College Fair: an Action Plan for Success, featuring Rebekah Radney, Director of College Advising

As the second in a two-part series, Live@Legacy visits with Rebekah Radney, Director of College Advising at Legacy Christian Academy, who shares an action plan for successfully navigating the college fair experience. 

Legacy’s annual college fair will be held on Thursday, August 31st from 6:30 until 8:00pm in the Upper School commons. Over 65 colleges from around the country will be in attendance ready to meet each student. The college fair is open to all students in grades 8-12.

Legacy's 5 Steps to a College Fair Action Plan:

1. Dress to Impress: You want to make an impact, so I would recommend business casual or professional dress. After all, this could be the first person reading your application. However, Admissions representatives realize that you have obligations, and frankly they want students who are involved in extracurricular activities, so if you have to come from practice or rehearsal, that’s okay. Use your attire as a conversation starter; “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to change, as I just left practice, but I wanted to be here…”
2. Engage with the Reps: This is a great opportunity to learn how to network with adults. As you visit each table, introduce yourself to the representative, look them in the eyes, shake their hand, and ask specific questions. Finally, thank them: Please make sure you thank them for their time and for attending the fair. You can even take a business card and follow up with a thank you email.
3. Visit all the colleges: This is all about doing your research! Don’t just visit the colleges you know; visit the unfamiliar colleges too. You will learn, see different types of colleges, and hopefully get insight into all that colleges can offer you as a student.
4. Be intentional with your...
   1. Time...if you have a list of priority schools, make sure you visit them first. Also, please be aware of other students that may be waiting to speak with them.
   2. Impression...You want your first impression to be a good one, and these reps could be the difference in your acceptance, so have a plan! One idea is to create a short statement of who you are and what you are looking for in a college to start the conversation.
   3. Questions...It can be awkward talking to a complete stranger about school you know little to nothing about, so identify a few questions before you arrive. These can be specific to your desired major or address a list of things of you want in a school. A general question is always helpful too, such as “Can you tell me more about your school?”
5. Complete the Cards: Each college will have a card for you to fill out with your basic information. It is crucial that you do this because colleges are now tracking your interest, and this goes into your admission decisions as a senior. A completed card is their record that they actually met you at this year’s college fair. A great way to save time is to pre-print address labels that include:

• Full Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Email address (not your school address)
• Legacy Christian Academy and Class of 20xx.

To learn more about Ms. Radney, tap here, or you can email her at Rebekah.Radney@legacyca.com. For more information on how your student should approach the college fair, visit our blog at legacyca.com/blog!