It’s never too early to start seriously thinking about college. That’s the idea that 26 Weehawken High School juniors had when they embarked on a tour of three New England universities last weekend.
The organized trip, sponsored by the Weehawken Board of Education, took the students to visit Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn., the University of Connecticut and Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.
“The objective was to give the students a chance to see different types of schools,” said Catherine Campen, the Weehawken High School director of student personal services. “We wanted them to see an Ivy League school, a large state university and a small private college. It gives them an idea of what they might want to pursue when selecting a college next year.”
Weehawken High School Principal Dr. Peter Olivieri and guidance counselors Carol Malsch and Chiara Ziek chaperoned the trip with the students.
Although the trip started off on a wrong foot, when the bus carrying the students broke down en route to Connecticut, the students all enjoyed the experience.
“Growing up, the only school I knew that was a dream school to me was Harvard,” said Nora Kdiry. “I never thought I would be actually able to see it one day, but now I did. Harvard had a great campus. I was a little disappointed in that the tour was short and very closed-door. I felt like they were hiding something or not wanting outside visitors to see the educational facilities they offer.”
Other students were surprised when they visited Harvard.
“It took away my stereotypical ideas of Harvard,” Jovanna Cedeno said.
“I learned that you don’t have to have perfect SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores to get into Harvard,” David Jaramillo said. “You just need to be yourself, not only being a good student, but also have a life outside of school. I thought it was awesome.”
After visiting Harvard, the students spent the night in Sturbridge, Mass. and then went to visit the University of Connecticut and Quinnipiac.
“U. Conn was perfect,” Kdiry said. “I loved the tour and how we were able to see the dorm rooms, the underground lecture hall and practically everything they had to offer at the school. It made me want to apply there and hopefully, I will.”
Malsch was also impressed with the visit to U. Conn.
“I think it was the hit of the trip,” Malsch said. “Our guides were wonderful, and their positive attitudes became contagious. We were amazed at the new science and technology buildings.”
While visiting U. Conn, the students ran into a familiar face, namely Yuny Lee, one of the top students in the Weehawken Class of 2000 who is attending U. Conn.
“She told us all how happy she was to be studying there at U. Conn,” Malsch said. “But I think by then, our students already knew what a great school U. Conn was.”
The students also liked the quaint setting at Quinnipiac, but it was the overall experience that really impressed them.
“The trip has changed my views about college,” Cory Ferrer said. “I really thought it was study[ing] all the time, but it’s really not like that.”
“The trip was fantastic and makes me very eager to graduate and start my way into looking around for a good college,” Kdiry said.
“From visiting these schools, I look at my school work in a more careful manner,” Zach Licato said. “I look at college life as a very enjoyable experience with many wonderful and different choices.”
Malsch said that she was encouraged to hear the students talk about the application process on the ride back to Weehawken.
“The students were beginning to make comparisons among the campuses and began to ask pertinent questions,” Malsch said. “I could hear them talk among themselves, ‘I would like to apply here.’ That made the trip worthwhile.”
“I am so grateful for having a trip like this,” Cedeno said. “It’s not very common for a high school to take the time to do something like this for the students. It was such a great trip with all the things we learned and saw.”