For a majority of the students attending HHS, high school will not be their highest education. Many students, especially juniors and seniors, are looking at further learning opportunities, including colleges. College is one of the hardest choices to make as a young adult, and in order to make the life-changing decision, students often visit the different colleges they aspire to go to.

Senior Sara Shenk Moreno has visited four colleges so far, including the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Eastern Mennonite University and Christopher Newport University. Her favorite visit so far has been CNU.

“[I really liked] the campus at CNU. They had completely renovated the whole thing and so I liked seeing the new things they did to it. I knew what it looked like before so it looked really good. Each place we went had a story behind it so it was kind of cool to hear about it,” Shenk Moreno said.

In a college visit, there are a variety of things different students look for to determine the appeal of the college. What students are looking for in a college can differ greatly, ranging from good food, to exciting athletics, to a lively campus, and the overall feel, demographics, and academics of a school.

“I look for a small student size, campus life, and academics the most,” Shenk Moreno said.

Senior Lucy Rose has also been on many college visits including Georgia, Clemson, Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, and Wake Forest.

“I really liked Georgia. I thought Georgia did a really good job. I really liked the campus and the tour. The campus was really easy to maneuver. It was really pretty, with a lot of old buildings, and the downtown area kind of reminded me of Harrisonburg, but it was really catered toward college students. I think Georgia definitely takes the prize for coolest campus,” Rose said.

Rose is especially interested in the students around her as she tours.

“When you’re walking around the students look happy and excited to be there. It’s sometimes hard to picture myself at some colleges, like Clemson and Virginia Tech for me, but some people were really excited for it so that was good,” Rose said.

College can be one of the hardest decisions for a student to make, but once made, it will change their life.

“I really just want to be excited about the college I’m going to,” Rose said.