Oct 13, 2014

College fairs offer something for everyone


Virginia Tech will be represented at many fall fairs

Fall is in the air, and college reps are once again crisscrossing the country to stage a series of prospective student recruitment events.

In addition to scheduling off-campus interviews, admissions folks are active participants in local college fairs.  And you are cordially invited to attend one or several fairs depending on where your favorite colleges or universities happen to visit this year:

Alcanza College Fair
George Mason University will be hosting the 14th annual Alcanza College Fair as part of an effort to inform Latino high school students about higher education opportunities.  Over 100 colleges will be in attendance on Tuesday, October 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Lunch is provided to all registered groups of students.

Archbishop Spaulding College Fair
Scheduled for Tuesday, October 21 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, the Archbishop Spaulding College Fair typically attracts 180 colleges and universities.  In addition, this year’s fair will include workshops on Admissions, Financial Aid, and the NCAA Clearinghouse. ASHS is located in Severn, MD

Arlington County Public Schools College Night
Representatives from more than 150 colleges, universities, and trade schools will be available to answer questions about the admissions process, academics, and campus life.  This year’s APS College Night is scheduled for Thursday, October 23, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, at the Washington-Lee High School.  Hint:  this could be an alternative to the very hectic FCPS College Fair (see below).

FCPS College Fair and Night
Students and their families are invited to attend the 2014 FCPS College Fair and/or College Night. Both events provide opportunities for college-bound students and their families to gather information from several hundred participating colleges and universities. This year’s college fair will be held on Sunday, October 19th, at Fair Oaks Mall. College Night will take place the following evening at Hayfield Secondary School and will also feature a series of useful workshops. For more information or to download a College Fair Ticket with barcode, visit the FCPS website.  Be warned however, the College Fair traditionally draws about 10,000 students and families. Try to be strategic and arrive early.

Harford County Public Schools ‘Education after High School’ College Fair
Parents and students in all grade levels are invited to attend and meet representatives from more than 120 colleges and universities, on Wednesday, October 15, at the Harford Community College. This year’s event is scheduled to run from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. and will also include representation from trade and technical schools.

JET College Nights
Twenty-eight Jesuit colleges and universities located in 19 states work together to schedule "regional" Jesuit Excellence Tour (JET) College Nights. In the coming months, the tour will be in every corner of the country including Las Vegas, Cincinnati, Boston, Chicago, and New York—to name a few host cities. Locally, two events are scheduled for the beginning of March—one in Baltimore and the other in DC.

JCC Annual College Fair
All are invited to the JCC Annual College Fair, scheduled for Sunday, November 16 at the Rosenbloom Jewish Community Center, located on Gwynnbrook Avenue in Owings Mill, Maryland.  Representatives from an impressive list of over 40 colleges and universities will be available to meet with students and parents. 

LGBT College Fairs
Campus Pride’s national LGBT college fair program includes events in every corner of the country.  Free and open to the public, these fairs offer students the opportunity to learn more about LGBT-friendly colleges and universities. Future dates include fairs in Vancouver WA (October 25), New York (November 7), and Tennessee (November 15).   For more information, visit the Campus Pride Website.

NACAC’s National College Fairs
Free and open to the public, NACAC’s National College Fairs are organized to promote interaction with admissions staff representing a wide range of postsecondary institutions. During the day, workshops are scheduled covering a variety of topics including financial aid, essay writing, NCAA eligibility, and students with disabilities. In addition, college counselors are available to answer questions and help with college search. Online registration is available for many National College Fairs, including Baltimore, scheduled for October 27-28, at the Baltimore Convention Center.

NACAC’s Performing and Visual Arts (PVA) College Fairs
PVA College Fairs are specifically targeted to students interested in studying theater, visual arts, graphic design, music, dance or other related disciplines. In addition to providing information on educational opportunities, admission requirements, and financial aid, staff is available to provide advice on portfolio development and auditions. PVA College Fairs require no pre-registration although the opportunity to register is offered online for many fairs.

National Christian College Fairs
Over 120 fairs are scheduled to take place in the US and Canada this fall.  A complete list of venues and dates may be found on the National Christian Fair website.

NOVA College Transfer Fair
The College Transfer Fair provides students the chance to learn about a variety of 4-year institutions.  This year’s Alexandria campus program will be held on Wednesday, October 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in the Ernst community Cultural Center.  High school students and counselors are welcome to attend.  Other fairs are scheduled for the Woodbridge campus (October 21) and the Annandale campus (October 23).

Portfolio Days
National Portfolio Days are specifically for visual artists and designers. These events are not so much college fairs as opportunities to meet with representatives from colleges accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Portfolio Days require no registration and operate on a first come, first served basis. Local events are scheduled for Saturday, November 22, at the Corcoran College of Art & Design; or Sunday, November 23 at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Tri-State College Night
Allegany College of Maryland will host the annual Tri-State College Night on October 14, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.  More than 60 schools will be represented at the event, which ordinarily attracts students and parents from Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.   Four high school students attending the event will be awarded by random drawing scholarships totaling $1,400. 

Washington County College Fair
The Annual Washington County College Fair will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, at the Hagerstown Community College Athletic, Recreation and Community Center (ARCC).  Representatives from over 100 colleges, universities, and technical schools will be on-site to meet with students and their families.

Tip:  College websites usually include lists of fairs, special presentations and interview opportunities they have scheduled throughout the year.  Be sure to check with colleges on your list to see where they may be appearing in the coming months.

No comments:

Post a Comment