School Views: Recognizing the importance of college visits
School Views
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Springtime in the mountains is when we appreciate long-awaited warmer temperatures, enjoy our flowers and trees coming back into bloom, and send our students on college visits. That’s right — there’s no better time to jump in the car, hit the road, and stroll one of the many college and university campuses that surround us.
Eagle County School District’s Postsecondary Learning and Career Readiness team believes in the power of having students of all ages learn about the “college experience.” We encourage them to stand on a campus, take in the beautiful architecture, walk the halls of classroom buildings, or visit one of the libraries that are home to vast collections of books. We ask them to spend some time at student unions, which are usually the social hubs of college campuses, and visit the state-of-the-art recreation facilities to truly appreciate what college life may be like and envision themselves in a similar setting.
For some students, college and university visits are their first opportunity to be able to see firsthand what they have heard about for years from family and friends. For others, these outings provide a student the opportunity to begin the decision-making process and determine if a particular campus is right for them.
In some instances, our students may be the first in their family to even consider pursuing additional education after high school, which makes a campus visit incredibly inspiring. Regardless of the circumstances, these experiences always provide students an opportunity to learn and grow and determine what they prioritize when making one of the most important decisions of their lives.
We believe that it is beneficial to start this process early to encourage students to think ahead and take an active role in their futures. Recently, we took a group of eighth graders to Colorado Mesa University and Colorado Mesa University Tech in Grand Junction. Students visited with admissions representatives, talked with current university students, saw a dormitory, walked the campuses, and, the highlight of the day, took advantage of the buffet-style cafeteria — complete with an ice cream sundae bar.
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For a handful of these 40 students, this was their first time walking a college campus and asking themselves if that might be the right environment for them. It was heartwarming to hear a few of our more reserved students tell their teachers, “I never thought I would go to college, but after this, I could see myself here. It’s great!”
This is the exact reason we bring students to colleges. We want to help them chart courses for their futures that they previously didn’t think possible. We want to inspire students to pursue their interests and find success. In conjunction with our community partners at My Future Pathways and YouthPower365, we work to provide as many of these opportunities as possible, all over our state.
In addition to CMU and CMU Tech, we’ve organized visits to: the University of Colorado Boulder, Western State Colorado University in Gunnison, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the multiple campuses of Colorado Mountain College, and the University of Colorado Denver. When we visited CU Boulder, the students also got to experience a college football game and see the community atmosphere at campus sporting events.
We recently added a new component to these visits: parent involvement. This means that when we’re able, we invite the parents and guardians of students on the visit to join us. We’re proud to share this opportunity with our families. Our parents bring a different perspective to the tour from our students, and it can be an eye-opening experience for them as well. It provides an amazing opportunity to learn about the admissions process, ask questions about how the financial aid system works, or simply indulge in the sundae bar.
While the Postsecondary Learning and Career Readiness department does a lot of work to make college visits accessible for high school students, we also loop in opportunities for younger students. Seventh and eighth graders, and even as young as fifth grade. Gypsum Elementary School is eyeing a trip to CU Boulder, and we’re excited to see them conquer a college campus. We believe that the sooner we help these kids start to picture their futures, the bigger their dreams can get. By starting at a young age, we empower them to realize that their dreams are attainable. We tailor our visits so that no matter what age students are, what they see and experience is age-appropriate and of interest to them.
So the next time you find yourself near a college campus with your child, no matter what age, check it out. Take a drive through campus or walk around and admire the beauty and architecture. Encourage your child to see if anything piques their interest as something they may want to do after high school
Our Postsecondary Learning and Career Readiness Department does some amazing work for our schools. Learn more by getting in touch with your school counselor or reaching out to Shannon Grant at shannon.grant@eagleschools.net.
