By Spencer Ball

Staff Writer

Everybody loves a raffle. It is a heart pounding game of chance that often has you on the edge of your seat when that plastic mug,  which in that moment seems to be the Holy Grail, becomes a winning possibility.

An adrenaline pumping raffle such as this, as well as an informative speaking, can be found at the Sophomore College Planning Night (SCPN) in the Prospect Theater on the 9th at 7 P.M.

The event is open to the public, so there is no sign up required. It is heavily advised that both the parent and their student attend so that they are both on the same page.

Families from all grade levels are allowed to attend the SCPN, but the function is mostly geared towards sophomores.

Diane Bourn, the guidance counselor in charge of the SCPN says her main advice is geared toward scheduling.

“The number one thing you can do [to prepare for college] is to take challenging classes and do well in them,” Bourn says, “Beyond that, it is not the time you have to start looking or researching colleges.”

The SCPN is also much more appealing towards families with underclassmen as students. Juniors and seniors learn all there is to know about colleges and college planning in their guidance sessions, but freshmen and sophomores are not exposed to this, so according to Bourn, SCPN is a good head start.

Bourn also conducted a similar event in the fall, which was called So You Wanna Go to College? The SCPN is very similar to the one in the fall, so if parents or students missed it, this is their opportunity to be better informed.

“[SCPN is] predominantly for families who are ready to hear that [college readiness] and a lot of times sophomores are like,
‘Ah, college is so far in the future. I’m not ready for that,’ and that is why we do not talk college with sophomores in our guidance sessions as much,” Bourn said, “It’s [SPCN] really just an add-on.”