This year, for the first time the fair will will be open earlier exclusively to Paly, Gunn and Middle College students with student identification cards at 6 p.m., according to Gunn College and Career Information Specialist Leighton Lang.
“The fair will be open to the general public [of students] at 6:30 p.m.,” Lang said. “Parents will be allowed to enter the fair at 6:45 p.m.”
Lang and Paly’s College Advisor Sandra Cernobori agree that the fair is more useful for juniors and seniors.
“Juniors and seniors definitely want to attend this event,” Lang said. “This college fair is a time for students to open up and see some of those schools that they probably haven’t thought about.”
According to Lang, a great thing about the fair is that it is limited to out-of-state public and private colleges.
Lang added that students and parents are invited to the workshops, which will take place in the dance room inside of the gym.
Students will be able to attend the annual workshop on financial aid by Foothill College Outreach Assistant Josephine Christensen at 7 p.m.
The second workshop will be at 7:30 p.m. on how to get started on a college admission essay, which will be held by Felicia Fahey, Ph.D. This workshop is provided only when Gunn hosts the college fair. When Paly hosts the fair, this workshop is not provided because workshops such as college essay writing take place at other times such as tutorial.
For both workshops, there are no limits on how many students can attend. Students will be able to attend both workshops.
Cernobori recommends that students come prepared with organization tools to improve efficiency such as address labels and a folder.
“You might come with addressed labels with your name, email and address so that you don’t have to fill a bunch [of forms] out,” said Cernobori.
She added that having preferences of school size and location in mind would be helpful. She also recommends that students have questions prepared beforehand, which weren’t answered by the websites of colleges such as traditions on college campuses.
Lang emphasized the need for students to bike and carpool due to the limited amount of parking space available at Gunn. Lang expects about 3500 participants to attend the fair, if not more.
“Please ride bikes, or carpool with others,” Lang said.