McLean hosted its annual Junior Focus Day on Feb. 8, giving juniors the opportunity to attend four informational sessions on the post-high school experience.
Each session explored preparation methods for various career and college paths as well as the admission process and what to expect.
“In most things, what you get out of it is what you put into it. For the people that put in time and asked what they didn’t know, probably walked away with better knowledge than those who maybe took it less seriously,” junior Michelle Ugarte Nunez said.
Most sessions reiterated common knowledge about the college admission process yet for some students the repeated information was beneficial.
“It definitely cleared up requirements for after the application process and how to look for which type of app might fit that college and me,” junior Michael Sciacca said.
However, some meetings, such as “Ask the Deans,” provided students with a more defined introduction to the college process.
“During the ‘Ask the Deans’ panel, the idea of representing yourself and your values was heavily focused on…[they] emphasized that it’s quality over quantity,” Ugarte Nunez said. “You don’t have to have done a lot [to get into college], but just the things you love.”
The “Ask the Deans” panel featured admissions representatives from Georgetown University, George Washington University, and Elon University. Students were given the opportunity to ask college deans pressing questions, many responses of which were tailored to specific details not remarked during a general college information session.
Other distinct sessions focused on military options, community college (NOVA), gap years and international travel, and NCAA eligibility.
Students chose four sessions to suit their college preparatory needs.
