<p>One reason it might be good to at least start thinking about colleges this early is that if you are ever traveling through an area, you will at least have a clue as to which colleges to stop and visit, even if it’s for a half hour just to get a feel for them. I remember when I was in about 7th grade, my family was driving through South Carolina, and for some reason we decided to take a drive around the Furman campus. I’d never seen anything that beautiful before.</p>