The last two years of high school have a great influence on a student’s future and the options they will be able to pursue later in life. Upperclassmen are asked to make decisions on the level of education they wish to pursue, the careers they are interested in, the college or post-secondary experience they want, and more. These life-altering decisions are coupled with class, homework, and extracurriculars, and the stress can get to a breaking point.However, the College and Career Center is here to help!
One of the most pressing issues on an upperclassman’s mind is the decision of where to attend college or university after graduation. A great way to learn more about your options is by getting involved with the college representative visits through the CCC. In the next couple of months, there will be over 50 visits available from institutions all over the country. There will be 26 college visits In the week of October 6th through 10th, from schools such as Gonzaga University, Ohio State University, St. Olaf College, and more.
What exactly do these college rep visits have to offer? Ms. Brown, a Southwest CCC coordinator, said they “are a great way for [upperclassmen] to learn about out-of-state schools without having to take the trip there”. Many of these schools value demonstrated interest, which is simply showing that you are interested in the school, and attending a rep visit would count for that. She added, “it’s just a great way to get exposure about different, you know, any schools that are outside of Minnesota. Or even in state, …Minnesota schools, too”.
According to Ms. Brown, students “made decisions to apply [to colleges] based on these visits…They’re like, oh, this is actually really cool. I wasn’t considering this school, but now I am”. Attending just a few of these numerous college visits can save a trip out of state, help a student get an upper hand in admissions, and give the opportunity to learn about college options that maybe hadn’t been previously considered.
Students who haven’t decided if they are interested in four-year institutions or various other post-secondary paths have the opportunity to research and explore. Starting soon, the CCC will have “Career Demo Days.” For these events, the CCC will bring in different trades or certificate program professionals to talk about what they do. Ms. Brown said this is a great opportunity for students “to learn about the different professions that are not college pathways”.
That isn’t even the full extent of the helpful services the CCC offers. For seniors who have made preliminary decisions about their post-secondary options but need help with the specifics, or for juniors looking into college options for the first time, the CCC is here. Ms. Brown explains, “We support all…post secondary planning, specifically for seniors. We can help with essays, filling out the common app, filling out the FAFSA, finding scholarships, filling out scholarship forms, reviewing scholarship essays. For juniors, we can help you begin your senior year planning, your full secondary planning. So whether that’s making a college list or exploring trades or thinking of different professions like certificate programs you’re interested in, we do all of those things”.
If any of these events or services sound useful for you, most of the information can be found in the grade level google classrooms. To attend a college visit, students should simply sign up in the google classroom at least a day before the event. For students looking for further information, college help, or any of the services and events discussed above, the CCC is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 4:00pm by appointment, and walk-ins are available Monday through Thursday from 2:15pm to 4:00pm. In conclusion, the CCC is a valuable resource with countless services that all students, specifically upperclassmen, should look into.
