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Spring College Fair to be Held at West Orange High School April 25
WEST ORANGE, NJ – The West Orange High School Fall College Fair will be held on April 25 in the Tarnoff Cafeteria at West Orange High School, 51 Conforti Avenue, and is expected to draw hundreds of high school students and parents hoping to get information from the many colleges and universities that will be onsite. The event will begin at 6:30 pm and run until 8:30 pm.
The popular event, sponsored by the Guidance Department, is held in October and April each year. All are welcome to attend. Director of Guidance, Cheryl Butler, offered information on the fair and its value for students and families.
Benefits of attending the College Fair
Attending a College Fair is an easy and fun way for students and parents to start thinking about college. You can simply be in fact-finding mode, without feeling pressured into making any decisions or commitments just yet. It’s also a great way to learn what the entrance requirements are for the schools you’re interested in, and it’s a great way to get YOUR name on the colleges’ radar.
After meeting with college reps at the College Fair, you will fill out a card (some college fairs have you scan a bar code). This allows the rep to follow up with you for any admissions questions you may have, such as scheduling a campus visit, and (my favorite) any college-specific scholarship deadlines you should know about (don’t miss out on these.)
Attending a College Fair instills the importance of being proactive instead of reactive
College reps want to meet you. They want to try and ‘wow’ you into attending their college. Do them (and yourself) the favor of meeting them halfway. Whether you stop by the College Fair for 20 minutes or stay for a full two hours, if you are actively seeking out information now, you will be in a better place to make an informed decision later, well before any of those pesky admissions deadlines creep up on you.
Decide if it’s worth scheduling a campus visit to that college
Campus visits are the best way to find the college that’s a good fit for you. However, if your time is limited, your school schedule or parent’s work schedule doesn’t have a lot of flexibility, or if you don’t want to spend the money to make a college visit without first knowing a thing or two about that school, then attend the college fair. Fairs are a great way to get your initial questions answered, which help in deciding whether traveling to a specific college will be worth your time and attention.
It’s all FREE!
Free information, free handshakes, free smiles. Best of all, it’s free. The only requirement: arrive with tons of questions for those friendly college reps.
Information on colleges and universities are available in the Guidance Office, along with several scholarship applications. Students are apprised of scholarship opportunities via Naviance, the Guidance Office's online communications system for students and families.
For more information, contact Cheryl Butler in the Guidance Department at West Orange High School at cbutler@westorangeschools.org.
Cynthia Cumming