College fair prepares students for future
High school students started looking toward their futures tonight at the Eastern Idaho College Fair.
Students packed Bonneville High School to find out where they can go to achieve their dreams. Some may not know what they want to do or where they want to go, but that’s where the college fair comes in.
“That’s why things like this college fair are so helpful, because you wanna have this conversation early,” said Melissa McConnell, college and career adviser at Thunder Ridge High School. “You don’t wanna be deciding where you wanna go when you’re having to make that decision. You wanna have these conversations with your child, your student when they’re younger so it’s not so overwhelming.”
There was a wide range of colleges students could look at. If college isn’t in their future, there were other options, such as the military. Recruiters say the best thing to do is ask questions and get as much information as you can.
“I think they get scared to ask for help, and I think they just, they have no idea what they would like to do,” said Effie Hernandez, the assistant director of recruitment at the University of Idaho. “That’s why we’re here to help. To help them guide on the right track, to not be afraid to ask us questions.”
Advisers say students shouldn’t wait until the last minute to look at or apply to schools. Many schools will offer early application scholarships. Perhaps the biggest mistake while looking at colleges is only applying to one school.
“We like the students to have at least one school that they know is like a safety school, no matter what,” McConnell said. “This is like, I’m ready to go if, a lot of times big plans change and students end up going local, and we want them to be prepared for that. So, you know, shoot for your dream school, then like some goal schools, but make sure you have one safety school in the mix.”
“Things don’t always work out the way that we expect them to,” Hernandez said. “So definitely have more than one option. We recommend them to have three college applications. Apply, apply, apply because you have no idea what’s to be expected and what you can be offered.”
Advisers say now is the time to get your applications in so you can start applying for scholarships around December.
