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Seize the Day Tours: College Visits for High School Students
Seize the Day Tours offers high school students the opportunity to visit college campuses before deciding where to apply and attend.
Why should you sign up for one of our college trips?
Deciding where to apply for college can be daunting. We're here to help!
The best way to decide where to apply is to VISIT prospective colleges.
During our college trips, you will be able to:
During our trips we also offer mini-workshops on:
CLICK HERE
for 2010-2011
Trip Itineraries
Member of NACAC (National Association for College Admissions Counseling) and WACAC (Western Association for College Admissions Counseling)
Click on a title to view itinerary.
November 2010: Bay Area and Beyond (3 days)
February 2011: Southern California Combo(5 days)
April 2011: California Private & UC Schools (4.5 days)
April 2011: California Combo (4.5 days)*
May/June 2011: SoCal Focus (3 days)**
June 2011: East Coast Trip (7-9 days)***
Ongoing: Day Trips
* Our traditional spring break trip
** For students who start summer break just after Memorial Day
*** Includes sightseeing in Boston and New York City
Customized Trips:
We will customize a trip for your group of 8 - 50 people. Contact us for more information.
Bay Area and Beyond
With visits to San Francisco State, Sonoma State, San Jose State or University of San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz or CSU East Bay, and CSU Monterey Bay.
Trip Dates: Nov. 22nd - Nov. 24th, 2010
(Thanksgiving Break for numerous schools. Participants will return the evening before Thanksgiving.)
Tentative Itinerary
Monday Nov. 22nd: Tours of Sonoma State and San Francisco State.
Tuesday Nov. 23rd: Tours of San Jose State or University of San Francisco and CSU East Bay or UC Santa Cruz.
Wednesday Nov. 24th: Tour of CSU Monterey Bay. Return to Sacramento by 7pm
The cost of the trip is $475 which includes:
Southern California Combo
If you know you want to go to college in Southern California, but don't know where, this trip is for you!
With visits to 8-10 of the following colleges: UC San Diego, University of San Diego, San Diego State, The Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, USC, UC Irvine, Long Beach State, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Chapman, Pepperdine, and UC Santa Barbara.
We will visit 2-3 colleges each day. Students will give input on preferences before final itinerary is set.
Trip Dates: February 21st - 26th, 2011
(February Break for several area school districts)
Monday Feb 21st: 11:00pm departure on overnight bus from Sacramento to San Diego
Tuesday Feb 22nd: Tour San Diego area colleges
Wednesday Feb 23rd: Tour Pomona/Irvine area colleges
Thursday Feb 24th: Tour Los Angeles area colleges
Friday Feb 25th: Tour Los Angeles area colleges + Disneyland at night. Overnight bus ride home.
Saturday Feb 26th: 7:00am arrival back in Sacramento
The cost of the trip is $675 which includes:
California Private & UC Schools Focus
Itinerary and Dates Coming Soon
The trip will tentatively take place during the April 3rd - 8th, 2011. (Spring break for a handful of area schools.)
California Combo
(Our Traditional Spring Break Trip)
With visits to UC San Diego, San Diego State,
UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly SLO, UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley
Trip Dates: April 17th - 21st , 2011
(Spring Break for the majority of area schools.)
Sunday April 17th: Depart on overnight coach to San Diego (or optional flight the following morning)
Monday April 18th: Tours of UC San Diego and San Diego State (Free time at the beach)
Tuesday April 19th: Tours of UC Irvine and UCLA (Free time in Westwood)
Wednesday April 20th: Tours of UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Thursday April 21st: Tours of UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley (Return to Sacramento by 7:00pm.)
The cost of the trip is $575 which includes:
SoCal Focus
With visits to 6-7 of the following colleges: UC San Diego, University of San Diego, San Diego State, The Claremont Colleges, USC, UC Irvine, Long Beach State, UCLA, Loyola Marymount, Chapman, Pepperdine, and UC Santa Barbara.
Trip Dates: May 31st - June 2nd, 2011
(1st week of summer for many high schools)
Tuesday May 31st:
Meet at Sacramento Intl. Airport for early morning flight to San Diego. Tour two San Diego area colleges.
Wednesday June 1st: Tour two - three colleges from the list above.
Thursday June 2nd: Tour two - three colleges from the list above. Evening flight from Los Angeles back to Sacramento.
(Airfare is not included. We will help you book the correct flights on Southwest Airlines.)
East Coast Trip
Info coming soon!
Day Trips
We will also be offering day trips to Northern California campuses throughout the school year.
Dates and Prices
Performing and Visual Arts College Fair + Arts College Tours on Saturday, October 23, 2010
Tentative Itinerary: Depart Sacramento at 8am; Visit 1-2 arts colleges in Bay Area; Attend NACAC's Performing and Fine Arts College Fair; Return to Sacramento by 8pm.
Price of Trip: TBA
Stanford University Day Trip: TBA
Chico State Day Trip: TBA
Humboldt State Overnight Trip: TBA
Our online registration is under construction.
Please contact us by email or phone for registration materials.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a typical day like on the tour? We start off driving by motor coach to our destination. When we arrive at each campus, we go on a tour of the school, usually given by a current student or recent alum. Next, students will have a chance to visit the bookstore, eat lunch, and (at one or two campuses) possibly sit in on a lecture. We typically attend an admissions session on at least one campus, hosted by that school's admissions office. Then, we will return to the motor coach, drive to the second school of the day, take a tour, explore the campus, have dinner (usually off-campus) and finally drive to our hotel for check-in. Depending on the amount of driving that day, there is often time for an early evening visit to the beach or an event (for example, a theater performance) offered on or near campus. Sometimes students have time to go for a swim in the hotel pool.
Is there any free time during the trip? How are students accounted for during free time? Since the schedule is so full, there is little "free" time. However, as explained above, students will have some time to explore each campus after the official tour. Also, in the early evenings, students may have time to visit part of a college town, usually during dinner time. During these times, students are not under direct supervision, but they are required to stay with at least two "buddies" from the group and stay within certain limited boundaries (a three-block radius, for example). Students will also have the trip leader's cell phone number to call or text if they get lost or need assistance.
What rules will my student be expected to follow during the trip? Students will be given a specific list of (strict but reasonable) behavior expectations before departure, and we will review them on the first day of the trip. Typically, students are having plenty of fun within the boundaries of the trip. Also, they are usually very tired at the end of each day, which often leads to actual sleeping at night.
How many adults will be on the trip? The adult-student ratio is at least 1/10. Other chaperones may include teachers, counselors, and/or parents.
Do parents often go on the trips? On past trips, we've had anywhere from 0-5 parents join us. Parents are, of course, welcome to attend. Some students really want their parents to come, while others would prefer to go on their own or with friends. If parents do come on the trip, we encourage them to give their students some independence during the campus visits so they can form their own opinions without parental input.
How well will my student be supervised, especially at the hotels at night? At the hotel, students will be given a curfew, which will depend on when we return from dinner/driving to the destination. (Sometimes, they might have time to hang out with each other in the common area/lobby, play video games in the game room, go for a swim, etc. before curfew.) After curfew, students must stay in their assigned rooms. Chaperones will do room checks at least once and will also do some patrolling of the halls after room checks. (As an added precaution, we typically book hotels with indoor hallways. All hotels are rated 3 stars or higher.)
How many students are assigned to each room? In order to keep the cost of this trip as low as possible, students of the same gender are assigned to groups of four, with two queen-sized beds in each room. Students can request to room with their friends, if they know others who are going on the trip. Students are welcome to bring a sleeping bag.They may also have their own bed for an extra charge. (Please make this request on registration materials.)
"Going on this trip gave me the opportunity to check out different (campus) environments and has helped me make an educated decision on where I might want to go or not go. It was fun and educational... definitely not a bad way to spend my spring break."
Cooper, Jesuit High
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"I had a really great time learning and visiting each college and going to the classes. If anyone has a chance, go on this tour! You make new friends, and the trip leaders are great!"
Alexandria W., Natomas High
"Each campus was unique in its own way. I liked visiting all of them. And, yes, I would recommend this trip.
It was worth the money, and I want to do it again."
Jimmy, El Camino High
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"I absolutely recommend it! Ms. Landry is the perfect teacher to lead this trip."
Terra, McClatchy High School
"I enjoyed the atmosphere and learned so much, especially about the UC system and how to get funding to pay for college."
Audrey, Sacramento High School
"I learned that it's worth it to work really hard to get into the schools I'm in love with. I'm so excited about going to college now and experiencing the world head-on."
Skylar, Granite Bay High School
"This trip gave my daughter the confidence to know she's in control of her higher education and can take on life after high school. Students who miss this trip may be missing one of the most vital parts of preparing for college discovering a campus actual feeling. All high school students should attend one of your college tours. It was so beneficial!"
Brenda (parent and trip participant)
Trips are organized and led by Seize the Day Tours owner, Lisa Landry.
Lisa Landry has been leading students and parents on trips since she began teaching in 1995. In 2001, she began taking her students on annual college trips, when she saw a strong need for students to explore their post-secondary options. In 2004 she founded Seize the Day Tours, which opened the doors for students from all Sacramento area high schools to participate in the college trips.
Landry taught English for over a decade at Natomas Charter School in Sacramento, where she also provided college counseling support and continues to oversee student activities. In 2008, she completed the College and Career Counseling Certificate Program at UC Davis Extension. She is personally committed to helping as many students as possible in their preparation for college and future careers.
She earned her BA in English from UC Santa Barbara and her teaching credential from UC Davis. In addition to organizing college trips, she has also taken student groups on annual trips to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and on summer trips to Europe and beyond. Past trips include Australia and New Zealand, London, Scotland and Ireland, Italy and Greece, and New York City.
For almost a decade, students from several Sacramento, Davis, and Roseville area high schools -- including Jesuit, Country Day, Rio Americano, Sacramento High, El Camino, Natomas High, West Campus, McClatchy, Woodcreek, Lincoln, Inderkum, Davis Senior High, and Natomas Charter School -- have joined Landry on college trips. Every student reported back with positive comments.
Mailing Address:
Seize the Day Tours
4660 Natomas Blvd.
Suite #120-80
Sacramento, CA. 95835
(916) 616-6141
seizethedaytours_yahoo.com
