Students bone up on higher-ed options at college fair

By: ANDREA MOSS - Staff Writer | Wednesday, April 18, 2007 11:17 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO -- El Camino High School junior Korey Dufek already knows he wants to go to law school, and on Wednesday he learned how to get there.
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The 17-year-old acquired his newfound knowledge at a National College Fair at the San Diego Convention Center. Hundreds of North County students joined peers from throughout the region at the event, which offered teens a chance to bone up on their higher-education options.

"It was very helpful," said Korey, whose school is in Oceanside. "I mean, it really kind of guides you through the whole process of enrolling in college. It tells you, 'You're a junior; here's the GPA scores you'll need. ... here's the classes you should be taking as a senior.'"

More than 250 colleges and universities from throughout the United States and several foreign countries had representatives at the one-day fair, which was free to students, parents, teachers and school counselors. High schools as far south as Calexico and as far north as Murrieta and Riverside County chartered buses to ferry teens to the event, as did some middle schools.

Other students arrived on their own, often with parents or friends in tow.

Inside the convention center, visitors found a cornucopia of booths manned by recruiters and admissions advisors from higher-ed campuses of all types and sizes. Both public and private institutions were represented.

The long list of U.S. colleges that participated included Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla.; Regis University in Denver; Hawaii Pacific University; the University of New Haven in Connecticut; Loyola University in New Orleans; and Southern Oregon University.

Australia's Bond University; Le Cordon Bleu International; the University of British Columbia; and Toronto's York University were among those providing a foreign element. Students could also check out such technical schools as California's Brooks Institute of Photography and military institutions like the United States Naval Academy in Maryland.

Brochures full of information about the college campuses, academic programs and extracurricular offerings were available at every booth, and school representatives were available to answer questions about admissions, tuition, housing or any other aspect of student life the visitors wanted to know about.

Three hours into the fair, Poway High School student Lily Roache had a plastic bag stuffed with information about multiple universities.

"It's been really helpful just seeing what different schools offer and their majors," said Lily, who searched out culinary schools at the event with the help of her mom, Janet Roache, and Poway High classmate Candice Warner.

The girls, both 15, said their counselors suggested they attend the college fair even though, as sophomores, the two are just starting to think about life after high school.

"I'm just finding a lot more information than I ever really had at one time," said Candice. "It's helping me sort out through all of the college confusion."

The fair also offered workshops on selecting a college, getting financial aid and similar topics. Students could also sit down at a central area where volunteers helped explain the mysteries of admissions tests and how to search out scholarships and other financial help.

Torrey Pines High School students Vanessa Winn and Jessica Sandoval, both 17, said they liked the opportunity to do one-stop college shopping even though both are focusing on schools close to home.

"We learned the (admissions) requirements and got more information about the school environment," Vanessa said. "It's easier to talk to an administrator from that school than looking online."

El Camino High's Brittney Boublil, 16, said being able to check out multiple schools without leaving home made it easier to whittle down her list of college options.

"It's much less confusing than trying to drive for hours and trying to tour all the campuses," she said.

For their part, recruiters said area teens were making all the right inquiries.

"The No. 1 question is, 'What is your average GPA?' " said UC Santa Cruz representative Cecilia Medina. "The No. 2 is most popular majors and the third is location ---- 'Where are you?' ... I've been doing this for six years, and these are probably the most prepared (students) I've seen."

-- Contact staff writer Andrea Moss at (760) 739-6654 or amoss@nctimes.com.