As scary as it might be for many juniors, the college application process is just around the corner. To help deal with some of the upcoming stress that the Junior class will face, college counselor, Kerry Keegan, organizes an annual college planning day.

Keegan believes, “The College Planning Retreat for the Class of 2017 is designed to assist the juniors with learning about the ins and outs of the extensive college admissions process. The retreat provides juniors an opportunity to reflect on their high school experiences to date with an eye on how to go forward for the greatest chance of finding a school that is the right fit for them.”

The day started out with a chicken mini breakfast and a game of Kahoot to stir everyone’s minds about the college admissions process. Then, the juniors were split into three groups to listen to different representatives talk about specific details of the application process. A representative from Eckerd College talked about how to find a school that is the best fit for each individual. From Presbyterian College, a delegate explained how to act at college interviews. Also, a rep from the University of Alabama took the juniors through an interactive, mock application viewing, so they could see what colleges are looking for in a student.

Audrey Dunn (11) states, “I really enjoyed when the Alabama representative gave us a better visual of how colleges select applicants by playing a game with us. It was interesting to see the things they prioritize more than others, and it got me thinking about what I need to do to prepare for the process!”

When the sessions concluded, the three representatives, along with a rep from Florida Atlantic University, held a panel where students could ask specific questions.

Common app: TIK TOK TIK TOK.
Me: *internally screams* pic.twitter.com/15jsA6nHpz

— Application Lyfe (@collegeAppRelat) October 20, 2015

After lunch, Keegan talked to the juniors about important upcoming due dates including college essays and activity resumes. Then, a group of current seniors talked about their college application process and answered some questions from the juniors.

To conclude the day, the juniors skyped with Amanda Bell, an Academy alumn who currently attends Belmont University. She shared information about both her college application process and her current life at Belmont.

“Speaking with Amanda was really cool and a great opportunity! It was good for me to speak with someone who is going to school where I want to go and has a similar background to me,” says Junior Jenna Wiley.