hill said,
Seniors strive currently in the application process and still have yet to hear back from colleges. “Although senior year is the year that everyone looks forward to in high school, it is more stressful than it seems to be. Waiting to hear from schools is truly frightening,” junior Kayla Hill said.

Jordyn Taylor

Features Editor