With the first marking period drawing to a close, Seniors are working to finalize college applications with the help of the college advising office. Last Wednesday night, Seniors attended a college fair to meet with university representatives and learn more about schools they’re considering attending next year. Non-Senior students who did not have study hall were also invited to participate.

The fair, which took place from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Main Building, also attracted students from local public schools and other boarding schools, including Berkshire School. While the college office required Seniors to check in with their college advisors briefly at the start of the fair, the rest of the time was unstructured and allowed students to collect brochures, ask questions, and sign up for mailing lists.

The 47 colleges with representatives in attendance ranged from small liberal arts schools, such as Amherst College, to design schools, such as Savannah College of Art and Design. International universities at the fair included the University of Sydney from Australia, University of British Columbia from British Columbia, and McGill University from Montreal, Canada. Colleges brought pamphlets, sign-up sheets, banners, stickers, and more to decorate their tables, which spanned the length of the English wing and spread into the Rotunda and Main Foyer.

Wednesday’s college fair was not the first event preparing the class of 2019 for the college process. Current Seniors also attended a fair last spring and will attend several additional events in the coming months. As the Seniors finalize their college lists and complete applications, the college advising office will become busier – revising supplements, setting up interviews, and arranging small-group information sessions. Students who decide to apply by early decision and early action deadlines will receive their schools’ decisions by mid-December, and come May, all Seniors will officially enroll in their chosen schools, just as current Upper Mids begin their search.