https://www.theodysseyonline.com/11-types-of-people-you-meet-on-an-airplane

You may have been hearing the term “fly-ins” being said throughout the halls of the academic buildings or somewhere else on the MSMS campus lately. What is a fly-in? Some colleges, mostly liberal arts, provide an all-expense paid weekend trip for high school seniors to come and visit its campus. Some amenities of the programs are sitting in on classes, spending the night in a current college student’s room, and have a taste of what the lifestyle is like on the campus or in the city.

In order to participate in these programs, colleges typically require seniors to go through an application process. These processes typically consists of a short essay(s), a resume, and a high school transcript.

Students who have been accepted to fly-ins are Chinwe Udembga, Greg Billingsley, Baili Zhong, Andy Zhao, Jenny Nguyen, Lauryn Smith, Kallia Cooper and Vivian Van.  

Where are they headed?

Udembga and Billingsley: Washington University in St. Louis.

Zhong: Amherst and Pomona College

Zhao: Rice University

Nguyen: Harvey Mudd, University of Pennsylvania, and possibly Columbia University

Smith: Harvey Mudd, Johns Hopkins, and possibly Davidson College

Van: Carleton College

Cooper: Swarthmore College and Washington and Lee University

Zhong mentions that he is not looking forward to the make-up work that he will have waiting for him, but he is excited for the free trips to experience the college life at the schools he is interested in applying to. His tip for students doing fly-ins: “You might consider getting rewards and points through frequent flyer miles”

Nguyen says “The two universities are allowing me to peer into the world of engineering at the prospective universities during my visit. I’m also excited to meet the people that I’ll be staying with, which are the undergraduates currently attending the university”

Her tip to the juniors: “When it comes to senior year, APPLY TO FLY-INS! Even though it is a competitive process, it is a rewarding one as I will be traveling to Pennsylvania and California for no charge this fall semester. It’s also a tremendous opportunity to visit the college and get an in-depth view of the classes, people, as well as opportunities at the university”

Smith has been awaiting these programs since March. She says “I’m most excited to see the schools I’m visiting in full swing, with normal activities happening on campus. The most important part of a college visit is getting an authentic feel for the environment there. Your dream college may not even be right for you, and the best way to know if a college could be your best fit is to visit it personally”

It is not too late for seniors to apply to fly-in programs. There are lists of colleges that offer fly-ins online with deadlines coming up, but you can still apply.