As the end of high school approaches, the college application process looms for many seniors. Vice principal Molly Sargent planned a Southern California college tour to alleviate stress for juniors and seniors who have yet to narrow down higher education options, Oct. 10-11.
“I organized the trip so students, especially seniors, could be aware of options and see the differences,” Sargent said. “I think it’s very important to walk on campuses and get a feel for them. I wanted them to know that schools aren’t just a name, they’re a community.”
The tour group sacrificed a school day to visit the campuses of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Southern California (USC), Pepperdine University (PU), Azusa Pacific University (APU) and Biola University (BU). The diversity of the universities allowed the students to experience colleges ranging from a 30,000 enrollment to private Christian universities of about a 6,000.
“I tried to choose colleges that were different so students could see their different focuses,” Sargent said. “It helps to narrow down the college search.”
The first stop at UCLA exuded a feeling of intelligence and importance with its impressive brick buildings. After frequent glances at the campus map, Sargent led students around the library, the gymnasium and the bookstore.
The massive campus, founded in 1919 and the second oldest school in the UC system, is rich in history.
“The campus was very beautiful,” Peter Yang, ’09, said. “UCLA is one of my top choices and after visiting the school I could see myself attending it.”
The next stop at USC offered an opportunity for the group to experience an active college campus crowed with many students showing their parents around during the parent visitation weekend. The USC band also played while the cheerleaders led cheers with Trojan pride, demonstrating some campus programs for prospective students.
“I liked the contrast between the size of FC and USC,” Elizabeth Grossman, ’10, said. “There were thousands of students there compared to our school, which has less than 300.”
A USC student majoring in international relations guided the tour. He mentioned the many programs USC offers while dropping names of successful alumni such as George Lucas and Reggie Bush. He also stressed how USC sends more athletes to the Olympics than any other school.
A tour of Pepperdine concluded the first day of the trip. The college, nestled in the hills of Malibu, overlooks the ocean. The guide led the group to an elevated balcony offering a panoramic view of the campus.
Following the official tour, Pepperdine freshman Kayla O’Leary, sister of junior Melissa O’Leary, took a handful of students to see her dorm while the rest visited the bookstore.
After spending the night shopping and eating in Santa Monica, the group slept at a hotel in Arcadia. The next morning they departed for APU, one of two colleges remaining on the trip’s itinerary.
Although the APU tour fell short of the others, students got to see the dorms and explore the main campus before continuing the trip.
Upon arrival at Biola, many students were eager to traverse the campus. Jonathan Bingman, ’08 alumnus, guided the group along with Sargent, a Biola alumna herself. The group saw the 50-foot tall mural of Jesus in addition to many other visual Bible verses and murals that communicated the college’s Christian affiliation.
“I liked Biola because it was a smaller university and they really lived up to the reputation of being a true Christian college,” Lindsay Bolduc, ’09, said. “You couldn’t mistake the Christian atmosphere at Biola because all the light posts had banners with verses on them and so did the library.”
The trip proved beneficial as it provided an opportunity for students to see life outside of high school, providing a glimpse of the next stage in their education.
“[The students] all seemed to have fun,” Sargent said. “Everyone was positive and represented the school well. I hope to organize the trip again next year.”