shanvan Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I just found out there is an NACAC College Fair next week not too far from us. Ds is finishing sophomore year. Is there any reason we should wait, or is this a good time to go? If we go, what types of questions should we ask? DO the representatives ask your Dc for grades and test scores? Right now Ds is all over the place with his interests. Are the colleges expecting him to name majors he'd like to pursue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanetC Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Only if your DS wants to go. Otherwise, you're just the parent dragging your kid around, not making a good impression on anybody and not really learning anything, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted April 19, 2014 Author Share Posted April 19, 2014 Only if your DS wants to go. Otherwise, you're just the parent dragging your kid around, not making a good impression on anybody and not really learning anything, either. Of course I meant assuming Ds wants to go. I wouldn't go if I had to drag him. I am just wondering if we should wait until he is further into high school or if it might help us come up with a plan for the rest of high school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Some kids find it exciting to go into a big convention table and walk around to the many tables and learn that there are a lot of colleges they may not have heard of. Other teens find it really overwhelming. The college representatives will have a wide range of experience. They are everything from seasoned admissions staff to alums who agreed to work the tables. In other words, they are generally not a great source of accurate information particularly about homeschooling admissions. As far as personal information, most of the tables will offer the opportunity to get on their mailing list - either with a paper card or registering on a tablet. Sometimes there will be a space for grades or test scores or intended major but it isn't like they have to fill it out or like it has any effect on admissions. As far as being a sophomore I actually don't think that is too early. I've seen quite a few kids who really start to pay more attention to college preparation after they make a college visit or attend an event. Colleges that Change Lives also offers fairs around the country during the summer and those are less overwhelming than the bigger convention hall type of fairs. http://www.ctcl.org/events/map Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I was going to say that, if you are going to a college fair, a Colleges that Change Lives fair would be a better one to attend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted April 19, 2014 Author Share Posted April 19, 2014 I was going to say that, if you are going to a college fair, a Colleges that Change Lives fair would be a better one to attend. I checked out their list and there aren't many colleges Ds would likely consider on the list. He wants to stay fairly close to home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherri in MI Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Yes! I highly recommend it. I was asking the same thing a few weeks ago when there was a small college fair at a local high school that was open to the public. My son is in 9th grade. I am so glad we went. It got my son's feet wet a little bit and exposed him to some of the colleges out there. He is shy and it was good for him to meet admissions counselors. I told him he was just required to look them in the eye, say hi, shake their hand and answer any questions they asked. He did better than I expected. I think it's good practice and the more we go to them, the more comfortable and interested he will feel about college. And it will increase his confidence. So now I'm looking for another one to go to. There are also articles online for students about what to do at a college fair, which would be helpful for him to read first. I would give him a target maybe: we were just looking at Christian colleges that had a pre-vet program which significantly narrowed the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanvan Posted May 1, 2014 Author Share Posted May 1, 2014 The fair passed and we didn't end up going. However, there is one in June we may attend and another one in the fall that I will use as part of my career explorations course. I plan to get the kids primed to go seek out the colleges that have degrees in the field they are exploring and come back to class to report on their experiences. I'm including some college search materials into the class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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