College fair 101

I took the zombie prom queen to a college fair in Philadelphia yesterday. Wow,talk about being overwhelmed.

If you are starting the college search, here are a few tips.

Go online and see if you can find a brochure for the college fair beforehand. There were over 500 colleges at this fair. It helped us to know which ones we definitely wanted to pick up information from.

When you get there, take the map,find the booths you want to check out and go to them first. You'll still have plenty of time afterwards to walk around, but you'll have the information you definitely wanted to get.

Keep your options open. My daughter has had a definite opinion of where she wants to go. After yesterday, she is still interested in her first choice, but she found a couple of other colleges in PA she wants to check out and a college in Vermont she is really interested in.

Stop by the booths with all the financial,grants and loan information. I picked up quite a few booklets for myself. I know this is going to be a tedious process so I need to know as much as possible before we start applying.

Ask questions and chat up the college representatives. We stopped at one booth only because my niece graduated from that college. It ended up that the rep went to college with my daughter's guidance counselor and is her husband's best friend. Not that she plans to go to that college,but you never know what you can find out by talking to someone.

We have another one to go to at her high school in March. It won't be as large as this one,but I think by then,she'll have a pretty good idea of where she want to go.

Comments: 7

gibbs williams Nov 5, 2007, 9:25pm EST

Fortunately my daughter is thrilled to be in her first year of a college that is truly a good fit for her. There is a great deal of information on the internet and many books have very good overviews. Perhaps your daughter could hang out in a Barnes and Noble and look over the many excellent college books. And of course nothing beats going to see as many as she can and arrange personal interviews. Although most college say they don't influence the admission I can assure you they do. Good luck!

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Jaye S. Nov 5, 2007, 9:28pm EST

thanks for sharing such great info.

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Ellie !. Nov 5, 2007, 9:54pm EST

MY ADVICE: Don't let anything stop your daughter/son from going for the college of their dreams. As long as they have the test scores OR grades, any school is an option. I thought the college counselor was pushing it too far. "We can't afford those schools." WRONG. Enter the FAFSA. With academic scholarships, and financial aid, my three daughters can go anywhere. Even if one is at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA....and another at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA.

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Brian T. Nov 5, 2007, 10:12pm EST

Good post and what college to go to is a big decision, just make sure she goes a good school that she will be proud to have finished 10 or 20 yrs and bear their degree.

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