Admissions counselors provide information about their respective schools to students.
On Monday, April 16, the College Fair took place at the Worthington Johnson Athletic Center (WJAC), with over 160 colleges attending. The fair is a crucial moment in the college research process for current juniors. Although the College Fair was most pertinent to the juniors, students of all ages were welcome to attend. Furthermore, Choate extended this invitation to all the other schools in the area to come as well.
A college fair can be an intimidating experience for many students with hundreds of teachers, alumni, admission office representatives, and fellow students filling up the Athletic Center. During these fairs, a sense of urgency and competition often arises, with students trying to present their profile instead of building a relationship with the representatives.
Ms. Marcia Landesman, the Director of College Counseling, provided some insight and advice for all students at the College Fair. She wanted students to remember that “the colleges generally bring alumni members as well as the admissions officer representatives that read the applications from Choate, so students should make sure to structure questions based on whom you are asking.”
She also wanted students to “make sure to ask questions you are genuinely interested in knowing the answer to, and that reflect who you are, not questions that you think the college would want to hear.” Finally she wanted everyone to remember that “some colleges will have longer lines than others, so students should make sure when they are at the head of the line not to monopolize the conversation but rather give others a chance to speak. The college likes to see that you care about your peers as well.”
The College Fair process can provide each person with a different experience. As a Senior who has been through the process, Matt Kim ’18 said, “College Fair is really useful as a time to ask your questions and meet the reps. I got to meet up with representatives from schools I was interested in. Also, they are the people that read your applications, so it’s good to meet, so they can put a face to an application.”
Eamonn Welliver ’18 added, “Although the College Fair is not as useful as a visit to the college itself, it is still a great place to learn more about a college.”
