College Fair: exciting, overwhelming and everything in between

When the clock struck 7 p.m., the doors to the gym opened and the 2015 College Fair began with a flood of hundreds of students and parents rushing to get up close and personal with alumni and admissions officers of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the nation.

Colleges and universities from all over the country lined up in rows throughout the gym hoping to get a glimpse of the future of their student body as well as to aid students in choosing the best college for them. From the University of Alabama to Vanderbilt University, students of all grades were eager to see what their future might hold.

At every booth lied stacks of brochures, maps, requirement guidelines and financial aid information pamphlets for students to take and explore. Old Whole Foods bags were offered to for students to carry their papers, like a preview to Halloween trick-or-treating. As if the pamphlets were not enough, each school had an information request card to fill out in order to get more information about that college.

Students waited in lines to get a chance to talk to a representative about what their school has to offer. Questions were the key to a successful college fair; knowing and understanding each school’s requirements, courses and extracurriculars are critical to an accurate college choice.  However, these were not the only questions asked, many students wanted to understand what campus life is like; the type and size of the campus, the people at the school, greek life, clubs and sports were also common topics of conversation amongst representatives and students.

“[I am here] to be a resource for kids interested in Vanderbilt,” Vanderbilt University alumni Jeff Kravetz said “[I want to] put a face on the school and provide as much information as possible.”

The College Fair was not just for Palmetto students, students from all over Miami-Dade schools private and public came to learn more about colleges. Representatives included parents of Palmetto students who went to that university to one of the Dean of Admissions for the Florida students.

Walking into the College Fair may not be easy for some, the variety of choices of programs and schools came be overwhelming, exciting and scary all at the same time.

“[I came] to explore all of the options in terms of college,” junior Kayla Phillips said. “I feel excited, but also overwhelmed by the number of [college] options.”

To view photos from the College Fair, check out The Panther‘s Twitter, @PantherUpdates.