Should I Attend a College Fair?

There are two kinds of college fairs these days, and both can be very beneficial to students for several reasons. In-person college fairs allow great one on one interactions between college admission counselors and students. Online college fairs can be a good information gathering tool for students. In this blog post we will explain further why taking advantage of these opportunities makes a lot of sense for students and families.

1. Learn more about a particular college of interest. If there is a college that a student is already interested in, and they know that a representative from that school will be at the fair, it can be a great way to learn more. The student can asked pointed questions related to their college search criteria. It can be a way to confirm the college as having a place on the student’s list, or help them narrow their list down.
2. Learn more about unknown colleges. College fairs, both online and in-person, can be a way for students to check out lesser known schools. Just because the college is unknown, doesn’t make it any less of a potential fit (read more about “fit” in this previous blog post). Stopping by the tables of intriguing, but unknown, colleges might lead to a fun surprise.
3. Demonstrate interest in colleges. At both in-person and online college fairs, there are typically “info cards” students can fill out with their name, email, etc. This allows the college to get in touch, but many colleges actually keep track of this information and use it when making admission decisions (learn more about demonstrated interest here).
4. Hone those interview skills. While not an interview, college representatives at in-person college fairs may ask some “get to know you” questions. Talking to an admission counselor can be intimidating, so work on those skills and answers during a college fair where no one is evaluating you. Be bold, have a sense of humor, and be yourself.

There are many great reasons to attend both online and in-person college fairs. For more information, go to https://www.nacacfairs.org. Speak with your Campus Bound counselor for more advice and insights about college fairs and how to create a balanced college list.