It’s the time of year when high school seniors consider their next steps after graduation, and some colleges around the Quad Cities are holding special events to help them explore their options.  Eastern Iowa Community Colleges and St. Ambrose University are taking advantage of the President’s Day holiday. They’re hosting prospective students and their families for a special visit day.   President’s day makes a good college visit day for two reasons, according to representatives from both colleges: One, since it’s a holiday, you don’t have to miss school and your parents can come with you without missing work; two, many colleges use holidays like President’s Day to hold special visit days.   EICC and Ambrose are two places that have the morning planned out. At those campuses, students will have the opportunity to meet with admissions, and talk to financial aid advisors. Tishly Harrington, from admissions at EICC told us their event starts at nine on their campuses in Clinton, Muscatine, and Scott Community College. Those events wrap up before noon.    During the tour at EICC, you can sit in on a class, since the colleges won’t have the day off. Herrington says they want students to see the advantages of a local community college.    “Whatever the student wants to see, we’re going to do our very best to get them in there and let them see whatever it is they’re interested in….It’s local, easy to get to, convenient, we have great instructors, we have so much to offer students. I just don’t think a lot of people even realize how much there really is that we have to offer,” Herrington said.    Hilary Callas from first year admissions at St. Ambrose told Local 4 they’re holding a big meeting on campus for prospective students on financial aid and the admission process. That starts at 9 a.m. From 10-11 a.m. is a big tour of their main campus.    After that, admissions representatives at Ambrose will host a faculty fair. Students will be able to talk to representatives from each department at the University, and after that they can explore the campus. Callas says events like these are great for students who are still narrowing down college options.   “We want to offer then the ability to come in a group setting. It seems a little less serious, especially if they’re still exploring schools, where they and their parents can come, and they can really see the university and what we have to offer, without sometimes that feeling of pressure, when it’s just you, and your parents and a member of the university,” Callas said.    So if you can brave the snow and the cold, you  have the opportunity to take advantage of exploring some possible college options on President’s day. St. Ambrose will hold another visit day on Mar. 9.   For more information on the event at St. Ambrose, click here. For more information on the event at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, click here.