Coming Soon, to a High School/College Fair Near You

While the last couple entries on this blog have focused a bit more on the downtime in the Admission cycle, those few quiet months of repose, rest, and preparation for the new year, this post is going to focus on something different. This post is going to focus, quite specifically, on gearing up for the start of the new school year.

While it’s true that the office is still fairly quiet – there are of course plenty of visitors coming through on a daily basis, experiencing the campus, taking tours, sitting in on information sessions, and engaging in interviews with our admission staff – the real weight of the admission season is starting to poke its head up over the horizon. The excitement and activity of the new year is starting to dawn, and with it comes a stirring of new activity, both on the student end of things and on our side of the desk as well. While students start realizing their summer is slowly coming to a close (if you’re a student and reading this, keep making the most of it while it lasts!), Admission Officers are beginning to look forward to one of the busiest, and ostensibly most exciting parts of our year.

Travel Season!

From the middle of September to about the middle of November, Admission Officers both in our office and all over the country are in constant motion, planning trips to conferences, to college fairs, to high schools, getting in contact with high school counselors, with eager and excited students, flying all across the country, and in some instances across the globe.  The life of an Admission Officer is an exciting one, and not just because we get to work with bright and interesting students. We get to see all parts of the country, have the opportunity to experience a range of cultures, and ultimately, get to meet people from all sorts of walks of life, all while representing our respective colleges, and more importantly, the value of higher education.

So what does this mean on the student end of things? Put simply, it means that fairly shortly, there’s a pretty good chance an Admission Officer will be traveling to an area near you, giving you the opportunity to make contact with a college representative. This could be in the form of a high school visit, it could be in the form of touching base with an Officer at a college fair, or it could be at one of the many off campus interviews we offer to students in our respective areas. Most importantly of all, this means that you get to have your questions and your concerns answered, and that you have the opportunity to get a taste for a college without ever stepping foot on the campus. For many students this is their first contact with a college. For others, it’s a continuing conversation, another step on the road to going to college.

For us, the Admission Officers of the world, it’s an opportunity to get in touch with hundreds of new students, and hopefully to influence their lives for the better.

So, as September starts shaking the sleep off from its annual eleven month nap, and as you begin brushing the cobwebs off of your school supplies, pulling them out from that dark and dusty corner they’ve been relegated to since the start of the summer, be on the lookout for a college representative near you! Remember to check out the admission section of our website at whitman.edu for updates on who will be in your area visiting high schools and conducting college interviews. And in the meantime, just know that we’re looking forward to seeing you all soon.

 

Attending a Spring College Fair?

Do take a lap around the entire fair to simply see what colleges and universities are represented.

Do walk up to a table, flip through the materials a bit and take one without asking a question.  If you don’t have any questions, but would like to look through our publications on your own that is perfectly fine.

Don’t feel obligated to ask a question.  Only ask a question if you genuinely want to learn something about our college or university.

Don’t swipe pens from as many tables as you can.  If you need or want a pen just ask.

Do ask questions yourself instead of having your parents ask for you.  If your parents have their own questions, they’re welcome to speak with us, but we’d always prefer to speak with the student directly.

Do present the best version of yourself at the college fair.  You don’t need to dress formally but we want to remember your questions not your inappropriate clothing or actions.

Do bring sticker labels with your full name, address, phone number, email address and high school printed on them.  This will save your hand from filling out dozens of inquiry cards.

Don’t spend more then five minutes at a table.  Admission officers will talk to as many as 200 students at a college fair and we can not spend thirty minutes with each one.  If you have additional questions ask the admission officer for their business card and email or call with your questions.

Do ask about the opportunity to interview with an admission person if you plan to apply to that college or university.

Do keep an open mind, your future college could be right under your nose!