So you attended a college fair. Great! You learned about some schools, hopefully discovered a new one or crossed a “possible” one off your list, and made some fantastic connections with college reps. However, now you’re home, brain abuzz with “dining hall” this and “extracurricular” that. You’re swimming in pamphlets and wondering how to move forward.
Wonder no more! Here are several useful, tangible “next steps” to take after you leave a college fair.
First, identify which of the colleges were your favorites. Set their materials aside, and get rid of the rest. No sense in hanging onto pamphlets you’ll never look at again!
Then, organize the material from the colleges you are considering. An easy way to do this is in a binder, with one tab per college. If you don’t want to hole-punch the pamphlets themselves, add two-pocket folders and slip the materials in there.
Review the information you’ve collected. What questions do you still have about each school? Write these down and add them to your binder.
Continue to research your colleges of interest. Look for answers to your questions online, and if you didn’t already sign up for their mailing list at the fair, be sure to do that either online or by mail.
After conducting your own research, contact the college representative you spoke to at the fair. If you didn’t already, be sure to thank them for their time at the fair. Then, ask any outstanding questions you still have. (But make absolutely sure the answer is not available on the school website!)
If you like, ask to be connected with a current student or alumnus. Explain that you’d like to chat with them in order to get a better sense of what sorts of students attend the school, and what your experience might e like if you choose to attend.
Finally, start planning your campus visits!