From Kevin Strawbridge for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit. Strawbridge was recently a featured guest on SmartCollegeVisit's #CampusChat:

I was really the first person in my family to go to college. My dad had attended Memphis State University for a year before joining the Army and heading overseas back in the early ‘60s. Having grown up in various places, I was not adverse to going out of state to college, so I applied to UCLA, The University of Washington (UW), Penn State University (PSU), and The University of Texas (UT). After evaluating all of the costs associated with college, and not really knowing what I wanted to do for a career yet, I ended up choosing to stay in Austin and going to UT where I could live on campus and the total costs would be half of any other choice.

Two years later, after going to school full-time and also working full-time to pay for school, I still did not know what I wanted to do and realized I had never taken a break to really spend time to figure that out. So, I dropped down to one class per semester and began a full-time role working for Lady Bird Johnson in a personal and accounting capacity.

I spent two years working and learning about how businesses operated and determined that I was destined to be in a numbers-oriented, analytical role. Based on that, I decided it was time to go back to school but this time with a plan in mind. In early 1991, I looked at three schools in Texas that had strong accounting programs (UT, Arlington, The University of North Texas, and Texas A&M University).

I had already determined that UT was not the right fit for me personally – I was sort of shy and introverted and UT was so big that fitting in was a challenge. I visited each school and I attended an accounting class to get a feel for the environment and spent time on campus to see if there was a good feeling for achievement.

Hands down, after all the analysis, Texas A&M was the place for me. The academic advisors spent quality time with me explaining the coursework, the way the college worked, and the opportunities to get involved. The students with whom I met were outgoing and engaging. The traditions associated with Texas A&M summoned a sense of pride and belonging. So there I finally was, a student at a university that met my needs and at a place where I felt I belonged. The next three years went by quickly. I got involved immediately in several student groups and even managed to get elected president of one organization and vice president of another. Gone was the shy, introverted Kevin. Here was a confident guy that was ready to take on the world.

Toward the end of my senior year, a professor from the accounting department pulled me aside and suggested I consider joining the five year accounting program. It would require an additional year of school, but I would graduate not only with a Bachelor of Business Adminstration (BBA) degree in accounting, but also a Master of Science (MS) in accounting. I applied and was accepted and completed the program. After an amazing college experience, I achieved more than I thought possible and am blessed to have had the opportunity.

Kevin Strawbridge is president of DealTaker.com, a division of Media General. You are invited to follow him on Twitter @kstraw.

First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a Blacksburg, Virginia-based higher-ed marketing and college visit planning portal focused on mobile app and mobile web development with a special interest in creating travel and location-based tools and services for colleges and universities.

From DJ Waldow for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit. Waldow was recently a featured guest on SmartCollegeVisit's #CampusChat:

I grew up in Rochester, NY. Everyone in my immediate family had attended college so there was never a question as to what I was doing after high school. I'll never forget my first college visit. I can't recall why, but I was determined to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I actually knew very little about it other than it was in the state of North Carolina and had a good basketball team. That's it.

Our high school's spring break destination was Myrtle Beach, SC. During my junior year, my buddy Greg and I made the drive from Upstate, NY to SC with his family. We stopped in Chapel Hill on the way. I still have pictures to this day of our trip. We walked all over campus for hours (took a ton of pictures) and were sold. When we returned home, we decided that we'd both apply early admission. Never mind the fact that it was nearly impossible to get into UNC from out of state and that our SAT scores were far from perfect (1600 at the time). Greg and I were certain that we'd get in. 

I can remember being shocked and bummed when the rejection letter arrived in the Fall of 1993. After a few days of sulking, I decided it was time to "pick myself back up" and restart the college search. I can remember visiting a bunch of local schools as well as places like Brown (my sister was  a sophomore at University of Rhode Island at the time), Tufts, and some "safe schools." I can't actually recall why I was interested in University of Michigan, but I do remember thinking that it was in another state (a.k.a. not NY) and had a good sports program. For those basketball fans, I was in high school during the Fab Five years. So I applied to Michigan and got in. Here's the best part: The first time I was ever in Ann Arbor or the state of Michigan for that matter was during Freshman Orientation. Yup. I never actually visited the University of Michigan before accepting. Crazy, right?

It was one of the best decisions I've made in my entire life. The 4 years I spent at Michigan are filled with incredible memories. My buddies and I attended nearly every basketball and football game. In fact, in 1997, we went to all but one game including road trips to Penn State, Michigan State, and Illinois. We even road-tripped out to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl (Michigan won the National Championship that year).

As far as UNC-Chapel Hill, it turns out that nearly a decade later, my wife and I lived in Durham, NC. I spent the last 2 years getting my MBA from...UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Go Blue!

DJ Waldow is Director of Community, Blue Sky Factory. You are invited to follow him on Twitter @djwaldow.

First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for campus visit travel planning, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss Smart See, Smart Do college campus sites, and more. You're invited to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter and to like SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.

From Evan Silverman for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit. Silverman was recently a featured guest on SmartCollegeVisit's #CampusChat:

Growing up on the East Coast, more specifically in New York City, my family was in shock when I told them I wanted to go to the Ohio State University.  Not because Ohio State was such a huge school, so far away from home, but because I was 9.

Back then, in the seventies, I was glued to the television every Saturday afternoon to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes play whomever.  I sat mesmerized as the “best damn band in the land” famously dotted the “I” and Woody Hayes led the Buckeyes onto the field.  But, nothing topped the Ohio State/Michigan game - “The Granddaddy of Them All.”  I was sold.

I made my first visit to the campus in the fall of 1987.  It was exactly what I expected – Buckeye football.  The campus was beautiful, but Ohio Stadium was spectacular.  My father hounded me for a legitimate reason to go there.  My only answer:  "Football.”  The more politically correct answer was probably, “Because according to US News & World Report, Ohio State is ranked 18th among all public universities.   Also, the Fisher College of Business is ranked 16th in the nation and 7th among public universities.  And, they have a great football program.”

So, I applied, was accepted and enrolled in the fall of 1988.  My years at the Ohio State University were definitely some of the best years of my life.  Most importantly, I received an excellent education and friendships to last a lifetime - not to mention, we always have a damn good football team.

Nothing wrong with knowing what you want early in life, my 4 1/2 year old daughter seems to be on the right path.

Evan Silverman is founder of Chicago-based WilliamPaid, LLC.

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First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for campus visit travel planning, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss Smart See, Smart Do college campus sites, and more. You're invited to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter and to like SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.

From Thomas Becher for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit:

I got a jump on visiting college during the spring of my junior year in high school. I took a day trip from my home in Connecticut to Chicago, making my way to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. I was drawn to Northwestern because its Medill School of Journalism was tops for undergrads, and that's the profession I had my heart set on.

I was immediately attracted to the campus - the old buildings scattered with new ones, the park-like setting in the middle of a huge urban area, the monstrous library hard up against the shores of Lake Michigan. But my decision to apply - and ultimately become accepted - came during a quiet moment between tours. I walked down to the lakefront, peered to the south and saw the breathtaking Chicago skyline in the spring sun. I was hooked. For four years, I would pass that spot on my walks and jogs and remember - this is where I decided my future.

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Thomas Becher is President of tba, The Becher Agency.

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First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for planning campus visit travel, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss college campus sites, and more. You're invited to subscribe to SmartCollegeVisit updates, to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter, and to become a fan of SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.

Smart College Visit, Inc. is a client of Handshake Media, Incorporated, parent company of Handshake 2.0.

From Shakun Mago for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit:

The first time I met the economics faculty of University of Richmond was on a cold, sunny Saturday afternoon in early January 2006. My interview for a faculty position was not going according to plan! As the sun came streaming in through a window, we discussed the difference between the British and the American educational systems, the impact of class size on student learning, and the use of experiments as teaching tools.

Not only was the content unconventional, but most of my interviews (I had 25!) had a common structure: tell us about your research, followed by questions on teaching and then a sales pitch about the school. In contrast - and importantly - this interview was a “discussion.”

I came out of the room feeling good about the healthy discourse, but was soon beset by doubts. Why did they not “interview” me? Did they not consider me a serious candidate, were they just killing time post-lunch, etc.?

Cut to a week later: I got a call for a campus visit. Over the course of a day-long visit, I met with individual faculty members from the department, and this time came to expect the “discussion”: intense and challenging, yet open and friendly. I also met with faculty from marketing, finance, and sociology, emphasizing the interdisciplinary aspect of the university.

Interestingly and (as I now know) befittingly, the only “interview” I had at UR was with the students. They grilled me about expectations, prerequisites, course content and policy applications. I was intrigued by the “teacher-scholar” model the school espoused, impressed with the collegial faculty and dedicated students, and went home hoping for the best.

University of Richmond, undoubtedly, has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, providing an ideal learning environment, but the people - faculty, staff and students alike - are the core: very committed to its cause and proud of the outcomes.  That was what first attracted me to UR and what still keeps me hooked!

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Shakun Mago is Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Richmond’s Robins School of Business, Virginia.

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First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for planning campus visit travel, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss college campus sites, and more. You're invited to subscribe to SmartCollegeVisit updates, to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter, and to become a fan of SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.

From Alexis Avila for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit.

When I was seven, my father transplanted our  whole family from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Brookline, Massachusetts. After eleven years of learning the Boston accent and New England way of life, I decided to return to my roots and visit the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

I knew a lot about Ann Arbor from growing up there and visiting during the summers. The town is hip, diverse, has great food, little unemployment, and was just an amazing place to grow up as a kid.

When I visited the University of Michigan campus as an eighteen year-old, I experienced for the first time what it was it was like to be part of the Michigan Wolverine community. While walking through the most beautiful campus I’ve ever seen, I noticed that the undergrads were from all parts of the globe - a microcosm of the world at large! The students walked around campus with a glint in their eyes that proclaimed, “I’m proud to be a Michigan Wolverine." The students were extremely bright, engaging and helpful - that’s the good ol’ Midwestern hospitality!

Coming from a diverse background, where I moved around a bit in my life, I knew I belonged at the University of Michigan. Ann Arbor was the place where I was born, and returning to the University of Michigan as an undergraduate was really like going back to my "nest," but this time with 20,000 other birds in it!

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Alexis Avila is Founder, Director of Prepped and Polished: Tutoring, College Counseling, Test Prep, (formerly TUTORrific Academic Services), providing tutoring, college counseling, and test prep in the Boston, Massachusetts area.

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First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for planning campus visit travel, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss college campus sites, and more. You're invited to subscribe to SmartCollegeVisit updates, to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter, and to become a fan of SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.

From Steven Tarr for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit.

Growing up in suburban Seattle, I wanted to get out into the world on my own, yet within driving distance of home. Washington State University was 285 miles away and seemed to fit the bill. Over a long weekend, a high school senior classmate and I drove over to Pullman to check it out. An older friend had offered his floor for us to sleep on.

Good thing. We drove over quite unprepared for any road trip, let alone having money to pay for a place to stay. It was snowing as we crossed the Cascade Mountains, then blustery as we drove across the wide-open Central Basin of Washington state.

As we approached Pullman, the flat desolation turned to rolling hills. We were in wheat country and the Dry Pea and Lentil Capital of the World. The nearby mountains of Northern Idaho reminded us of how far we were from home. It felt empty.

Then we met our host, Craig, outside of his dorm. Happily and enthusiastically, he welcomed us to WSU. It was cold and windy, and I kept telling myself that meeting more people would warm up my attitude.

It worked. We went to a few classes, ate in the dining hall, and played card games. We didn't mind sleeping on the floor because of all the fun we were having. Everyone was friendly and encouraging.

As we drove back to Seattle, I'd pretty much made up my mind that WSU was my kind of place. I accepted their admission offer that week and arrived as an excited freshman that August. By then, of course, the sun was shining and the wheat fields were amber waves of grain, some already harvested.

The first week was like summer camp and over the next four years, the bond was created. Now, over 30 years later, I am both volunteering on university boards and teaching as an adjunct professor.

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Steven C. Tarr is an Adjunct Professor of Business at Washington State University and President of Columbia-Capstone LLC and Steve Tarr Consulting LLC.  He is also the author of Yes You! Yes Now! Leadership, 50 short leadership stories for college students and recent graduates. He is on Twitter at @YesYouYesNow.

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First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for planning campus visit travel, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss college campus sites, and more. You're invited to subscribe to SmartCollegeVisit updates, to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter, and to become a fan of SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.

From Wallace B. Newton Sr. (Wally), for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit.

When I first visited Virginia Tech, it was known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute  -  VPI. In the summer of 1966, I was a rising high school senior.   One of my best friend’s dads had gone to VPI way back when, and he brought us both to campus for a visit.

VPI seemed  a long way from my hometown of Newport News, Virginia.  I remember walking into Burruss Hall, with its massive doors and massive auditorium, then meeting Dean Dean, an older man (it seemed) who knew my friend’s dad.  They talked old times; I listened. I told him my grades, and he told us both that if we continued  with that level of performance during our senior years, we would be accepted into VPI. I had a cousin two years older who was also at VPI, so there was little left to think about.  I applied early decision, found out in December 1966 I was in, and never applied anywhere else.
 
Then came September 1967, and my cousin and I drove a pickup truck from Newport News as I became a freshman.  No parents, just me and my cousin, and homesickness set in even before I left Newport News.  As we drove up three-lane Christiansburg Mountain, after what seemed like an all-day drive, I thought to myself, "What have I done?  If this is not the end of the earth, surely it cannot be far from here."  

Five years later, having acquired two degrees, a wife who was a student at Radford, and lots of friends, as I left Blacksburg in June 1972 I recall thinking, “This is a pretty nice place I leave. Maybe one day I’ll return.” 
 
In July 2004 I did - moved to Roanoke, 40 miles away.  The frequent trips to VPI, now known as Virginia Tech, seem ever so short.    I guess you can say you can remove the boy from the place, but you can’t remove the place from the boy.

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Wallace B. Newton Sr. (Wally) is an adjunct instructor of finance at Virginia Tech.

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First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for planning campus visit travel, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss college campus sites, and more. You're invited to subscribe to SmartCollegeVisit updates, to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter, and to become a fan of SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.

From Dan Smith, editor of Valley Business FRONT, for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit.

Experience with college registration - or with college in general - is not something I'm steeped in. I went to Western Carolina to play football in the late summer of 1965 and before I even registered for class, I was on the way home with a busted knee and a broken heart. Never got to a class. Barely toured the campus because our days were consumed with trying to kill each other. A year later, I registered at UNC Asheville and promptly flunked out.

More than 25 years later as the father of a high school senior, I drove my son to Knoxville, Tennessee to take a look at the University of Tennessee. UT had always been a family favorite. My father, who was a pretty good football player at Virginia Tech in the 1930s, always wanted to go to UT, but his dad had said, "It'll be VPI or nowhere." Seems the old man, who had no schooling, but was rich from construction, knew somebody with a son at Tech.

Dad put in his time, but never really cared much for his alma mater. My brother played quarterback at UT and we had a bit of a legacy in that. When my son and I entered campus, I noted some activity at the cavernous 107,000-seat football stadium, so we parked and walked over.

As we entered the stadium, my son's eyes grew to the size of volleyballs. "This is it," he said firmly. "I'm going here. No reason to even look anywhere else." Good thing it was, too. UT, even with out of state tuition, was far cheaper than Virginia Tech or Virginia for in-state students and my son got a solid, stable degree in physics and works in engineering for a large, international company these days.

And he remains orange in his blood.

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Dan Smith is the editor of Valley Business FRONT magazine.

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First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for planning campus visit travel, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss college campus sites, and more. You're invited to subscribe to SmartCollegeVisit updates, to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter, and to become a fan of SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.

From Anne Giles Clelland, Handshake 2.0, for First College Visit, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit.

I never thought of applying to any university other than the one in my college town of 10,000 residents and 20,000 students.  Even though my father was on the faculty, even though as a child I sat rapt during events on campus - plays like Bubbling Brown Sugar and speakers’ series featuring Vincent Price - when I entered Virginia Tech as a freshman, I crossed a border between town life and university life as if between two countries.

My first visit to a college dormitory at Virginia Tech was on the first day of my freshman year when my father drove me the two miles from our house to Slusher Wing.  I can still remember the poised, beautiful resident advisor with whom I felt hopelessly unsophisticated, and the feel of the heavy Yale key she put in my hand.  My father helped me tote two suitcases, a box of books, a pillow and a lamp up the stairs to my room on the third floor.  Although my new roommate and I had never met or spoken on the phone, we had written letters and agreed her mother would buy us matching bedspreads from Sears.  Mine, still in its plastic wrap, was on my bed.

My father helped me make my bed, military corners folded with the expertise only a former President of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets could give them.  I sensed in him what I felt in myself, the ambivalence of longing to stay a family and excited readiness to begin what this would be.

I don’t remember what words of wisdom and encouragement my father spoke to me as he began to leave the dorm room.  I just remember that he was there.  And that I didn’t let him go then, but walked down with him to the car.  And we both waved until we couldn’t see each other any more.

Dr. Crandall Shifflett, Anne Giles Clelland, Dr. A. Roger Ekirch, Virginia Tech, 1981

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First College Visit on Handshake 2.0, a series of first college visit stories by business professionals, is sponsored by SmartCollegeVisit, a college visit portal with tools and resources for planning campus visit travel, college visit advice from parents to parents, not-to-miss college campus sites, and more. You're invited to subscribe to SmartCollegeVisit updates, to follow SmartCollegeVisit on Twitter, and to become a fan of SmartCollegeVisit on Facebook.