Thirty-four Mount St. Mary Academy students, along with four staff members, spent February 23-26 touring a handful of college campuses in Texas during the school’s annual College Trip. The four-day road trip – which included visits to a total of six universities in the Lone Star State – provided students with the opportunity to explore a variety of campuses, speak with school admissions representatives, and learn about some of the different postsecondary options that exist in the region.
The annual college trip aims to help MSM students find success during the college search and application process by introducing them to the process before their senior year. “Visiting different types of colleges and universities prior to their final year at Mount is extremely beneficial and helps students organize and narrow their college search,” Whitney Smotherman ’03, MSM college counselor, said. “After experiencing different types of colleges firsthand and getting a peek into campus life during the trip, students typically return with a better idea of what size, type and location they prefer, which results in a smoother start to the application process.”
“I thought I knew what I wanted in a college before going on this trip,” Ashley Molina ’26 said. “But after visiting the six different colleges, that changed. The trip really did help me create a better understanding of how each college is different and unique in their own way.”
Dylan Moore ’26 also agreed that the experience was a worthwhile one. “I chose to go on the trip to expand my knowledge about colleges,” she said. “Now that I have seen six extremely diverse universities, I have a much better understanding as to what I am looking for and what I need in a college. The tours and tour guides were really helpful, and I loved getting to see the students in everyday life as well as the campus liveliness.”
This year’s itinerary included visits to the following schools, all to which MSM students regularly apply and are accepted: Texas Christian University, University of Dallas, Southern Methodist University, Baylor University, University of Texas at Austin, and Texas A&M University. A special part of the experience each year is getting the opportunity to visit with MSM alumnae at the colleges the group visits. Our 2025 trip attendees enjoyed connecting with Libby Franks ’21 at TCU, Mary Claire Thomas ’22 at University of Dallas, Grace Carmen ’23 at SMU, and Madison McKinney ’23 at Texas A&M.
Last year students visited six schools in Missouri and Oklahoma, and on the college trip before that they toured campuses in Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.
