College fairs are a great opportunity for you to explore different universities and ask their college recruiters specific questions. Whether you’re a freshman just dipping your toes into the college search pool or a senior looking for admission into your dream school, you should be attending college fairs to get the most accurate information.
Most college fairs will take place in a large, convention center-type room, like a high school cafeteria or gymnasium, hotel or rec center. Some college fairs include local schools, like community colleges or four-year universities within a short drive. Statewide college fairs will include the larger universities in your state and a few smaller, local colleges. National college fairs will bring universities from all across the United States, from Texas A&M University and Florida State University up to Syracuse University, University of Michigan and the University of Washington.
Follow these tips to get the most out of your next college fair.
Do your research.
Find out which colleges are attending the fair and research them beforehand. It’s good to have prior knowledge because it shows you’re interested in that school. Similarly, know what kind of college experience you’re looking for. If you want to attend a large school with a diverse population, look for statewide or national fairs to get the big dogs.
Prepare questions.
Brainstorm questions that can’t be answered by the college’s website. Ask about the best dorm available or which majors are the most popular. This ensures you leave the fair knowing something you didn’t know before. The advisors and recruiters that attend college fairs have experience working with students of all classes and know a lot that a trip to the website won’t answer.
Arrive early.
If you know the college fair is going to be busy and parking may be limited, show up early. College advisors like to see students taking initiative, and might be willing to go the extra mile to prepare you for the admissions process.
Speak with the recruiters.
Take the initiative and introduce yourself to recruiters. This is where you show you’ve done your research and are serious about finding a good college fit. You’ll be able to tell a lot about the university based on how a recruiter speaks about it. Make sure to get contact information if you want to follow up with more technical questions about the admissions process.
Take notes.
Jot down your impressions of different colleges and notes from your chats with recruiters. This is a good active listening skill to learn and these notes will be useful later when choosing which schools to apply to. Keep track of one notebook that you use for college fairs so you can compare and contrast key information.
Attend an information session.
Some fairs offer additional information sessions on specific topics like financial aid, scholarships, admissions essays, etc. These sessions are opportunities to hear from the admissions office and gather more information about certain programs.
Schedule campus visits for your top schools.
After leaving the college tour, start planning to visit the colleges at the top of your list. Whether campus is 2,000 miles away from your house or right down the road, visiting campus is always a great way to get more information and see the place you could be spending the next chapter of your life. You’ll also be able to reconnect with the recruiter you met at the fair and continue to build that relationship. You can schedule a visit to Texas A&M University through our Visitor Center.
Make sure to fill out request for information forms from the colleges you’re interested in. This way, they can send you targeted information about the admissions process, important deadlines and more. College fairs are a great resource for you to get more information about universities. Get the most out of them to make your choice for an education easier! Look
Most college fairs will take place in a large, convention center-type room, like a high school cafeteria or gymnasium, hotel or rec center. Some college fairs include local schools, like community colleges or four-year universities within a short drive. Statewide college fairs will include the larger universities in your state and a few smaller, local colleges. National college fairs will bring universities from all across the United States, from Texas A&M University and Florida State University up to Syracuse University, University of Michigan and the University of Washington.
Follow these tips to get the most out of your next college fair.
Do your research.
Find out which colleges are attending the fair and research them beforehand. It’s good to have prior knowledge because it shows you’re interested in that school. Similarly, know what kind of college experience you’re looking for. If you want to attend a large school with a diverse population, look for statewide or national fairs to get the big dogs.
Prepare questions.
Brainstorm questions that can’t be answered by the college’s website. Ask about the best dorm available or which majors are the most popular. This ensures you leave the fair knowing something you didn’t know before. The advisors and recruiters that attend college fairs have experience working with students of all classes and know a lot that a trip to the website won’t answer.
Arrive early.
If you know the college fair is going to be busy and parking may be limited, show up early. College advisors like to see students taking initiative, and might be willing to go the extra mile to prepare you for the admissions process.
Speak with the recruiters.
Take the initiative and introduce yourself to recruiters. This is where you show you’ve done your research and are serious about finding a good college fit. You’ll be able to tell a lot about the university based on how a recruiter speaks about it. Make sure to get contact information if you want to follow up with more technical questions about the admissions process.
Take notes.
Jot down your impressions of different colleges and notes from your chats with recruiters. This is a good active listening skill to learn and these notes will be useful later when choosing which schools to apply to. Keep track of one notebook that you use for college fairs so you can compare and contrast key information.
Attend an information session.
Some fairs offer additional information sessions on specific topics like financial aid, scholarships, admissions essays, etc. These sessions are opportunities to hear from the admissions office and gather more information about certain programs.
Schedule campus visits for your top schools.
After leaving the college tour, start planning to visit the colleges at the top of your list. Whether campus is 2,000 miles away from your house or right down the road, visiting campus is always a great way to get more information and see the place you could be spending the next chapter of your life. You’ll also be able to reconnect with the recruiter you met at the fair and continue to build that relationship. You can schedule a visit to Texas A&M University through our Visitor Center.
Make sure to fill out request for information forms from the colleges you’re interested in. This way, they can send you targeted information about the admissions process, important deadlines and more. College fairs are a great resource for you to get more information about universities. Get the most out of them to make your choice for an education easier! Look