Attending a College Fair
Have your student take notes and take your own as well. You will find when you get home that all the schools will run together and you won’ remember who said what. The day after the fair, sit down with your teen to find out which schools interested her most. Go over the literature for that school. Additional literature will probably arrive soon. From the list, ask your teen to select five schools that really interested her and plan to research these schools further. Look up the school’s web page and contact admissions advisors for additional information. If possible, schedule a visit to the schools.
Starting early will give your student time to make an informed choice, but will also motivate your teen to work harder to meet the entrance requirements of her chosen schools. ,The first time my daughter and I went to a college fair, I was overwhelmed. There were too many colleges, too many people…I didn’t know what to expect. As I continued to attend them, I realized I had to plan ahead in order to make the most of the experience.
You and your teen may have different agendas at these fairs. You can work the fair separately or together, comparing impressions later. However, you each need to have a plan before attending the fair.
The first step is to find out which schools are attending. The majority of schools will be from your region of the country. Some of the schools on the published list will not show up. However, you should each make a list of the colleges you are most interested in talking to. Arrive early, before the busloads of kids show up, and get a map of the fair. Immediately visit the booths of the colleges at the top of your list. Later, there will be too many people and you will not be able to ask as many questions. Afterwards, you can wander the fair in a more systematic way.
Have your teen come prepared with questions to ask about the school. Although she can certainly ask about clubs, most recruiters told me it was a pleasure to talk to my daughter because she asked about academics instead of proximity to the beach. You never know when the reputation you make will matter.
Some questions your teen might want to ask include: Do you have a program in my major? Is the focus for my major theoretical
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