Best Ways to Make Picking a College Easy

One of the hardest things about high school is choosing what to do after it.   One of the largest decisions is choosing a college. In the United States alone there are roughly 4,140 colleges.  That is a ton of colleges that you have to be aware of, but luckily, you are not alone.  Here at Providence Academy the college counselors offer college visits.  Representatives  from different colleges all across the country come here to talk about their colleges.  Many even come more than once a year, so if you missed the meeting the first time, you will get a second chance to meet with the college.
Providence has already had over 100 colleges visit just this year.  PA will also host around 120 more on College Day in April.
Associate Dean of College Counseling Mr. Estrada says,  “Equally important is the chance to discover

more college options than you would ever have the time or resources to actually go and visit before applying.”
Senior Jess Ahlers favors meeting with colleges here at Providence Academy. “I like meeting them here because it’s a lot more convenient for my family, it’s cheaper and I don’t have to miss any school time.  It’s also more of a one-on-one experience,” says Ahlers.
The meetings at Providence Academy are definitely a very important resource to have before choosing a college.
But just visiting with colleges inside a classroom hundreds or even thousands of miles away from the campus itself does not give you the entire feel for that college’s atmosphere.  Mr. Estrada says, “We believe that visits to colleges are very important, especially for establishing confidence in one’s college criteria”   To help students get a better feel for the college campuses, in the fall Providence also offers field trips to go to colleges around Minnesota.
“It’s easier to do it here but I think that it’s more beneficial to see the campus and the students and to get a better overall feel for it,” says Senior Evelyn Kenney.
Even though it is more expensive, it is still important that you try visiting some campuses that interest you. Picking a college can be difficult, but with the resources available at Providence Academy it can be much easier.