Why Attend A College Fair

                    Why Attending a College Fair Is a Good Idea
    In-person College Connection
This is your opportunity to establish a personal connection with a particular College or University. Ask questions and get immediate feedback. Register your interest with colleges of your choice.

    Save money & time
Visit with numerous college admission reps without the added expense of travel and time away.  

    Explore new options
Discover a new college(s) or major(s). Learn about pre-college summer programs.

    Free advice
Admission representatives love to answer questions about their schools and admission requirements. High School Counselors will also be available to answer some of your college related questions.

    Narrow your list of possible college options
Identify colleges that you want to know more about; plan a campus visit.

    Demonstrate Interest
Colleges keep track of student contact – attendance at high school visit sessions, college fairs and campus visits provide great opportunities to demonstrate how serious you are about a school.

BEFORE YOU GO; ATTENDING THE FAIR: FOLLOWING UP:

Go to the NACAC link to determine the best location and date to attend the fair

Register online - ahead of time, to ensure that colleges get your contact information - BE CONSISTENT with your contact information - try to use the same email, legal name, same phone number throughout the entire process

Review the list of colleges participating in the fair ahead of time to manage your time while at the fair (these fairs are huge)

Arrive on time, plan for parking time, once you have arrived, get a map of the college table arrangements to navigate the fair in an efficient manner

Introduce yourself to reps, share your interests, ask a few good questions

Take a few notes and journal your impressions after the fair

Educational consultants at Texas Assn. of College Admission Counseling's Annual Conference

The Texas Assn. of College Admission Counseling always serves up a great annual conference. This year's Houston conference provided a great venue for college counselors and higher ed admission counselors to keep current and strengthen relationships. 

My favorite takeaways include: 

* Hearing YES Academy and uAspire share how collecting college-bound seniors' award letters to analysis institutions' financial aid practices can be used to inform next year's senior college lists. Thanks especially to Donald Kamentz, with YES Academy. Understanding how colleges and universities distribute financial aid is essential when crafting the college list. 

*Marie Bigham, with Greenhill School, provided some great prospective on the high school side during The Common App Year-In-Review. High Schools using Naviance must examine how well The Common App  and Naviance are integrating their systems to ensure all forms are successfully submitted and received on the college side. 

*College Board Jason Langdon and Ismael Rodriguez shared more details about the upcoming redesigned PSAT/NMSQT. Watch for College Board and Khan Academy webinars and tutorials. 

*Rachel Masson, with Beacon College, shared which attributes best serve students with learning differences for college success. Students with learning disabilities must understand their learning difference and become strong advocates; they must evaluate academic support programs for 'fit' prior to making a college commit. 

*Verna LaStrapes, with Texas State Technical College, shared major employment and Texas industry trends driving the demand for more skilled technical employees, in turn impacting high school guidance and higher ed programming. Verna is a passionate voice in encouraging more students to consider preparing for one of these highly sought after careers before taking the traditional route of 4 year college.  

Educational Consulting - NACAC National College Fair Comes to Austin

Last night's college fair in Austin proved to be another great opportunity for students and parents to witness the multitude of college options. Almost 400 schools were present to answer questions and connect with college-bound students. 

I enjoyed greeting college reps not only from the United States, but also from the UK, France and Canada. Equally, welcoming parents and students as they entered the massive conference hall wondering where to begin always reminds me of the new college admission season ahead.

Helping families understand the unique features of various colleges and determine where to focus their attention in order to conquer the college fair is a real highlight for me. 

Much thanks goes to NACAC and the state affiliate TACAC - they do an incredible job of organizing these events thus connecting students, parents, high school counselors and colleges. 

Want more information - ask PATRICIA NEHME - MY EDU ADVISOR