What is a college fair?  College fairs invite admission counselors from a wide variety of educational institutions to assemble in a large place and set up table displays. Prospective students and their families talk to the counselors, gather printed materials, and let themselves be known. Colleges and universities pay for the space and are hoping to get their information out to the students who are the right match for what they offer. Students attend for free, and have the same goal in mind—to find schools that match what they want in a post-secondary educational experience.

College fairs are often held in local high schools, on college campuses, at convention centers, and even in shopping malls. The Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC) is an organization that coordinates dates and assists in publicizing and promoting fairs. It’s important to them that students get the most out of the experience—but how?

How can we get the most from the fair?  

1.  Begin with a list of colleges you wish to learn more about. Since there could be over a hundred colleges at a fair, it can become overwhelming if you don’t have some goals in mind. Perhaps your initial list could be a broad one—those colleges within a certain geographic radius of home, or those offering a specific academic program, or those offering the extracurricular activity you’re looking for.

2.  Have a set of questions in mind. Try to find out the same information from each school. If a study abroad program is of interest to you, for example, then be sure to ask admission counselors on your list about their international study options. Come up with questions that won’t necessarily be found in printed materials. Remember, you can get some information easily in your school guidance office, or off the Internet, or by reading materials you get in the mail. The college fair is a good time to talk person-to-person with the representative of that school. Your job is to think of those good questions. 

3.  Here are a few examples of questions you might ask::

• Am I prepared well enough to succeed in your institution?
• What personal and academic qualities are you looking for in your student body?
• What is the most popular major? What percentage of students are in that major?
• What programs are offered for students who enter college "undecided" about a major?
• What can you tell me about the campus social life?
• What institutional scholarships am I qualified for?

4.  OACAC recommends you prepare a quantity of peel-off labels that you can use to request information and be placed on college mailing lists. Admission representatives will have cards you can fill out, so having labels can save you time and make your college fair experience more efficient. Include your name, address, phone, email address, high school name, GPA and class rank, test scores (PLAN, PSAT, ACT, SAT I, SAT II), and interests you have (majors and extracurricular activities).

5.  Fairs sometimes offer group sessions on financial aid and other topics. These are good, especially for families who haven’t been through the college application process before.  

6.  Look for the "counseling center" where you can speak individually to a high school guidance counselor.

Attend a college fair with planning and realistic expectations and enjoy getting good information to help with your decision making.