The college fair season is about to start but before you run off to a fair there are some things you need to consider. Here are 5 steps to have the most successful college fair.
1. Decide before the fair which colleges you definitely want to visit. Not sure what colleges will be at the fair? For information about a National College Fair near you, check out the sponsor of the fairs, the National Association for College Admission Counseling. At many fairs you can now register before the fair which will allow you to avoid filling out an information card for each college you visit.
2. When you get to the fair make sure you provide your registration information to each college in which you have an interest. Many of the fairs are now using electronic registration so you can easily provide your contact information to various colleges.
3. Be prepared to ask the right questions. What are the right questions? It depends on what you have an interest in. Generally, you have limited time to ask questions so don’t ask questions which can easily be answered by a quick look at the college’s website. What majors do they have? Look on line. What do students do for fun in their free time? Ask the admissions counselor. Here are some questions to get you started.
4. Get the business card of the representative from each college. You want to be able to maintain contact with each college in case you have additional questions that occur to you after the fair.
5. After the fair, follow up with the college rep to let them know you have a continuing interest in their college. Many colleges, particularly smaller ones, use expressed interest as one factor that they consider when making admissions decisions. If you like a college, let them know that.
Want more tips? Check out these tips for attending a national college fair.
Always be prepared at these types of fairs. It can be overwhelming interacting with multiple career college admissions people at once. Just make sure you are confident and present yourself well.