Here at Morton West High School, the graduating class of 2025 headed down to Morton West’s annual college fair in the Freshman Academy annex Sept. 20th. With Elmhurst, Columbia, Illinois State, UIC, and other universities around the world, students had the luxury of talking individually with college representatives from their schools of choice.

Morton has been doing its best to try and guide students, but what else are Morton seniors dealing with?

Senior Daniel Divinagracia who attended the college fair shared his thoughts: “The number one issue I tend to see as well as deal with is the indecisiveness, but for me, honestly, when I had a second at my desired tables I felt aligned in what I wanted.”

During the fair, students browsed different universities’ tables and came away with flyers and answers to their questions, and some even walked away with free merch.

“It was sick, I got a bunch of free stuff,” Senior Alessandro Rodrigues bragged.

Aside from some cool free stuff, students also came away with an opportunity to speak directly with schools from outside the region that would otherwise be difficult to travel to.

Mrs. Ursetta, College and Career Center Counselor, elaborated on the benefits of the fair.

“It allows them an opportunity to talk to different colleges that they wouldn’t otherwise get out to get to their campuses,” Ursetta said. There’s quite a variety, from different community colleges, to larger schools, to schools across the country from different states that offer different types of majors, so it allows students exposure to the different schools that they might not be able to get out and see themselves.”

Usetta also shared some advice for students who are struggling or overwhelmed with the process of selecting the right school for them.

“One, make sure it has your major,” she noted. “I know that sounds silly, but it is really important. Make sure it’s the right fit for you. Truly, get out on the campus, get the feel and make sure the school is the right fit for you, because there is the right fit for everybody. There’s almost 4,000 colleges out there, and there’s something for everybody. So get out there, sit under the tree, and make sure you love it.”

For students who exploring a trade or career after high school instead of attending college right away, Ursetta noted the College and Career Counseling Center will have resources for them, too.

“Coming up, we will have a trades fair (November 14th), and we also have lots of ways to connect you with opportunities for after high school, so come see us in the College and Career Center.”

For students seeking to stay up to date on all of the events, resources, and assistance the CCC provides, they can join the Class of 2025 Teams page.