On October 17, at 9 a.m., the Seattle Convention Center opened its doors, allowing hundreds of students into the National College Fair, hosted by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling. This event, much like others around the United States, allows for colleges and universities to set up information booths, providing students with the opportunity to explore and dive into a variety of schools and programs they offer. As juniors and seniors start thinking about life after high school, this event allowed for students to ask questions and connect with college representatives to help pave their road towards higher education.
“I decided to go to this event today because I want to go to a four year and I want to educate myself,” Central Kitsap High School junior Damian Tindall said. “…It was pretty smooth…I think there were good schools, and I got a lot of information.”
While representatives attend events like these to recruit students to their school, they also use the space to share experiences and give advice, making sure each student feels confident with their plan after high school. Assistant Director of First Year Outreach and Support at the University of Illinois Chicago, Alishia Alexander, explains why she attends events like these.
“The importance is one, to show up, to let students know what options they have when it comes to not only the location of institutions, but the programs that we offer, the opportunities, and always show students what the possibilities are,” Alexander said. “I’m the embodiment of that, from my experiences in higher education, from the various degrees that I have, to the insights on going away to school, having those conversations based on my experiences and then sharing about the university in addition to letting them see that there’s more outside of their city.”
While booths were the main section of the conference, there were also presentations and workshops that students could attend to get more specific information on college essays, application processes, financial aid, scholarships, and more. One speaker, Director of Undergraduate Admission at Pacific Lutheran University, Hillary Powell, hosted a session focused on college essays, showing students tips and tricks to strengthen their writing.
“I have done this job for a very long time, and I found that there were a lot of things that I wish I had known in high school that I now know as a professional within college admission and especially around the essay, that I feel like just would have helped me take a little bit of pressure off the essay and make it a little less serious,” Powell said. “And so being able to have opportunities to showcase like, ‘hey, here’s what I’ve learned, and here’s how we can make it a little less stressful,’ is why I try to do different workshops like this.”
With early action applications nearing their due date, and regular decisions just around the corner, some seniors committed to higher education are starting to write their essays and search for scholarships that will help contribute to their finalized plan for college. While money can be a factor that deters students from applying to schools out of state, Alexander stresses students to apply anyways, as some schools will offer to cut costs and supply scholarships.
“Learning what their options are, hopefully expanding their list of schools and maybe not just wanting to stay local,” Alexander said. “I know that being local is a little bit less expensive, but if you do that early action deadline and give yourself opportunities for other schools to tell you yes versus telling you no, those are some ways to consider your options outside of Washington, or Seattle specifically.”
With college being the next big step for most upper classmen, opportunities like these open doors for students, allowing them to connect one-on-one with professionals who’ll help ease the transition into higher education. While going into a university may not be for everyone, events like this can help students figure that out, guiding them in a different direction that’s right for them.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to see what’s out there, or confirm what students might be interested in,” Powell said. “It also can be very overwhelming. There’s a lot of colleges, but I think for a majority of us, we’re just excited to help students figure out their next college steps, and this is a really nice way that we can do that.”
