Summary:
- Questions to Ask Yourself First
- College Choice
- Personal Priorities
- Formulating questions to ask alums and representatives
- Personalized Questions
- General Questions
Are you planning on attending a college or university fair? Before you show up, you should know exactly what to ask in order to make best use of your time. Read on to learn more about what you can find out from alumni and representatives of your dream schools.
Questions To Ask Yourself First
An important thing to do before arriving at a college fair is to organize your thoughts, and figure out why you’re attending and what you’re looking for. You’ll have the opportunity to speak to many people, and learn about all sorts of universities. Sometimes, the abundance of choice can be a little overwhelming.
College Choice
Are you already aware of where you’ll be applying? Or are you still deciding? A college fair can offer you the opportunity to explore, as well as the opportunity to hone in on specific schools and opportunities.
- Branching Out: use this opportunity to explore your options, talking briefly to many different people with a smaller set of questions. If you have not yet built your list of schools, this is the time.
- Honing in: use this opportunity to focus on the schools you already know you want to apply to. You can use this time also to decide where you will apply early!
Self Knowledge Is Key
What do you want out of college? It’s important to identify your priorities before speaking to representatives and alumni, as your preferences will guide each conversation. What lifestyle makes you happy? What college experience do you crave? Spend some time reflecting on what you want to gain from the university experience before diving into conversations!
Questions to Ask At The College Fair
Personalized Questions
Some of the best conversations to have at these events will be inspired by your personal experiences, and your individual desires and goals as an applicant. While we can’t give you the specifics since your aspirations are unique to you, we can nonetheless give you some pointers:
- Share what attracts you to a certain college or university. Maybe you’re drawn by the culture, or the professors? You can ask an alumnus or a representative about the university’s key selling points to see if your vision aligns with reality.
- Share how you spend your time outside of the classroom. You can ask if there are opportunities for you to pursue specific extracurricular activities that align with your interests.
- Share what lights you up in the classroom. Specifically, you can tell a college fair representative about who you are as a student, and ask if they think you’ll be a good fit for the culture.
These fairs are rare opportunities to ask questions in an intimate setting. Use the time to really dig deep, and share what’s on your mind!
General Questions
If you’re still not sure about how to approach the university application process, or where specifically you want to apply, it’s nice to have some general questions on hand. Our suggestions are by no means exhaustive. Nonetheless, the themes below may provide some inspiration!
- Location and Housing: What’s housing for undergraduates like? Do most students stay on campus or off campus? Tell me more about the city/town where the campus is situated.
- Culture and Community: What are the main sources of community for undergraduates? How would you describe the campus vibe and student body?
- Extracurriculars: Could you name some unusual extracurricular activities open to undergraduate students? What extracurricular activities are popular? Are there fun opportunities for freshmen?
- Admissions: Do you have any specific advice for applicants? What was your experience of applying to this university like?
We wrapped up our College Fair last month and loved facilitating meetings between top university alumni and prospective students. Here are some pictures from our College Fair event. See you at the next one!
