More than 50 representatives from various colleges will be on campus to answer students’ transfer questions during the College Fair on Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., on the Mall.
Colleges such as Sacramento State University, Humboldt State University and UC Berkeley, will be at Pierce for this semester’s fair. Transfer Center Director Sunday Salter said the College Fair can benefit students who need direction toward transferring.
Salter said there will be workshops from 1-2 p.m. Arizona State, UCLA, and Pepperdine will be going over admissions overview.
“Traditionally, we only have one per year in the fall, and it’s during that time, because the fall is when students are applying to transfer,” Salter said. “So it’s a good time for those who are ready to ask their questions to the universities.”
According to Salter, fall is also a good time for a college fair because students are preparing and thinking about where they want to transfer.
“It’s also a great time for students who aren’t ready to transfer, and just start getting an idea about what’s out there,” Salter said. “So many of our students are fixated on the UC’s, CSU’s, UCLA and CSUN in particular, but there are 23 Cal States, nine UCs and many private and out-of-state schools.”
Salter said they can ask questions about admissions, majors, financial aid, scholarships, when to apply, and about the general application process. Salter said there will be churros and hot dogs at the fair.
“It’s a good day to come out, regardless of where you’re at and your planning, and just get some of your questions answered and see what’s out there,” Salter said.
Career counselor Esmeralda Martinez encourages students to attend the college fair to ask questions about transferring or to clarify any general questions.
“They will hear specific information from admission representatives and be able to get more pieces of what the campus will look like,” Martinez said. “And they will receive more specific information about their major that you can’t necessarily build online.”
Martinez said representatives try to encourage students to go to their tables by having goodies for them, and said not to be afraid to ask questions.
“Never be afraid to ask questions,” Martinez said. “Even if you think it’s a dumb question, that’s what they’re there for, and it’s the one opportunity that you get so many at the same time. You don’t have to send out emails, it’s more personal. They just don’t want to sit there, they want students to ask them questions.”
According to Career Center director Wendi Meckler the fair can help students learn about their options.
“I think students will be surprised at the different types of programs that each college offers,” Meckler said. “Even in their same majors, there are different programs, so the more students know about these different programs, the better they can set themselves up for the what their career goals are.”
Meckler said the students can look into different universities other than what’s nearby for the type of educational programs they want to study.
“The more information they have, the better they’re going to set themselves up for the future,” Meckler said. “You never know what colleges they might be interested in. Attending this fair, they can learn more and open their minds to different opportunities.”
To view the multimedia piece of the College Fair, click here
***This story has been updated to include a link to the multimedia piece***
