Niles West’s annual College Night will take place Wednesday April 13 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. It’s an opportunity for students to meet with colleges and think about life after high school.

“College night is an opportunity for students to learn about their post high school options. As of today, we have 235 colleges and universities registered to participate,” college-career resource counselor Daniel Gin said.

Although this is important for upperclassmen, it’s also good for underclassmen to take advantage of this opportunity.

“This program is open to all district 219 students. It is never too early for freshman and even sophomores to begin planning for life after high school. This might be the motivation students need to succeed in high school so they can earn a scholarship for college,” Gin said.

Counselors recommend going to College Night because it gives you an opportunity to talk with colleges without going to the campus.

“[Students] may not have the opportunity to actually get on that college campus, so it gives them an opportunity for a face-to face conversation with somebody from the actual college,” counselor Joyce Van Alstin said. “One, there’s so many different schools from big to small, private to public, profit or non-profit that it gives students a wide variety of colleges to look at and choose from.”

Students enjoy going because it provides them an opportunity to plan for the future.

“I want to go to College Night because I want to talk with colleges and gain more information. I’ve heard they give you their information, so it’s really helpful for planning ahead,” junior Saba Shalwani said.