On Jan. 24, juniors and their parents attended sessions held by representatives of various colleges and universities at College Night. Three sessions were held for each category of schools: private colleges, the CSU system, out-of-state publics and community colleges and transfer programs. Due to time constraints, students and their parents could only attend three of the four sessions.

The event was organized by Miriam Taba, and lasted from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Around 50 students and parents attended each session.

Each speaker came with their own message to students and parents.“Part of what I’d like to do is just empower students as they look at different schools … to be looking at the things that are important to them, and looking at how they’re preparing for the process,” said Todd Hicks, an assistant director of undergraduate admission at Santa Clara University who provided information regarding private colleges.

The sessions touched on topics like admission requirements, financial aid and career options.

“If someone’s looking to be able to go into the job force right after they get their bachelor’s degree, the CSU takes a hands on approach,” said AJ Lee, an admissions counselor and recruiter for San Jose State University. “It incorporates internships into the curriculum … and we also have traditional majors so it’s kind of the best of both worlds.”

In general, the speakers agreed that students’ GPA and SAT scores are not everything.

“We have lots of applications from students that have similar academic profiles,” Hicks said. “Students who are going to make a contribution in the community, that’s what we’re looking for in an application.”