When choosing a path for education after high school, many students are faced with a complicated process. To help in the selection, many students opt to go on college and campus visits. Senior Lily Miller has done several in the state of Florida.
“I’ve gone to Nova Southeastern University, the University of Tampa, and the University of South Florida,” Miller said, “I want to major in biology on a pre-med track.”
A vast pool of schools is varied through academics, location, and other aspects, with each applicant searching for something different.
“In schools, I’m looking for a good campus, somewhere warm,” Miller said, “I’m looking for hopefully a good track team to run on and a good community where everyone knows each other and everyone talks to each other.”
Miller usually spends one to two hours on each visit.
“I think going to visit these schools has kind of showed me the average student life there and it helps me to picture of what life will be like when I’m there,” Miller said, “I’ve noticed the places [students] go to study, relax and hang out with their friends and that there’s a place for everything on the campus.”
Junior Noah Zigler details his experience visiting Indiana State University’s law and criminology program in Terre Haute.
“[During] the opportunity I got to go to ISU, they had different pathways that they did that we could sign up for. I went to the criminology section, and they had a bunch of expensive equipment to showcase.”
Zigler also learned about other offers and programs there.
“One thing [that surprised me] was how many opportunities for scholarships they had,” Zigler said.
Miller also remarked on the resources offered at the schools she visited.
“Definitely utilize the admissions counselors at the colleges that you’re looking at because a lot of them are very helpful, very eager to reach out,” Miller said.
While thinking about your future can take a lot of big steps, both students feel that North has played a part in their preparation.
“I think doing my senior project has made me feel more professional,” Miller said, “Like I’m doing something that actually means something for once and getting me ready for these larger-scale projects.”
Even though the end of high school is further away, Zigler, as a junior, recognizes these effects.
“I haven’t really been focusing on it, but senior projects and the opportunities that come up with that- show independence, how your mind works, and how you want to help people,” Zigler said.
Miller thinks that new technology can be useful in these kinds of decisions.
“Honestly, use AI to go look at colleges and hypothetical processes you could take to do what you want to do [in the future],” Miller said. “Don’t be in a rush to figure out what you want to do because until this year I didn’t know my exact plan for what I want to study.”
Finally, Zigler advises on how to approach such a broad topic.
“I would look into scholarships, cost and tuition, and stuff like that. I would talk to your parents and see where they went first,” Miller said, “There’s gonna be a bunch of Indiana schools and out-of-state schools that have good opportunities for what you want to do.”
