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College Fair Strategy - Before You Go
Before going to a college fair, it may be helpful to think about the
college factors that are most important to you. This way you
can focus on collecting information from schools that have the factors
you’re looking for and appeal to you the most. Think about
the following:
- In which area(s) of the U.S. do you want to go to college?
- What size college or university do you prefer to attend?
- What setting do you prefer for your college campus – urban,
suburban, or rural?
- What major(s) are you considering studying in college?
- Which extracurricular activities are you most interested in?
- Is there anything special you want to see available at your
college?
A list of participating schools is usually available before the fair. Click on a college fair of interest and scroll down to the link, “Which Schools will be in Attendance?”. Research basic information about colleges and universities of interest so you will be better informed and able to ask more “intelligent” questions.
View a video of what to expect at a National College Fair.
Bring supplies to help you be organized and to save time. These
supplies include:
- A notebook with a list of colleges and universities you want
to visit.
- A pen or pencil to fill out cards and write down your observations
and impressions.
- A tote-bag or backpack to carry all the college brochures and
other information you collect.
- Print a personalize bar code. Many college fairs use personalized bar code labels to collect student information (to obtain a personalized bar code, click here and select a fair from the list, enter your information, and print your bar code).
- If the college fair you wish to attend does not offer personalize bar codes, make several (20 or more) self-adhesive address labels to put on
college information cards so you won’t have to fill out the same
information over and over at each college’s table. Information
on the labels should include your:
Name
Address
E-mail address
Telephone number
High school
Year of graduation
GPA
Intended major(s)
Extracurricular activities of interest
Also, bring several copies of your student
résumé; it will be VERY impressive if you
provide your résumé to
admission officers from the colleges and universities you are most
interested in.
Write a short list of questions to ask college representatives; to
compare several schools, ask identical questions at each table. Questions
should be unique to your interests and situation. Generic
questions with a notation sheet are provided. |
