On Oct. 14, a group of sophomores, juniors and seniors set out on an annual trip to San Diego. Students visited San Diego State University, the University of San Diego and the University of California, San Diego. Participants arrived at Loyola at 6:00 a.m. and departed by bus shortly thereafter. Counselors Kieron Miller, Daryl Crowley and Ryanne Martucci embarked on the two-hour bus ride with the students, a trip that could change these students’ lives forever.
Upon their arrival to San Diego State University, the group was met with a presentation involving statistics and other information, learning new and valuable information on the school. They also were able to tour the campus, seeing the gymnasium and the library.
Harper Thomas ‘27 said, “The statistic from SDSU that surprised me most was that 50% of students had a 3.8-4.0 GPA.”
When asked which college was his favorite, Thomas responded, “UCSD. It’s a UC, but the campus is also really big, the community is really fun, the academics are great.”
William Mills ‘26 responded similarly, saying, “My favorite college was UCSD because it was the most academic, had a super nice campus and felt like you were surrounded by intelligent people.”
Despite the influence that academics hold on college decisions, there are other factors, one of which is the college’s social life. This was reflected in the students’ favorite parts of the trip.
Thomas responded, “My favorite school from the trip was SDSU. I enjoyed just walking around with friends and having the time to discuss our potential majors.”
Mills similarly said, “We got some time after the UCSD tour to spend time with friends. I enjoyed it because it felt like a real college experience.”
Many were impressed by the colleges they saw during the excursion.
“I could see myself attending UC San Diego,” Thomas replied. “It seemed like a great fit, and if I focus and lock in for high school, I can see it in my future.”
Mills could also see himself in a similar position. He responded, “Definitely UCSD, probably not SDSU or USD due to the academic level.”
The San Diego college tour provided students with invaluable information and insight. Hopefully, they can use what they learned on the tour to guide their future university choices.