See below for information on college fairs, college representative visits to our area, and tips for making the most of a college fair.

 

Charlotte Independent Schools College Fair

Sunday, October 4, 2009 from 2:00-5:00 pm

Ballantyne Hotel

Register with Mrs. Helfrich by October 1.

Look here for a list of colleges attending this fair: Oct 4 College Fair.doc 

 

National Christian College Fair

Monday, September 28th, 2009 from 6:30-8:30 pm

Charlotte Christian School

7301 Sardis Road, Charlotte

For more information, visit www.nccf.us

 

Performing and Visual Arts College Fair

Wednesday, October 7, 2009 from 7:00-9:00 pm

Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts

Pebblebrook High School

991 Old Alabama Road

Mableton, GA 30126 (Atlanta area)

http://www.nacacnet.org/EventsTraining/CollegeFairs/pva/Pages/09PAtl.aspx

 

National College Fair

Sunday, March 21, 2010 from 12:00-4:00 pm

The Park (formerly Charlotte Merchandise Mart)

No registration required.

5501 Carnegie Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28209

http://www.nacacnet.org/EventsTraining/CollegeFairs/ncf/Pages/default.aspx

 

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Washington & Lee University

Sunday, September 26 at 7:00 pm

The Renaissance Charlotte South Park Hotel

5501 Carnegie Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28209 

 

Duke University

Monday, October 5 at 7:00

Embassy Suites

4800 South Tryon Street

Charlotte, NC 28217

Register at www.admissions.duke.edu

 

University of Rochester

Thursday, October 8, 2009 from 8:00-9:30 pm

The Renaissance Charlotte South Park Hotel

5501 Carnegie Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28209

Email amie.dellinger@rochester.edu to register. 

 

Carnegie Mellon University

Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 pm

Marriott Executive Park

5700 Westpark Drive

Charlotte, NC 28217

Call 412-268-2082 to register.

 

 

 

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How Can I Make the Most of College Fairs?

 

College fairs are wonderful opportunities to learn about many colleges (and to speak with many college representatives) in a short amount of time. If you are not prepared, they can also be overwhelming and/or useless. Read the guide below for tips to make your college fair experience well worth it!

 

Prepare for the fair.

• Review the list of participating colleges, and make a list of the schools you are most interested in seeing.
• Make sure you have a general sense of the kind of school that you want to attend.
• Prepare a list of questions for the college representatives. If possible, try to avoid asking about the information found in guidebooks and brochures (admission requirements, size, etc), and focus on questions that only someone familiar with the school could answer (What do students do on the weekends? What kind of student tends fit in/not fit in well here? What changes are planned in the next five years?)
• Plan to wear an appropriate outfit. No, this is not a formal affair, but you should avoid flip flops, tank tops, revealing clothes, or anything with holes. Looking professional makes a good first impression on the people who may be the first readers of your application!
• While certainly not required, some students like to prepare address labels with their name, address, email, phone number, high school, graduation year, and intended major. This saves time during the fair because you can simply stick a label onto the information card for each college instead of writing out all this information dozens of times. If you do this, prepare about 20 labels.

Bring what you need.

• A bag to hold college information
• Your list of colleges and questions
• Address labels (not required)
• A parent (they need to learn, too!)
• Open mind to learn about colleges that are not yet on your radar
• Paper and pen/pencil to write down notes about each college
• Do not bring your application, letters from teachers and coaches who love you, or gifts for the college representatives!

Use your time wisely.

• When you arrive, find a directory of all colleges and their locations. Plan to visit your top interest schools first, but save time to browse as many booths as possible.
• Take information from everyone you speak with, including brochures and business cards.
• Make notes about as much as possible.
• Stay focused. You may have many friends at the fair, so this could become a time to hang out. Your friends will be around later, but the college representatives will not.

Follow up within a week.

• Read through all the information you received at the fair. Keep information for schools that fit your criteria.
• Using the business cards you received, write notes or emails to the college representatives you spoke with. (It's fine to do this only for your top interest schools.) Thank the representative for taking the time to speak with you, and indicate your interest in the college and any future plans to visit. You may also want to request additional information about specific majors or programs.
• Continue to research the new colleges you discovered.