Newtown High School Hosts A Successful College Fair

By Susan Coney

The College Fair held last week in Newtown High School’s gymnasium proved to be a popular stop for both students and parents hoping to demystify the confusing task of selecting just the right college.

Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) president and fair organizer Janis Solheim said that the fair was a huge success. “We easily had over 250 students in attendance. It was a really wonderful turnout. The majority of the students were juniors but there were some sophomores getting a jump on researching colleges; and some seniors who were reconfirming their decisions,” Ms Solheim said.

Approximately 140 colleges and universities of all descriptions were represented at the fair. Students, along with their parents, wove in and out of the crowded rows of tables stopping periodically to view college brochures or listen to persuasive recruiters eager to share what their institution of higher learning has to offer.

Most students said that they came to help narrow the college search down and to search for schools that they would want to visit. Others stated they wanted to verify that they were on the right path with the types of high school courses they had taken to be certain they had all that was required to be considered for acceptance to the college or university of their dreams.

Several students confessed that they had no clue about how to go about selecting the right school and were seeking help in getting “the feel” for the perfect school. More than a few parents were in attendance at the fair solo, without their children, hoping to get a jump start on the whole college application process and motivate their child to become more interested in the college search.

Still undecided about what schools to apply to? The Guidance Department and Career Center have staff available to help students and their parents in selecting a school. Representatives of colleges and universities from all over the country continue to visit Newtown High School every week, so students should check the white board (displayed outside of the Career Center) for the names of participating institutions.