FCPS College Fair

[Anonymous]

This year scheduled for October 20 at Fair Oaks Mall. For this who've attended, what is your opinion. Too early to drag my freshman to the event? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I was curious too. All t hge TJ families blocking the UVA table?

[Anonymous]

It is overwhelming. I went to the same college fair and just went to it 2 years ago with my child and it was the same experience. There are a zillion people. It is super crowded. I don't think it is necessary to go to at all and I wouldn't have brought my kid as a freshman - it is just too much. We went in sophomore year and it was just manageable. It can be a great place to get information from colleges you might not have easy access to, but I wouldn't even worry about interacting with the Virginia schools beyond checking in at their tables for the ones who take any measure of demonstrated interest (UVA does not measure or track interested and they don't consider it). If you decide to go, pre-register and print out the bar code provided to your student. Each table can scan your bar code and you don't have to fill out any interest forms.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you PP. Exactly what I envisioned.

[Anonymous]

Good for showing your kid that there are lots of good options out there.

Not the place to have a deep conversation with an admissions person.

[Anonymous]

There is no point in taking a freshman.
A sophomore could go just to see what’s our there.
A junior should be attending, asking lots of questions and talking to reps from schools of interest.
A Senior should be attending and checking in with reps of schools they plan to apply to.

My daughter is pretty shy. These big busy events were a great way for her to get used to talking to college reps without feeling like all eyes are on her. The schools she applied to had interviews, and she ran into some familiar faces after talking with reps at college fairs. Keep in mind, some colleges will send the actual area admissions rep that will be reading your child’s application, while others will send a local alum. For smaller colleges, putting an interested and kind face to the name they will see on an application can sometimes tip things in your favor.

[Anonymous]

Thirty five years ago, I found the college I eventually went to at the fair. I had not heard of it before that. This was pre-internet, of course.

[Anonymous]

Our FCPS. Counselor announced it to Seniors and said to only
Go if the kid wanted to apply to a school where the rep was not coming to the HS. Otherwise school rep visit was better. I’m sure They would prob say “definitely don’t go” to a freshmen.

If you’re going for brochures sign up on the website. The admissions rep isn’t going to say much that isn’t posted or said somewhere else.

If you’re going for demonstrated interest, know that most collrges Don’t care; and if they do an in-person visit probably isn’t necessary anyway.