Over 120 universities were set up side by side in Palmetto’s gymnasium on the night of October 10th. Something that would have taken students weeks to experience, took at the most, two hours. Colleges stretching from coast to coast sent one representative, hundreds of business cards, and thousands of flyers to hand out individually, one by one, to each interested student. Say goodbye to the college road trip you were planning and hello to the college fair.
The clock struck 7:00 and a line filled with eager parents and college-driven students had already formed, waiting for the doors to open. Although targeted for juniors, the college fair attracted seniors, sophomores, and even freshmen.
Sophomore Karra Brown visited the college fair with her family after listening to her English teacher’s advice on attending the fair, no matter what grade she is in.
“I went to the college fair to start planning for the future, see the different career paths I can take, and see all the different colleges that are out there,” Brown said.
Shockingly enough, the Ivy leagues had a poor turnout. Students anticipated at least five out of the eight would attend, however, only three showed up: Cornell University, Harvard University, and the University of Pennsylvania. Despite the low numbers from the New England Ivy’s, 30 colleges from Florida alone showed up to greet those Panthers that are not necessarily interested in those prestigious schools.
“Being a student enrolled in many AP and honors courses, I hope to be accepted into an Ivy League college,” junior Shivani Budhram said, “Although there were only three Ivy’s at the college fair, there were many other schools there that caught my interest and made me want to apply.”
The college fair gives students opportunities to ask personal questions to representatives and look through a complementary pamphlet that lists facts, statistics, and costs of attending that particular university. For some students, attending a college may depend on tuition cost or a certain religious background. Luckily for them, the College Fair offered information that is more descriptive and personal than what is listed on a website.
“The reason I went to the college fair was because I already had a short list of schools that I was interested in learning more about and possibly attending,” junior Grace DeWitt said. “I wanted the opportunity to pick up some more information about them and speak to an actual person who would be able to tell me a little more about the school than what a website would.”
Available once a year, the College Fair is recommended for students of all ages enrolled in high school. It offers more information about a particular college than what a phone call or email would offer.
“I recommend the College Fair because you get to see all the criteria you need to meet to get into all the different colleges,” DeWitt said, “You get to get an idea of what college you want to go to and what field you’re interested in.”
