With most students beginning and some nearing the end of their college application journeys, Coral Gables Senior High’s annual college fair presented a beacon of information for college-bound Cavaliers. In three sessions on Oct. 2, from 12:05 p.m. to 2:05 p.m., students gathered in the gymnasium to meet representatives from different colleges. Delegates ranged from those with campuses based in Florida such as Florida International University or University of Miami to universities across the country like New York University or Duke University.
During the three 35-minute sessions, students had the opportunity to freely explore the tables and engage in conversation with as many college representatives as possible. The College Assistance Program advisor Ms. Sanz provided resources to help them navigate through the myriad of college booths adorned with informational brochures and merchandise, such as stickers or pens. The representatives from each college shared general information about their institutions, including the admissions process, student population and academic programs available as well as the most popular fields of study.
“The enthusiastic reps definitely helped sell their colleges. It was refreshing to speak to someone about college in a casual way that wasn’t sitting in a classroom with a monotone speaker flipping slides on a PowerPoint,” senior Katelyn Mesa said.
The yearly college fair was coordinated by the Parent Teacher Student Association, a team of committed parent volunteers who contribute their time to support the school, and Ms. Sanz. Members of the PTSA, students from the wrestling and volleyball team as well as other volunteers collaborated to set up tables and build the garden arch present at the entrance.
“About two weeks before college fair, Ms. Sanz asked if we [the Garden Project] could make a garden arch and I said yes. We used real plants, meaning you will see these plants in the garden soon,” senior Gabriela McGrath-Moreira said.
Ms. Sanz handled the selection of colleges with Florida Tour, an organization of colleges and high schools that work together to allow colleges to engage with the greatest amount of potential students. Cavaliers were able to register from Sept. 12 to Sept. 22 through a Microsoft Form posted on their class Schoologies and pick up the wristbands that allowed entry into the event in front of the 9000 building on Sept. 26 and Sept. 28, during both lunches.
“We like to have a diverse group of colleges so we look at their selectivity, clubs and athletics, where they’re located, what programs and majors they have, as well as scholarships and financial aid they offer. I also do a student survey after the fair to see which colleges students would like to see there, and try to get them the following year,” Ms. Sanz said.
With many colleges present at the event, each representative had to use their resources wisely to appeal to Cavaliers attending the event. General information about their respective institutions was handled through brochures and informational posters, emphasizing important selling points for each college, such as having multiple campuses in different parts of the world or allowing students to work in the field while studying for their degree. Representatives also shared their personal experiences at their universities and turned statistics into creative posters and activities for students to participate in.
Students were encouraged to ask more specific questions about how each school aligned with their aspirations for college and future careers. They were also able to share contact information with representatives from colleges they were interested in through Quick Response codes provided by StriveScan. Students exchanged information with each other about their prospective colleges and were able to ask for help from both volunteers and faculty.
“I did my research on the colleges I was interested in talking to beforehand, so for colleges like UM and NYU my questions were about areas that seemed vague on the website like work study and study abroad opportunities,” senior Katelyn Mesa said.
The college fair allowed students to proactively seek out schools they had their eyes on and discover others that they might otherwise have not known about. Gables students will continue to explore their options in accordance with the career paths they have in mind, while representatives will slowly start to hear back from curious, doubtful and aspiring students. For now, Cavaliers will rely on the CAP to help guide them through this transition in their lives, looking to find a new home post high school.
