With the guidance of friendly staff, students toured the Farmingdale and Old Westbury campuses. Farmingdale University, a SUNY institution in New York, known for offering a variety of majors sparked interest in students attending the trip with its welcoming environment, along with Old Westbury, another SUNY institution, known for its liberal arts.

Led by the career exploration teacher, Michelle Brummer, students were told about the different majors, extracurricular activities and requirements for acceptance into Farmingdale.

Finding the right colleges for students to tour requires careful planning.

“Ms. (Tene) Kelly and I were talking about different colleges to choose from, and the nursing program in Farmingdale is great, which is why we chose it since many students are interested,” Ms. Brummer said. “It gives students a sense of what college life is like and it gives them a feel for the campus. Going to the campus counts as demonstrated interest, which counts for acceptance.”

College exposure unlocks a lot of opportunities for students, helping them understand the college system. “The college trips bring students exposure to other places, which makes them meet other campus advisors,” said Jemny Santana, the 11th grade guidance counselor. She added that from college trips students can also earn the benefits of exploring different kinds of majors, understanding the admission requirements and discovering special programs.

Picking a college can be a difficult choice, so students look for many different things in a college before choosing. “I would have to say I don’t plan on going there, simply because Farmingdale and Westbury are a bit too far for me to commute to daily,” Elias Rodriguez, a junior said.

“However, they are very nice colleges and it offers great opportunities and programs for kids like me who want to take full advantage of the college experience.”

He also thinks the college trip was a great opportunity to experience college life and the social and cultural aspects of a college in a suburban area.

Travel is a major factor in choosing a college. “I wouldn’t go to Farmingdale because it is really far from where I live,” said Brian Michaca, a junior. “The campuses were really nice and the sports facilities were interesting.”

Karnpreet Singh, a junior, said his favorite part of the tour was learning about the different options you can choose in colleges. He also enjoyed the food, especially the chocolate chip cookies.