College Fairs & Info Sessions

It’s no secret that college is a source of stress of Exonians. There are applications to be written, interviews to be held, meetings with college counselors, and the constant preening of resumes. In the mix of a long to-do list for seniors are college fairs and information sessions, hosted by the College Counseling Office and representatives from post-secondary education institutions all over the world.According to Director of College Counseling Betsy Dolan, representatives from 350 universities arrive on the Academy campus every year to present information about their schools to interested upperclassmen. Elite institutions such as Oxford, Yale and University of Chicago have already hosted such sessions.“The fall college fairs and info sessions are targeted toward the more informed student, students who know their personal college criteria and have greater knowledge about a particular school,” Dolan said. “So, the questions are more thoughtful, and the admission representative is more engaged with the student applicant.”Many students agreed with Dolan, in that sessions on Exeter’s campus provide for an excellent opportunity to get to know a school past its brochures and viewbooks.“I think the info sessions are really good because the colleges come to us so we get to have a more personalized session. They tend to be smaller than the ones at the colleges and there aren't parents, so they are tailored more to answering the questions we have as students,” senior Genevieve Medina said. “I would not say that info sessions on Exeter's campus or the college's campus are more or less helpful than the other; they are good for different reasons.”Senior Mickey Chao agreed. “You can always go and listen to what their admissions officers have to say and chances are you’ll learn something new.”The College Counseling Office plays a big role in orchestrating and organizing these fairs, and making sure students attend. Patrick Quinn, a senior in Ewald Hall, appreciated the effectiveness of the CCO at keeping students aware and apprised of upcoming meetings. “The CCO does a really good job of keeping you informed; they’re always sending out emails and deadlines for you to keep up with.”While these fairs and information sessions are generally open to all interested students, it is often ambiguous when it is appropriate to start attending these events. “We encourage uppers to attend the spring fair which includes information about gap year and summer programs,” Dolan responded. “The spring fairs are meant for prospective students; they are broader and more general in nature.”Senior Sima Shah said that CCO events at Exeter cannot replace actual campus visits, stating that she “doesn't think they can make up for a student visiting a campus itself and determining how comfortable he or she feels.” However, she recognized that campus visits are not always a viable option, especially in the busy way of life of being an upperclassman at the Academy.“It is often quite difficult to make the journey to a specific campus though, so these info sessions are good alternatives,” Shah said.