What you need to know for In-Person fairs

Before the Fair

Register online before the fair to receive a barcode for easy onsite access to college representatives.  Print or take a screenshot on your phone of the barcode and bring it to the fair as your electronic ID.  Online registration leaves more time for you to meet one-on-one with admission representatives

Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Do I want to attend a large, medium, or small school?
  • What major do I wish to study?
  • Do I want to attend an urban, suburban, or rural school?
  • Do I want to attend a two-year, four-year, single-sex, or religiously-affiliated school?
  • Do I want to participate in athletics, clubs, fraternities, sororities, or special programs such as study abroad or cooperative education?

Research colleges attending the fair to determine if they meet your search criteria and make sure to reference your College Matchmaking® email to ensure you connect with your best fits!

Learn more about College Matchmaking®

Make a list of questions to ask college representatives.

 

At the Fair

Pick up a fair directory and bag for all of the materials you collect.

Visit the schools on your College Matchmaking® list that aligned  best with your attributes that you provided at the time of registration or are the closest match to your search criteria.  Be adventurous.  Don’t just talk to the well-known schools.

Learn more about College Matchmaking®


Ask the college representative to scan your barcode.  This will allow the representative to follow up with you directly—and quickly.

Ask the same questions to each college representative you visit.

Take notes.  Write down what you find most interesting about each college.

Attend an information session (if available) to learn more about the college search process, financial aid, and other topics.

 

After the Fair

Review college websites, catalogs, and viewbooks to gather more information to help narrow your choices.
 

Send a thank you note/email to the college representatives you met.  This simple gesture can show admission officials you're serious about wanting to attend their college.

 

What if my parent(s) want to come to a fair with me?

Bringing a wing person to make sure you can hit every table you're interested in is always a good plan.  We suggest printing your barcode out twice, so you guys can divide and conquer all you want.

Another tip, set up an email account specifically for the college admissions process.  You will be getting a lot of correspondence from these folks.  You want to make sure to handle emails quickly and not miss anything.  On the other hand, because you will get a lot of admissions office emails, you might want to keep them untangled from your everyday inbox.