New London – An excited group of 39 high school students from around the region boarded a bus in the New London High School parking lot this morning bound for a six-day tour of historically black colleges.

The trip, organized by the local chapter of Historical Black College Alumni, will take the mostly sophomores and juniors to six colleges – Bowie State University, Coppin State University, Morgan State University, Howard University, Hampton University and Norfolk State University.

Marcel Simmons, a junior at New London High School, is keeping an open mind about the campus visits.

"I want to see what they are all about," Simmons said. "I want to see how they are different than regular colleges."

According to trip organizer Vouise Fonville, this is the 18th year HBCA has offered students the chance to tour historically black schools.

Fonville said at some of the stops students will be met by local residents currently enrolled in the schools.

Louis Allen, the director of the Science and Technology Magnet School of Southeastern Connecticut, who was on hand to see the students off, praised the trip organizers.

"This is great," Allen said. "For 18 years they have been giving up their personal time to do this."