This year’s college tour will start with William and Mary in Virginia, replacing last year’s initial stop at Chicago, and then continue up the coast from Washington D.C. to Boston.

Monica DePriest, co-director of college counseling, said the college counseling office remains committed to adding new cities and colleges into the mix from year to year. North Carolina was considered as a possibility for this year, but it was taken off because of high gas prices and airfares at the time the trip was being planned.

DePriest said both North Carolina and the Pacific North West will be considered in future years, and there has also been discussion about Northern California universities.

This year, 79 sophomores will attend the trip. Though the trip has been open to sophomores and juniors over the last ten years, the trip is primarily becoming a sophomore class activity.

“Because the tenth graders do not have a designated trip, they began going to the college tour, and this trip has become theirs,” said Tom Millar, history and social sciences instructor and sophomore grade level leader.

DePriest said the trip was initially created as a way of exposing girls to different colleges, but that it has also become about “making Marlborough memories.”

Many sophomores going on the trip said they are looking forward both to learning about colleges and to having fun with classmates.

“I’ve never been to New York, so I’m excited,” said Kyle ‘11.

While many juniors have already done some college visits with family, most sophomores haven’t yet.

“I really don’t know anything about any of the colleges, so it’s nice to get a feel for it all,” said Emily  ‘11.

This year’s chaperones are DePriest, mathematics instructor Alison Moser, history and social sciences instructors Michael Gwaltney and Millar, associate director of admissions Miranda Payne, and drama ensemble instructor Anne Scarbrough.