As recent graduates of Cathedral Catholic depart to their respective colleges and yet another school year begins, many CC students grow anxious of their own futures in higher education. And while the thought of getting accepted may seem daunting, Cathedral is again providing juniors and seniors with opportunities to gain both information and personal exposure, thus enhancing their prospects.

“College visits are the perfect chance for our students to find out insider information on their favorite schools in intimate settings,” said counselor Mr. Dave Silva. “But what’s really unique about this opportunity is that you get face-to-face interaction with the person who will decide your application’s fate. It is a great opportunity to be known.”

Right now, admissions counselors from over ninety schools are set to visit Cathedral and speak to students who sign up for their sessions. However, the counseling office expects many more schools to be added to the list – last year, 140 institutions were represented. Many students have already signed up for a number of popular colleges including Villanova, Texas Christian University, Boston College, and New York University.

In order to sign up, students must visit the Cathedral Catholic website and find the Naviance link on the right side of the page. After signing in, students must click on the “Colleges” tab, and then on the “Upcoming College Visits” option. From there, students may sign up for up to five of the visits. Before the class period of the visit, it is imperative that students show their teachers the email notification they will receive, excusing them from class. Students will not be admitted to the visit if they are not signed up to attend on Naviance.

Each college visit lasts about thirty to forty minutes. Some of the visits that take place during third period will overlap into seventh period, so it is important for students to talk to their teachers for both blocks in advance.

Mr. Silva recalls his experiences with many admissions counselors who, after having met students, still had to say no, but had extreme difficulty doing so. “That really serves as a testament to the importance of interaction with admissions counselors, “ he said.

“Demonstrated interest is when you go to a college tour, when you go to a college fair, and when you go to a college visit,” said Mr. Silva. “This can be the difference between getting rejected and getting in.”