This fall, Indianapolis Metropolitan High School, Goodwill’s best-fit school for students in grades 9-12, took the entire student body on their first College Visit Field Trip Day. 

All students were asked to participate so they could learn about college as an option after graduation, even if they didn’t know if or where they wanted to attend. Students were given the choice to attend one of six different college campuses, including University of Notre Dame, Butler University, Martin University, University of Indianapolis, Franklin College and Indiana University Bloomington. 

“By giving our students an array of different colleges to choose from, each student was able to visit a college or university that fits their aspirations and goals,” said Christina Lear, principal of Indianapolis Met High School.

Once students chose their desired campus, they attended information sessions to learn about different aspects of going to college, including planning for college, financial aid and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Students also participated in college mascot trivia, which they really enjoyed. 

“We were excited to offer this opportunity to all of our current students, including those who partake in virtual learning,” explained Lear. “Those who primarily use online mechanisms were given opportunities to participate in virtual tours for Indiana University Bloomington, Purdue University and Goshen College. We were so grateful to these college partners for being flexible and accommodating to all students interested in pursuing a college pathway.”

By the end of the day, students were sharing how much they enjoyed visiting all the college campuses. In fact, many who had initially said they weren’t planning or sure if they wanted to go to college returned from the trip excited to begin the application process. 

One student who went on the Notre Dame tour even mentioned that she was excited to visit a city outside of Indianapolis for the day. She had traveled to Detroit and Chicago, but she’d never seen other cities in Indiana. Another student came back from the Indiana University Bloomington trip and shared how interested he was about the opportunities for Greek life on campus.

“We are excited to be able to offer field trips like this to our students, and we know they enjoyed the opportunity to see so many different options,” said Lear. “Indy Met offers college, career, and community field trips three times each semester.”

Staff members agreed that after the field trip students are now more motivated than ever to pass their classes, graduate with a Core 40 diploma and pursue college to earn a living wage.

Indianapolis Met is a best-fit school for students experiencing circumstances that may present a barrier to education, including teen pregnancy, teen parenting, involvement in foster care, homelessness, identified for special education, involvement with criminal justice and more. Those interested in learning more about Indy Met or enrolling can visit indianapolismet.org.