Our position: College programs build important connections and show students what college can be like.

LT has an incredible College and Career Center, and yet there are so many things a student who has been through the college admissions process could tell incoming juniors. Truly, they could even inform freshmen and sophomores with important information the school is unable to reach them with.

Believe it or not, there are many, many missed opportunities from underclassmen years that students could be encouraged to take advantage of. College programs are a great way to demonstrate to said colleges that you, as a student, have stepped up and done some research yourself. 

LT advertises a few, but for the most part, you have to do your own research. College programs during the summer are opportunities to tour campuses, meet potential future students, and most importantly, start building meaningful relationships with campus faculty.

Although regular college tours can be helpful, as a carefully selected candidate, usually your tour guide will be someone besides the girl who was on shift that hour. Hopefully, you are paired with a student who the college views as having high potential, also known as a great person for you to network with. After a glorified tour of the campus, the program should have some sort of simulation or competition.

Despite this seeming low stakes, a competition is actually a perfect resume opportunity. Being a high schooler means people actually have low expectations for you, and your competition is the least motivated right now, so build up that resume! Even though the simulation is probably not very well organized or explained, you need to win, whatever that may mean. Also, hopefully make some friends on the way! Some college programs like Emerging Business Leaders at UIUC and Business is Global with the IU have you sleep on campus, often in dorms, so you have first hand experience of the cleanliness and food that school normalizes. Shockingly, this is a huge reason to choose a college because that is your day to day life. Once you are making a college decision, it is better to know for sure how living will be instead of just assuming. You will likely be disappointed.

Now, most importantly, you need to get to know the faculty. Into your professional life, your network is what catches you when you fall. In case you ever need a connection, these experienced professionals (who want to help you!) are your foot in the door. Especially, if you can continue to be on good terms with them for the rest of your life, you never know how they might be able to help you.

All in all, college programs are the perfect practice run to remind you what college will really be like. Sometimes it’s hard to wrap your head around just how different life will be, so a    week-long trial adventure is perfect. Everyone at LT should give college programs a chance.

Staff Vote: 15-8