Attending college fairs offer an excellent chance for you and your family to become familiar with the process of college admissions. It allows you to obtain information about the university campuses that intrigue you, while enabling you to ask questions and meet up with representatives from the school.
Have your questions prepared in advance
The college fairs offer some face time experience with a variety of college representatives and often a person from the admissions office. When you have a list of questions prepared for this opportunity, it allows you to stand out positively and make a great first impression. Learning valuable information about the school will help you determine if it is a good fit for your future. Some excellent questions to consider include:
- What qualities in applicants are you looking for?
- What is the percentage of students that graduate each year?
- What is the typical class size at the school?
- Do students generally graduate in 4 years?
- Do graduate students or professors teach the majority of classes?
- For recent graduates, what is the employment rate?
- Do students have study abroad opportunities?
- Do student have internship opportunities?
Making a great first impression and maximizing your college fair experience can be easy if you follow the steps below.
Figure out which schools will be at the college fair. Visit online or stop in to your school's counseling office to determine if the fair has a website that showcases the schools that will be attending. When you have this knowledge in advance, it gives you the chance to highlight which schools you are interested in getting more information about.
Note that some college fairs can be large and busy and overwhelming. Having a game plan in place will allow you to make connections with the schools you want to connect with.
Explore with an open mind and enjoy the opportunity
One of the main bonuses of attending college fairs is that it offers a one-stop-shop for discovering several schools. Take in the less-crowded tables to spend time speaking with different representatives. There are plenty of chances to find out what the school has and if it feels like it will be a positive fit for your education and social life.
College fairs can be a great way to gather a lot of information about potential colleges and meet with representatives from different schools all in one day. By making the most of them, you can compile a list of schools that are worth following up with to ask additional questions and to thank them for their time at the college fair.
College fairs allow people to obtain a lot of information. You can speak with numerous representatives regarding different colleges in a single day. This is a great way to make a list of the schools that you are interested in and want to spend your time following up with.
Tips for making a positive first impression
Attending a college fair is one of the most important steps in your college admissions adventures. Some would even call it a rite of passage. Be sure to dress professionally and take the opportunity seriously. Make eye contact and shake hands with a firm handshake. Consider this experience as practice for future job interviews.
These are easy tips that can set you apart from the competition. Having a respectable conversation can be memorable and go a long way. Use this chance to allow the reps to put a checkmark beside your name and set you above the crowd.
Make a plan to follow-up
It is a good idea to ask for business cards from the college reps to make following up later much easier. There will likely be swag bags and free items such as pens, T-shirts and similar items. However, it is wise to plan to follow up with an email or phone call after.
A smart idea is to create a separate email address that is strictly for college before you start attending fairs to help keep your follow-ups and inquiries organized.
