Juniors should be allowed to attend college visits without senior criticism

Jonnie Voyta
news editor

At the beginning of the first semester, dozens of colleges come to this school looking for potential students who may be interested in attending their college next fall. However, not all students who attended these meetings will be attending college next year, as juniors also attended these meetings.

Some juniors were attending to get a head start on their college process until they were banned from attending by Kathleen Carr, the college/career information coordinator. “Juniors were initially allowed to attend but they are not allowed anymore because the counseling office hasn’t had the opportunity to discuss college plans with juniors,” Carr said.

Juniors were previously attending college meetings before Carr made the announcement that juniors were no longer allowed to attend. Juniors had the same opportunity as seniors to gain a better understanding of a school’s admission process, activities, programs and more. This allowed for students to start early in narrowing down which colleges they are interested in and which colleges they might apply to. In addition, meetings give juniors the chance to know what colleges are looking for in senior year, such as recommended classes. “I attended the University of Michigan college meeting and I was able to learn what they’re looking for during my senior year, so I have a better chance of getting in if I apply next year,” junior Nanditha Niranjan said.

Juniors have now lost out on the opportunity to get ahead of their college admissions process because juniors are now banned from attending. Even before this juniors lost out on the opportunity because many were unaware they were able to attend these college meetings. Students sign up through Naviance to. “I didn’t know I was allowed to go to college meetings as a junior, but I wish I did so I could take advantage of the opportunity,” junior Daniel Rudden said.

Juniors are banned because they haven’t started the college process with their guidance counselors. This is unfair because if juniors want to start their college process on their own, they should have that right. Juniors should have the right to get ahead by attending these meetings instead of waiting to have a talk with their counselors about colleges in the late spring.

Instead, juniors should be able to attend college meetings to gain an edge while applying to colleges and to get an early opinion on which colleges they are interested in.
The college process is a stressful time for anyone who engages in it so having a headstart as a junior can only benefit students rather than harm them.