Lakeland Regional High School (LRHS) hosted a college fair on Friday, March 6 opening up a multitude of opportunities for junior students after graduation. With an invitation of almost over 70 college representatives, and multiple military and the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) attending, students gained diverse information and a valuable experience by attending the fair.
For many students, the fair served as an important introduction to potential schools and their programs.
Junior Katrina Zahr expressed that she showed interest in the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth), along with Rowan University because of their science programs, offerings for scholarships, and financial aid opportunities.
Junior Kendall Loweth highlighted William Patterson University and Quinnipiac University for their helpfulness and kindness in their representatives.
According to junior Mia Harner, the fair was “a cool opportunity to talk to out of state colleges as well as military options for those that are interested in that career path.”
Even if the fair did not change a student’s current college preference, others agreed that friendly representatives opened up their minds to colleges they would’ve never considered by providing information on school they didn’t research beforehand. Viewing some program offerings from unfamiliar colleges brought to light some potential new opportunities for students.
Preparing a variety of questions that focused on academics, admissions, and extracurricular activities allowed students to narrow down their options and pivot towards areas of interest. Common questions that were asked included the specific programs that a college offers, acceptance rates, the transferability of dual enrollment credits, and specific program offerings within ROTC. Some students asked questions that were more broad and focused on the college’s overall vibe from the perspective of the college representatives.
Upon reflection of the college fair, students brought up suggestions for future college fairs that might inclue larger and more diverse colleges to the event.
Some of the attendees offered advice to future students attending a college fair. Harner advised to “make sure you know what you want to major in even if you don’t have a specific type of job you are interested in.”
Additionally, Loweth said, “feel free to ask any questions you want and stop at any table even if you are not currently interested in the college.”
Zahr highlighted everything that should be considered at a college fair by mentioning, “specific majors, cost, distance, and environment.”
Juniors Nathan Schouten and Kathleen Fallas agreed that researching the schools you are interested in prior to the event is important in order to be organized and prepared.
Overall, the college fair at LRHS provided students with a helpful opportunity to start their college search by encouraging them to look into new possibilities and to think deeply about their futures.
