On March 19, 2025, Students from all over Connecticut packed into the Connecticut Convention Center for the biggest college fair Hartford has ever seen. With over 300 colleges and universities present, there was a lot of excitement, the lines were long, and there were plenty of free pens and pencils.
For juniors and seniors, this fair was an exciting opportunity to have face time with a wide selection of schools. It was a chance to talk to admissions officers, learn about different schools, and figure out where we might spend the next four years of our lives. Some of us came in with a plan consisting of what schools we wanted to speak with while others just walked around grabbing brochures. Either way, everyone walked out with information, fun supplies, and an eagerness to learn more in reference to their next step after high school.
A group from Woodland went together, sure to hit as many schools as possible.Had a list of questions ready:
- How’s the dorm situation? (No one wants to end up in a tiny triple.)
- Do you have a good fitness center? (We’re not all athletes, but many of us still want to hit the gym.)
- Is this school really as hard as people say it is? (We all need a challenge, however finding out course load and support options are very important)
- What’s campus life like? (Because college isn’t just about studying and since freshman typically don’t have a car it is important that there are functions to make down time fun and meet people)
Some schools gave us super detailed answers, while others just handed us a pamphlet and told us to check the website. But overall, the reps were really helpful, and a few even convinced us to consider schools we’d never thought about before.
Besides the booths, there were some pretty useful workshops. One session on writing college essays was packed—apparently, “don’t just write about your grandma” is solid advice. Another workshop on financial aid made us realize just how expensive college is so it was nice to hear tips on scholarships.
Another part of the fair that was extremely motivating and unexpected was the connection the staff was able to make between student athlete and coach. For those athletes interested in exploring the next level, the representative was able to scan a barcode on your phone and send communication to the coach that a student was interested. This completely opened the door for many to start that conversation and figure out next steps.
Some of us left feeling more confident about our choices, while others realized they had more schools to research. Either way, the college fair made one thing clear: the future is coming fast, and it’s time to start figuring things out.
