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'Everyone has access to go somewhere in higher education': College application day at Irmo High

Irmo High students were given the opportunity to apply for colleges with the help of guides from institutions from all over the state.

IRMO, S.C. — The month of October is college application month. 

Irmo High School International School for the Arts hosted an event today in partnership with South Carolina Commission on Higher Education to help students apply for college. 

"We are celebrating 10 years of doing College Application Day through the Commission on Higher Education," says College of Charleston Senior Associate Director Michelle McDowell told us today. "So we come in, as different admission officers representing various colleges around the state and we help students with their college applications." 

McDowell says though they represent their own institutions, they help students with any application they may need. They hope students apply to in-state schools first, so students can take advantage of fee-waivers that are being offered today. 

"We're not here necessarily promoting our institution," Kaela Gardner representing Clemson University says, "we're promoting higher education overall so it is a great time to help students figure out what they want to do and that next step in their life so that is always exciting." 

Gardner is a graduate of Irmo High School and is happy to help out, "I don't remember having the opportunity for College Application Day, so to be able to give back- because I know that it is a crucial time and it can also be a very stressful time so to have counselors come back and help those students and not necessarily make the same mistakes or the same challenges that we had to deal with because we didn't necessarily have this opportunity. That's always a blessing for me." 

Nykia Miller took advantage of this opportunity today to apply to Greenville Tech where she would like to pursue a degree in nursing, "I actually had a lot of questions about applying for it that I wasn't really sure how to ask or who to ask, so it does help having people here." 

"This is one thing in the state of South Carolina that we're very proud of," says McDowell, "many states do not have this opportunity that we do so when you research other states and different things that we're doing in higher educations, we are really above and going beyond in the state of South Carolina. So, we're excited for what the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education is doing with College Application Day and all of the institutions that have taken part and to just come and help students in this state. Everyone has access to go somewhere in higher education." 

If you have any story ideas or information on things happening around town, contact us at StreetSquad@wltx.com or tweet us using the hashtag #StreetSquad19.

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