Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Attend College Fairs to Screen for School Possibilities

Many high schools sponsor college fairs where schools set up exhibits and provide information to potential student candidates. There are also college fairs often held in other locations such as hotels and conference centers that are open to everyone.

These fairs are generally free of charge and vary in size from only 10 schools to more than 100. This is a great opportunity to talk with admission officers about different schools about courses and programs offered, information about the campus and dormitory life, meal plans, tuition costs, financial aid, scholarships, sports programs, and more.

Your high school guidance counselor is a place to start to find out about college fairs to be held in your area and possibly at your school. Here are a few tips on planning for when you are going to attend a college fair:

* Take pen and paper to the fair so you will be prepared to take down information; make notes as you go because you won't remember every detail later
* Take along a bag or satchel to hold brochures, cards, catalogs, etc.
* Using address labels, print several with your name, address, phone number, and date of graduation so you can place them on info cards at the fair rather than writing it every time
* At large fairs, you won't be able to visit every booth or exhibit, so narrow your destinations down to those you are most interested in to avoid running out of time
* Be sure to pick up application forms for any schools you are seriously considering
* For schools that interest you, ask about campus visits because many schools host visitation days with planned activities to help students get the most from their visit

Generally college fairs are held in the summer and/or fall of the year so students have time to plan and evaluate their choices and prepare to apply for acceptance by spring. Even if you have a school in mind you want to attend, going to a college fair can certainly do no harm and you might discover some other schools that interest you that you were not considering before.

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