October 27, 1999
Students pursue future plans
TCAPS offers annual Area-Wide College Night
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Teenagers and malls just naturally go together. But last Thursday evening, the swarm of high schoolers parading though the Grand Traverse Mall had a more serious pursuit on their mind than shopping- their future.
The hundreds of seniors, plus some juniors and sophomores, who turned out for the annual Area-Wide College Night scurried among the tables displaying information from more than 40 colleges and universities. Hosted by the counseling staff at Traverse City Area Public Schools, this is the second year the event was held at the mall so students from other schools would be more likely to attend.
And this year, there was a little something for everyone. There were schools from instate and out-of-state, private and public, small and large, prestigious and virtually unknown. Every branch of the Armed Services also sent recruiters to entice students to sign up with them.
Students flocked to the event from as far away as Grayling to try and solve the puzzle of where and what to study. Students and many parents relished the chance to meet face-to-face with someone from a prospective school. Some students were already far along in making their choice, while others were just beginning.
"I've been very undecided and this night has helped," said Magen Butler, a senior at Elk Rapids High School. "I realize I had my choice of schools narrowed down too much and now I have more to look at."
Butler was accompanied by her parents, who are veterans of the college choice process with three older children currently in college. They still found the night helpful as Magen looked at programs in pre-law, pre-med and education at a number of different schools.
"Magen has different interests," Chris Butler said. "We already have three kids going to different colleges and she has different interests than any of them."
For the recruiters hosting the tables, this was just another stop on their annual fall high school circuit. What do they tell the thousands of eager but anxious students and parents they talk with each season?
"My biggest thing is to encourage people to visit four or five campuses and ask a lot of questions," said Barb Sageman, assistant director of admissions for Saginaw Valley State University. "A lot of students have no idea what they are doing, although a lot of them this year are interested in art and psychology, which surprises me."
The final decision is always a difficult one, but getting so much information at one time can help spur on the process. Julie Lake, a senior at Traverse City Central High School, came to the evening with two of her friends. While her friends are mostly undecided, Lake is drawn to Grand Valley State University. To hedge her bets, however, she is filling out applications for other schools, too.
"I've been thinking about where to go for a long time," Lake said. "This is a very anxious time and you have to get your applications in by Thanksgiving, so I am filling them out every chance I get."