This February 2020 our junior scholars had an opportunity to visit nine different colleges in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington DC. The Simon Scholar program encourages scholars to have a well-balanced college list by the end of their junior year, and what a better way to begin building their college list then by visiting some of our partner schools like the University of San Francisco, Stanford University, George Washington University, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins University, Occidental and Pomona College.
Throughout the college tours, scholars had the opportunity to bond with their fellow scholars, ask college Simon scholars questions, were part of interactive informational and financial aid sessions, private tours, and even had an opportunity to stay overnight in some of our respected college partner’s residence halls.
The Simon Scholar program provides a memorable experience for these first-generation college students that normally do not have the opportunity to leave the Orange County region. Through this college tour experience, they gain self-confidence, college knowledge, and had the opportunity to really assess what college factors to prioritize as they begin to include colleges on their final list.
COLLEGE TOUR DATA
- 94% of the scholars who attended college tours highly rated their college tour experience.
- 100% of the scholars who attended stated that the Simon Scholar College Tours helped clarify their college fit factors.
COLLEGE TOUR QUOTES
- “ I have a better understanding of what factors may contribute to my decision. Or the things that may affect my overall stay in a University such as exposure to diversity and staying true to my culture may make or break my college experience.” -Junior Simon Scholar
- “ I learned that there are a multitude of resources available and that there are a plethora of clubs and organizations so that anyone can be involved.” -Junior Simon Scholar
- “ I learned about the sense of community and friendships college helps cultivate. Staying overnight exemplified how different colleges would be from high school and revealed how there may be some difficulties transitioning from the west coast to the east coast.”-Junior Simon Scholar
