One of the largest college fairs is taking place this weekend. Here are 5 easy steps to make the most of your online college fair experience.
The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC)’s National College Fair is going virtual this year due to pandemic restrictions. Historically this fair has been one of the largest gatherings of colleges from around the world, providing students and families opportunities to learn about hundreds of schools in one place.
The good news: In many ways, the fair is more accessible this year than ever before. Students from rural communities or international places can fully participate without leaving town. And students with busy schedules that may otherwise have prevented travel to an in-person fair can now visit the fair without needing to leave home. No battling traffic, finding parking, waiting in lines to speak with specific schools. Information and virtual conversations with real representatives all from the comfort of your home or local library.
The bad news: New formats can bring confusion and chaos. The sheer size of NACAC’s Virtual College Fair means you’ll want to be even more intentional about mapping out your participation than for in-person fairs.
5 Steps to a Successful Online College Fair
Here are 5 easy steps to make the most of your online college fair.
Step 1: Register. It’s quick, easy, and free to register for the NACAC National Virtual College Fair online. You can register anytime, but I’d encourage you to do so at least one day in advance.
Step 2: Explore. Learn about the format and schedule for the virtual college fair. There are hundreds of presentation and meet-up options, including college-specific events and presentations that include multiple schools and focus on a specific topic or theme. See what’s out there to get a sense of what you’re most interested in. NACAC has provided a list of all participating colleges and universities, sorted by region, as well as a handy “Quick Start” document with even more tips for before and during the fair.
Step 3: Prepare. Prepare your technology. Do you have Zoom downloaded on the device you’ll use to join the fair? Are you going to take notes in a notebook or in a Word or Pages document?
More importantly, prepare your game plan for the virtual fair. Are you in 9th grade and just starting to see what colleges are out there? Perhaps you want to join presentations for 2 schools you’ve heard of before and 2 schools you’ve never heard of. Is this your senior year and you have your list of schools you’ve started applications for? This is a great opportunity to ask any specific questions you have about applications, academic programs, SAT/ACT testing requirements, or campus life.
Your virtual fair account lets you organize your game plan before the fair. You can click the heart icon to ‘favorite’ schools you want to be sure to speak with. Many schools allow you to ‘Schedule a Meeting’ with someone from the admissions office. You can also click ‘Remind Me’ if there’s a specific program you want to attend.
The “My Schedule” tab at the top of your virtual fair portal will show you the events that you’ve asked to be reminded of with a convenient link you can click to join when the event begins. You can also view any scheduled appointments you’ve made here.
When the fair starts, time will move pretty quickly so you’ll be glad you’ve prepared your game plan ahead of time!
Step 4: Be present. Log-in early to avoid any delays due to technology issues. Wear clean-looking clothes that you are comfortable in and present you in your best self. Grab some water to drink and bring all of your excitement for what your post-secondary journey entails! Turn off your cell phone (unless you have fair notifications coming as text reminders). Tell your family members that you’ll be busy. Prepare to give 100% of your attention to the college fair experience.
Nervous? That’s totally normal, but remember that these representatives work in offices with the title “Office of Admission” not “Office of Denial”. Know that every single person you see on the screen from the colleges and universities is there to be your support, your advocate, your helper in this process. They are here to answer questions you have and help you find a school you will absolutely thrive in. Most of them also love teenagers and would also much, much, MUCH rather be meeting in person!
Step 5: Follow-up. Even when the fair is over, there are steps you can take to maximize your fair experience. Look through your notes—are there schools who stand out more after you’ve learned more about them? Perhaps you want to research and find more schools with these new-found traits you appreciate. Did you meet with representatives or attend a particularly helpful session? Follow-up with an email, including any further questions you have, thanking any university representatives you met with.
Some Closing Thoughts
Won’t in-person events like college fairs be fun to return to? I know I’m missing the energy, noise, fun, and excitement from being altogether in person. We will get to enjoy these things again in the future.
This new virtual gateway that we’ve opened as a society and as colleges and universities isn’t going away anytime soon. Even when we can gather in person for NACAC’s National College Fair—there will be students who cannot attend in-person. We’ve all learned how valuable it is to offer inclusive events and opportunities, so I suspect that we’ll continue to see virtual opportunities even when COVID-19 feels like distant history.
These steps for a successful virtual college fair are similar to steps you might take in the future for a virtual job fair or virtual professional conference. This is a great time to practice your intentional preparation and follow-through for not only college fairs, but similar experiences you’re likely to encounter throughout your college planning journey and life!
Speaking of college planning, check out my free timeline guide for important US college admissions planning milestones throughout high school.
If you’re looking for more resources, be sure to check out NACAC’s college fair website. NACAC has provided many excellent resources to help you prepare for the college fair and navigate your entire post-secondary journey. Here are NACAC’s 12 Tips for Making the Most of a Virtual College Fair
COVID-19 has complicated an already complicated college planning and admissions landscape. If you find that you have many questions, aren’t sure where to start, and would be interested in learning more about how KVP Educational Consulting can assist you, please reach out.