After approximately 23 hours and 1,350 miles on our purple Caldwell Transportation bus with the Gr 11 students, I enjoyed a quiet weekend and some time reflecting on our annual Riverstone Pacific Northwest College Tour.
During our tour, we visited six colleges and connected with alumni at four institutions.
Our students first visited Whitman College in Walla Walla, providing an opportunity to see a small liberal arts school in a rural setting. Whitman is well known for its academic rigor and students who have an interest in the outdoors.
Our time at Whitman was contrasted by our tour of the University of Washington, the largest school that we visited. Lily Zheng, a Riverstone graduate, took time out of her busy schedule to share her experiences with our junior class and show us around campus.
Later that day, we visited Reed College, the smallest of the colleges that we visited. I especially enjoyed visiting Reed because of its highly inclusive student body and its somewhat non-traditional approach to academics.
On our third day, the University of Oregon in Eugene gave our students an in-depth tour of the campus, including meeting professors in the neuroscience imaging lab who shared their research, and visiting a lab that houses the institution's scanning electron microscopes. Our students also participated in a panel discussion that was hosted by current University of Oregon students.
Later that day, we drove to Salem, Oregon and visited Willamette University. We've had a number of students attend Willamette in the past, and I always enjoy meeting the engaged, friendly students and visiting their student-run campus coffee shop.
Finally, on Thursday morning, we made our last stop at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Our students appreciated the unique architecture of the beautiful campus and commented on the diversity of the student body.
Now that our Gr 11 students have time to let their impressions "marinate," I encourage parents to engage in discussion that might be more focused than past college-related dialogues. Whether students are ultimately interested in applying to schools that we visited on the tour or not, their impressions can help direct their pending decisions about where to apply.
Please read further for tips for making the most of campus visits and highlights of what's on the horizon for our grade 9-11 students. And feel free to schedule time to meet during our Parent-Teacher conferences this week.
Dear Grade 9-12 Parents,
Spring break and summer vacations are often the easiest time for families to tour colleges. 
Grade 11 students should be signed up to take the SAT, ACT or both before the end of their junior year.
Students in Gr 9 and 10 do not need to take the SAT or ACT yet. Focus on keeping grades strong and start to study to take the SAT and/or ACT during the spring of your junior year.
