Six tips for making the most of college fairs

As college fairs continue throughout the fall and into next spring, here are six tips from our admissions experts about making the most of them:

• Get ready to talk! Admissions officers and college reps want to know about you – your year in school and which high school you attend, if you have visited any colleges (particularly theirs), and what you want to study. Be friendly and gregarious.
• Come prepared with questions. Ask about majors, student life on the weekends, study abroad options and research opportunities for undergraduates.
• Ask about visiting the campus (if you are a junior or younger). Does the college have overnight visit programs? Can you spend three weeks on campus in a summer college course?
• Pick up brochures and other information and read them. You can learn a great deal from the information provided by colleges.
• Print your information neatly. Some college fairs have an electronic system for leaving your contact details, but most do not – instead, you will be asked to write it down. Print very neatly so that you can be contacted by the college, and so that the college has an official record of your contact. Many smaller colleges consider demonstrated interest, even at a college fair, to be important in the application process.
• Take a business card, if available, from the college representative. If the rep is an admissions officer, be sure to send a thank you note or email to express your interest in the college and to thank him or her for answering your questions about the college.

AcceptU will be attending various college fairs around the country later this year and next. We hope to see you out on the road!