“By visiting different colleges it allows students to prioritize what their needs and demands are” states Isaiah Salguero. It’s my guess that a majority of the underclassmen or even the seniors have yet to understand the importance of touring and visiting multiple colleges in the midst of making your final decision. As a student, choosing where to continue an education can be very stressful and intimidating, but just know that GHS has many people ready to help in the long process. Students can typically set up these visits by going online to the admissions office of the college of choice, and choosing a date that works for them, or go to their counselor to help throughout the procedure. 

These visits have proved to be very beneficial to past and present students; senior Alaina Dykstra says, “I completely changed my decision, I thought I was set on one college and after visiting it, I knew it wasn’t for me.” By traveling to different campuses, students can really start to compare and contrast the differences between the colleges and figure out what you’re going to want in the end. It’s also a great opportunity to ask questions about all of the things a college has to offer future students, like potential sports programs, clubs, dorms, scholarships, and financial aid. Another interesting perspective that students can get of the college through these tours is getting to meet current students enrolled there, and asking questions that wouldn’t normally come up with the adult tour leaders, asking more about campus life and activities and how they feel personally about their college, senior Sydney Spicuzza says “One of the most useful things students can do is interact with current students at the college they are interested in, they know better than anyone what it’s really like.”

When visiting a competitive college, either for academics or athletics, actually coming out to the campus will very likely give students an extra step ahead of the other students trying to commit as well, it shows dedication and initiative to make that extra effort and schedule a tour and meet the staff. Future D1 runner Isaiah Salguero says “It really strengthened my decision in attending DU after comparing it to other colleges I toured, I got a better idea of what I wanted within the sports facilities, and the attitudes and personalities of my future coaches and teammates. Choosing where to commit to for the next 4+ years is a very big decision, or as Caleb Sheehan tells us “One of the hardest choices he’s had to make so far” but if students use all of the resources given, and prioritize oneself, everyone can be happy in the final decision.