Does the food taste as good as it looks in the brochure? Can freshmen have cars on campus? What’s the average SAT score should an applicant have? All of these are good questions to ask a representative at a college fair.
College fairs allow students to interact with admission representatives from a wide range of postsecondary institutions to discuss course offerings, admission and financial aid requirements, college life in general and other information pertinent to the college selection process, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
College brochures or websites can be very enticing but there’s nothing like talking to a college admission officer face to face. However, this process can be overwhelming, especially at large college fairs. Here are a few tips to help you get the most of a college fair this Fall:
1. Come prepared with questions. If you know ahead of time that a representative from one of your top five schools is going to be there, read the school website and jot down some questions. Some common questions usually center on the meal plan, dorm life, and scholarships. Remember, no question is too silly.
2. Talk to schools that are not on your list. A good representative should be able to tell you if their school is a good fit for you after a short conversation.
3. Don’t skip a school because you think you can’t afford it. An admission officer is a good source for information on scholarships and loans that are available at the school and they are looking for students to who meet the requirements of merit-based and athletic scholarships.
4. Don’t just take a brochure off the table and keep walking. Talk to the counselor. If it helps, ask the same questions that you just asked another school.
5. Take someone along with you. If it’s a big fair, you can spilt up and visit different schools. Later, you can compare schools.
6. Go to more than one fair. No two fairs are alike. If a school wasn’t represented at one fair, chances are they will be at another one. If you really want to know when a school will be in your area, call the admissions office.
When you leave the college fair, you’ll be loaded down with information. Take some time and go through it carefully. Make a list of the things you like or didn’t like about specific schools. This will help you narrow your search and find the right college for you.
Upcoming College Fairs:
HBCU
The National College Fair
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