Written by Prachi Kale
Gunn is hosting the 17th annual Palo Alto College Fair today, open to only Gunn and Paly students from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Titan and Bow Gyms. The fair provides an opportunity for students throughout the Bay Area to meet representatives from colleges all over the world. The representatives will give out general information about their college, answer questions and provide workshops about financial assistance and college essays. This year, approximately 149 colleges will participate in the college fair.
According to College and Career Coordinator Leighton Lang, the fair requires a good amount of planning. “We send [the colleges] invites and we send more personal invites to the ones that come here to our campus for college visits because we have their information,” Lang said. “They register online, they pay and we provide them a nice dinner on the day of the event.”
Lang suggests that students also do some planning of their own before attending the fair and has some advice for students. “Number one, get there early,” he said. “Bike, commute, get there some other way than drive.” Since there are so many colleges to visit during the fair, Lang also recommends that students come with pre-printed labels in order to save time. “A lot of the colleges will have those invite cards for you to send you more information,” Lang said. “If you have a pre-printed label with your name, address, interests, your GPA and test scores, that will be a really quick way to get around to a lot of the schools.”
In addition, Counselor Monica Espinoza encourages students to look into colleges that they may not have considered initially. “Think outside the name-brand colleges,” she said. “Take advantage of the fair and talk with the representatives of colleges you haven’t heard of before. You may be surprised what great and unique programs and opportunities they offer.”
The fair will be from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. for Gunn and Paly students only, with a student I.D. required. It will open to the general student population from 6:30 to 6:45 p.m., and open to all from 6:45 to 8:30 p.m.
