HUNTINGTON -- More graduating high school students hope to further their education, whether at traditional four-year colleges or career or vocational schools, high school counselors say.

Having more education beyond high school, the counselors said, is becoming more important in a job market that's looking for better qualified candidates.

Of the approximate 340 students graduating from Huntington High this year, about 275 plan to continue their education, Huntington High counselor Melanie Beckett said.

"This class is motivated to further their higher education, no matter if it's a two-year program, a vocation program or a traditional four-year program," Beckett said. "There's more interest in finding a self-satisfying career and not just a job."

Beckett said students have begun to realize the benefits of having a career with benefits as opposed to getting a full-time job right after graduation. Though Marshall University and West Virginia University get a substantial portion of local high school grads moving on to college, Beckett said Huntington High students have been applying all over the country.

Applications have been sent to Princeton University, Carnegie Mellon University, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Kentucky, University of Charleston and several Ivy League schools.

"Some students have sent out five, 10 or 15 applications," Beckett said.

Beckett said there are a couple reasons why students are sending out so many applications.

"Students want to see how much financial aid they can get and then comparatively shop for the best one," Beckett said. "The other reason is because they have a desire to see what the world is like through different colleges."

Spring Valley High School senior Carole Ann Bradley said she's looking forward to the opportunities afforded to her as a freshman at Stanford University in California. Even if she decides to change her major, which is now eco-engineering, Stanford gives students the freedom to develop their own major and have a broader education, Bradley said.

"The world's becoming more globalized," Bradley said. "We're no longer just competing with other students in the United States."

Attending such a prestigious university, she said, will give her an edge when she graduates and begins looking for a job.

Beckett said the fields of study are just as varied. Grads this year, however, have paid attention to the nation's currently poor economy and which jobs likely will be available when they graduate from college, Beckett said.

Grads have shown a lot of interest in careers in medicine, technology and technology support, engineering and teaching. All are fields that are growing and will need a fresh crop of college graduates in the next few years.

Beckett said students have asked about programs outside of the traditional four-year colleges. Vocational schools, community colleges and career centers have caught the eye of many students who want to begin training for a career.

Pam Artrip, head of the counseling department at Cabell Midland High School, said she's also seen students moving toward the vocational direction. She expects about 5 percent of this year's graduating class, or about 20 students, to attend non-traditional four-year colleges.

"These are not school-oriented kids, but they know they need more specialized training after high school," Artrip said. "These are the kids who wouldn't have gone to school a few years ago."

Artrip said the attitude of parents about vocational schools and technical colleges also has changed.

"Parents have realized their kids don't have to go to a four-year college to get a good job," Artrip said.

But four-year colleges still reign supreme for Cabell Midland grads. Artrip estimates about 65 percent, or 260 students, will attend a four-year college.

Popular colleges for Cabell Midland grads included Marshall, WVU, Ohio University and the University of Kentucky. Several students, she said, are weighing their options for colleges out of state.

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Toril Lavender/For The Herald-Dispatch

The Huntington Area College Fair, hosted at Marshall University's Cam Henderson Center in October, brought in 1,500 high school seniors and juniors from Cabell and Wayne counties. According to area guidance counselors, more students are choosing college after graduation.

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