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[quote=Anonymous]OP, you got some cynical answers above. Wow.

My DD and I went to the FCPS college fair on Sunday at Fair Oaks Mall (yeah, it was a huge fair--probably 100 colleges and universities had tables there? And the place was packed). I would disagree with the posters above; it was pretty useful for us and especially for our own junior DD.

I don't know how the Arlington college and career night is done but if it's the kind of fair where colleges have tables with representatives, here's how I'd respond to you:

[b]Dress up?[/b] Only if she wants to. Kids were wearing shorts and t-shirts and some wore dressier stuff. Most were casual.

[b]Wander or target? [/b]  Absolutely target specific schools at the start! Can you get a list of participating colleges in advance? FCPS had a list online and my DD highlighted several schools whose tables she wanted to visit. If it's a large fair, you are going to waste a ton of time if you just wander. Have your kid identify a few schools and go see those first, then wander. If there is a map available showing which schools are where, that's even better -- have your DC mark the locations for the schools of greater interest so DC doesn't miss them. Be sure to wander at the end, though. We just happened to pass by tables for two small colleges DD and I hadn't even really thought about but things caught our eye--in one case, a big brochure about her field of interest, in the other case, I knew the college's name as some friends had gone there. DD ended up intrigued by both and is going to find out more about them after talking to their reps.

[b]Is there time for one on one discussions?[/b] Yes. DD was interested in three liberal arts colleges and frankly they weren't getting hordes of people lining up to grab things, so we had time to talk with the reps. The reps are there to sell the colleges to the students and parents -- so your kid has the power here; they want to talk to your DD and want to hear questions. No question is stupid! These reps know that many kids and parents there have never heard of their schools so even the most basic question is not going to be treated as dumb, OP....DD had fairly long talks with three reps for different colleges and was impressed enough that she now wants to visit two of those three.

With some colleges it was impossible to do more than grab brochures because the tables were mobbed five people deep all the way around (Va Tech, Michigan, Northwestern and most of all UVA, which had two lines, each about 40 people long, at one point--we skipped it anyway). At one large-university table that was very busy, DD did get to ask a question and got a good reply from a rep. If your DD is interested in large, in-state schools, you had better get there early and make a beeline for those tables first if you want to engage the reps for more than a few moments.

I think I've covered the next question -- yes, come with your list of schools and a few key questions. If there's a true deal-breaker for your DD, know what that is. For instance, if your DD absolutely would never want to go to college in a huge urban environment, you don't even look at schools that are in the middle of cities. Questions -- my DD had a specific one she asked at all the schools in which she was interested, related to a particular major.

[b]Do parents participate?[/b] At the FCPS fair Sunday, yes. I kind of tried to hang back and let DD walk up, ask questions, etc. but frankly as the night went on I did ask questions too. I heard parents asking about financial aid and housing, while teens were asking more about majors and programs, generally speaking. Reps addressed both parents and kids equally but did seem to try to focus on the kids! Do go around with your DD unless she really strongly wants you to leave her to do her own thing. The PP who said "you are going to stick out and look like a helicopter parent" -- well, that certainly wasn't the case at the college fair on Sunday, where it seemed most teens had a parent nearby, though some parents didn't stick closely to their kids.

[b]Swag?[/b] A bit. Pens or stickers, mostly. Sorry for your DD but no cups or candy! I think they've all spent too much on the fantastic, huge brochures to have money left for swag....

I hope this was helpful, OP. It may be helpful as it was for us, or it may be a wash. A lot may depend on what schools are there and how busy it is. I hope your DD gets something out of it!

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