When and Where to Find College Fairs for Colleges in Rhode Island
Posted on Tue, Aug 23, 2011
If you’re looking for colleges in Rhode Island, college fairs are excellent ways to gather information on many of the state’s colleges at one time.
Below is a listing of three major fairs held annually in Rhode Island:
College Fair Hosted by The College Planning Center of Rhode Island and the Pawtucket Red Sox
Tuesday, September 20, 2011, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
McCoy Stadium Pre-register
35th Annual Regional College Fair
Saturday, October 15, 2011, 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Community College of Rhode Island, Knight Campus
College Fair at Rhode Island Convention Center
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Providence
In addition, there are numerous fairs for colleges in Rhode Island that are hosted by local high schools.
One of the best things you can do before the fair—even before creating a list of questions—is to evaluate your interests and high school transcripts to find out which of the colleges in Rhode Island are a good fit for you. The US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics has a College Navigator website with links to many valuable resources that help to match students with colleges based on their information and interests.
Once you’ve defined your interests and goals, you can compile a list of questions specific to your needs. Great questions to ask include:
- How many students are majoring in the subject you’re interested in?
- What research are faculty members involved in?
- What first-year courses are recommended for your major?
- What extracurricular activities are available?
- What kinds of students is the college looking for?
- What percentage of students receive financial aid?
- If you are undecided about your major, ask about services that are available to assist you in exploring various majors.
Plan to ask the same questions at each table to more easily compare colleges, and to maximize your opportunity, and try to avoid questions that can be found in standard college materials.
Next, do some research on the colleges in Rhode Island. Review the list of colleges participating in the fair and select the ones you want to know more about. Then, check out their websites, or seek more information from your school guidance office.
If you have access to a computer, try to register for the fair online in advance. If you’re unable to pre-register online, consider bringing some self-adhesive address labels with the information requested online (name, contact information, high school, intended major, etc.) so you can save time in filling this information out at each table.
When you go to the fair, be sure to bring the following:
- Your registration admittance pass (if one was given)
- Notebook with your list of colleges and questions
- Pen or pencil
- Backpack or bag to hold information
featured photo by Hellforgedhand