COLLEGE FAIR 101

1
COLLEGE FAIR 101

• Pope John XXIII High School
• Prepared by Christopher D. Stuck

2
Reasons to Attend a College Fair

• To gain exposure to colleges and universities
• To ask questions regarding admissions and
  financial aid
• To learn about schools you may not have known
  about previously
• To notify your potential colleges that you have
  an interest in attending their institution

3
Mr. Stuck Says

• The College Fair is often the first contact
• between you and potential colleges and
• universities.
• Make a great first impression!
• Dress professionally, as though you were going to
  a job interview
• Do background research on your top schools look
  knowledgeable!
• Know your stats! Memorize your most current
  cumulative GPA and standardized test scores.
• Introduce yourself by shaking hands and looking
  the college representative in the eye

4
Be Prepared!

• Before the college fair
• Write down questions you wish to ask colleges
• Get a sturdy bag for collecting college
  information
• Print out labels with
• Your name
• Address
• Phone number
• E-mail address
• Name of High School
• GPA/ Test Scores
• Year of graduation

5
At the College Fair

• Look at the floor plan of the fair visit your
  top schools first
• Find out if there will be specific information
  sessions for you to attend
• If you are impressed by a college, take notes
• Collect business cards from the schools that
  interest you

6
Questions to ask Colleges

• Am I eligible for acceptance, based on my GPA and
  test scores?
• Will I be accepted into the major I want?
• What is unique about your college?
• How many of your freshmen return for a second
  year?
• How would you describe the student body?
• May I visit a class?
• May I spend the night in the dorm?

7
Questions to ask Colleges

• Where do students live on campus?
• What is the social life on campus like?
• What do students like the most about your school?
  What do they like the least?
• Is there a balance of academics, social life, and
  student activites?
• Is there a doctor, nurse, or counselor available
  on campus?
• How good is campus security?

8
Questions to ask Colleges

• What is the quality of the library on campus?
  What are the librarys hours?
• What is the most popular major on campus? Why?
• How is the academic pressure and workload?
• Is the faculty available to students after class?
  
• What is the average class room size?
• Avoid the student to teacher ratio!

9
After the College Fair

• Organize and prioritize the materials that you
  collected
• Discard schools that you have no interest in
• Begin to research your top schools in earnest
• Contact admissions offices for more information
  or to communicate your level of interest
• Seniors, apply to the schools that have piqued
  your interest and visit campuses when possible
• Juniors, plan to visit the campuses that appealed
  to you the most