Broadening Horizons: Browning’s College Trip in its Thirty-First Year

11th graders on-tour at the University of Virginia — photographed by Mr. Pelz

For thirty-one years now, Browning’s Sanford Pelz has led our juniors and seniors to college campuses across America. Though discontinued for some time in light of the COVID pandemic, since 2021 the program has continued to thrive as a time-honored tradition, with the goal of enriching Browning students’ understanding of the college admissions process through exposure to an assortment of schools. 

This year, students were treated to a journey across the Mid-Atlantic, with tours taken at Gettysburg College and Franklin and Marshall on the first day; the University of Richmond and UVA on the second day; and Loyola University and Johns Hopkins on the final day. They were accompanied by Mr. Willson, Dr. Ting, Dr. Plane, and Mr. Rubin, all of whom ensured student wellbeing and curiosity throughout the trip. Mr. Pelz’s mission is to ensure that Browning’s future grads aren’t limited to experiencing one kind of school, but can learn about all kinds of colleges and universities ---- small or large, rural or urban --- and return better equipped for an admissions season awaiting them, whether that be next month or next year. 

Everyone’s history with the pursuit of higher education was different when they started out. Some students knew where they wanted to go and when they would apply. Many others were not so certain about their future academic careers. It’s impossible to reduce our over seventy 11th and 12th graders in a single monolith of experience --- everyone varied in their histories with colleges, college tours, and college applications. But it would not be an exaggeration to say that each and every boy on the trip left with a greater understanding of what they wanted and what they didn’t --- what kind of space they wanted to be a part of, what scale and rigor suited them best, and even what fields they really wanted to study or what sports they wanted to play. 

But these sentiments are probably best expressed in the students’ own words. The Grytte sat down with a mix of students in the 11th and 12th grades to uncover their key takeaways from this college trip.

“After the trip, I started considering more of the ‘intangibles’ of the college experience. Stuff you can’t find on rankings or school websites, but something that makes the college unique”, said one 11th grade student. “What got me thinking about this was one of the questions Mr. Pelz really liked to ask: ‘what’s a niche major or curriculum at this college that’s not well-known, but that’s awesome?’ The answers we got from tour guides showed me what at’s the heart of each school. That got me considering what I really wanted that each college might be able to provide me.”

One senior reflected on the implications of the trip for his college applications. “I really appreciate the effort that Browning goes through so that we can find our own conclusions and best fits. After being able to see a variety of colleges and from different backgrounds, I’ve been able to come to better conclusions about the type of schools I want to apply to”. 

Ultimately, the college trip remains both a celebrated Browning tradition and a formative step that opens students’ eyes to new possibilities as they prepare for their futures.