As part of the university preparation at Zlatarski School, the College Fair, which takes place at the School this year includes presentations from representatives of the following universities: Webster University Vienna, Nagoya University Japan, London School of Economics and Political Science, London Metropolitan University, American University in Blagoevgrad, Aston University Birmingham, John Cabot University Rome, Breda University Netherlands. The Zlatarski School College Fair is especially designed for students of Zlatarski School and is open to all students and parents.

TIMETABLE, 25 October 2011

Making the Most of a College Fair
College Fairs can be great opportunities to get more information about colleges that interest you and to discover schools you may not have considered. However, getting the most from a college fair takes a little planning ahead. If you are just beginning the college search process, it is also a great time to pick up informational materials from lots of schools. Depending on how large the fair is, it might not be the best time to have an in-depth conversation with a college rep about whether or not that school is the right fit for you. But it can be a great time to get any questions you have answered.

Do your homework
Before the fair, get a list of colleges attending. Write down any questions that come out of your research or that you want answered by every college. Decide which are the most important questions, so that you will ask those first.

Ask questions
It can be intimidating for some students to ask questions of the college representative, but keeping quiet will not get you the information you need. Regarding questions – it’s true that there is no such thing as a stupid question. However, there are some questions, which garner lots of interesting information and other questions which may produce less beneficial answers. For example: “Can you tell me more about your Program in Liberal Medical Education?” is a fine question. A more productive question might be, “What is the application process to the PLME program?” or “What is the philosophy of the PLME program? “. Basically, the more specific your question, the more specific our answer and the more satisfied you ultimately feel about the information you receive. When I am asked a very general question, I usually have to flesh out what information the student is actually looking for. But unfortunately, admission officers are not mind readers. So the interaction will probably be more positive for you if you get specific.

Follow up
When you get home, look through the information you have collected, including the answers to your questions. Thumb through everything and see what you think. Ask yourself, “Does this information answer what I need to know?” If is does not, give the representatives a call or email. This is the whole purpose of a college fair: to get you in contact with colleges that may be right for you, even if they were not on your original list. If a school sparks your interest, find out more!