College Fairs - Overview College Fair strategy - Before you go Strategy during College Fairs National College Fairs After the College Fairs

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?

If a list of participating schools is available before the fair, you may want to research basic information about those colleges and universities so you will be better informed and able to ask more “intelligent” questions.

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.
-  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.