Mini College R.I.D.E.
Photo courtesy of the West High Counseling Department.
Students visiting The University of Iowa.
October 6, 2022
At West High, the counseling staff took a trip over the summer to visit a variety of colleges. They planned an exciting opportunity for juniors this year. The counselors made the decision to take three trips to different colleges and let students see what college is all about. Junior year is when most students start looking at colleges and deciding what they want to do. That is why these mini-rides were created, to give students a chance to explore their options around Iowa. On each trip, they were able to take 40 students.
For the past 2 weeks, 3 trips have been taken around Iowa to see various college options. The first trip was on Sept. 20th, to Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. The first college they visited was The University of Iowa, where students got to walk around campus and looked at the different buildings and monuments they have. The second college they visited was Coe College and students were welcomed with lunch from their dining hall and had the opportunity to visit their campus buildings. The last college they planned on visiting was Mount Mercy but unfortunately, they did not get to visit and so they traveled back to West.
The second trip they took was on Tuesday, Sept. 27th towards the Des Moines area. the first college they visited was DMACC, where they were able to tour the campus and got to get a look into students’ lives there. Next, they drove to Drake University and got to tour their buildings and meet current undergraduates who gave them a campus tour. They then traveled to Grand View, they were welcomed by staff and students and were able to get to explore campus and see what they have to offer.
The third trip they took was on Thursday, Sept. 29th and, where they headed towards Ames to go and visit Iowa State University. Students learned about different study options and were able to talk to ISU students. Their group then headed to Ellsworth University in Iowa Falls to explore the campus and enjoy lunch in the dining hall. The last visit of the day was to Wartburg college and got to explore the opportunities the college had to offer.
