As Air Academy High School settles into the fall time, juniors and seniors start to focus more on what’s to come after high school, which can be a stressful thought. However, the College and Career Center provides services to help make the process easier. 

One of those services includes gathering college representatives to educate students not only about opportunities offered but to answer questions in person. College and Career counselor Erica Riggs gives her perspective.

“It is an excellent way to look into colleges since students can see a variety that comes from different parts of the country,” Riggs said. 

For students who don’t have the chance to visit colleges, the option to have representatives come to them can be a great way to broaden their horizons.

Being informed is important, so attending college visits allows students to make better decisions and it’s a convenient way to gain firsthand knowledge about programs through representatives. 

AAHS makes it easy for kadets to sign up for upcoming college visits. All they need to do is go onto Naviance, click on colleges, then college visits, and it’ll show a wide selection to sign up for. Here are some of the upcoming visits and the dates.

• Grinnell College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and Seattle University – Monday, Oct. 4
• Colorado Christian University and University of Florida – Tuesday, Oct. 5
• Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado State University-Fort Collins, and San Diego State University – Wednesday, Oct. 6
• Baylor University and University of Oregon – Thursday, Oct. 7
• Illinois Institute of Technology and University of Colorado Colorado Springs – Monday, Oct. 11
• Texas A&M University – Wednesday, Oct. 13

“Although it varies to when these visits end, it usually tampers off towards the end of October,” explained Riggs when asked for the time frame.

College representatives bring unique facts; whether it’s about their history or the area around them. A great example of this is Lindsay Leggett from Western Colorado.

“Our location in Gunnison, CO provides students with ample opportunities for hands-on, real-world learning opportunities that often aren’t available until a student is in graduate-level coursework,” Leggett added, “ It also allows for really fun recreation and outdoor-related activities.”

Gathering firsthand information through representatives can not only be helpful in the moment but in the future as well. 

“A cool thing about it is that these college representatives take part in college admissions so it’s a great way to get a connection with the school,” stated Riggs.

For representatives, college visits can be informative for them as while. Just as Riggs explained, having a connection with colleges allows representatives to look beyond transcripts and into what the student has to offer.

“Each campus across the nation needs unique people like YOU on their campuses,” Legget continued to express, “So just as much as you’d like to get into certain schools, we want to get to know you and what you could bring to our campuses!”