33 HRV students woke up at the crack of dawn on Thursday to travel to the University of Oregon in Eugene. The students arrived at the campus at nine and were met by the UO college connections staff and admissions faculty, who discussed their experiences at the U of O, financial aid, the benefits of higher education, housing, the FASFA, food options, diversity on campus, life on campus, etc. After that, the students were given free lunch and then shown around the campus by students who are hired to give tours to visiting schools.

Junior Olivia Mitchell says of her experience, ” I’m really glad that I went on this trip. Being able to see the ins and outs of a college campus really puts the school-searching process in prospective, and now I know what I will be looking for these next few months in an ideal university. Everyone is very passionate about their role at U of O, and helped all of us feel comfortable during the tour, answering every question we threw at them. Being able to walk the grounds with the college’s own students really influenced my image on the school, as I was able to see what daily life is like in Eugene.”

HRV has already visited Portland State University this year, and will be visiting Oregon State University soon. Guidance counselor Tammy Hosaka speaks on why college campus visits such as these are so important: “ A lot of kids make assumptions that they know everything that there is to know about colleges and whether or not they see themselves attending or not, without ever setting foot on a college campus. Having kids go even as early as middle school is important. Just to see yourself there. Just to envision yourself there by the time you graduate from high school. A lot of kids count on adults to tell them how to feel about college, but really it should be student driven. That the student does the research, visits, makes it happen, so that they can make an informed choice in the end.”

The U of O is a relatively large school and campus, with 24,181 students and a campus covering 295 acres. It has been elected as one of Princeton Review’s Green Colleges for the past 5 years and boasts 250+ clubs and organizations on campus, and 272 total academic programs.

To visit Oregon State University with HRV on April 15, sign up at the Summit Office.