On Tuesday, April 21, WJ‘s junior class made a trip out to the Montgomery County fairgrounds to visit college booths and determine which universities they are interested in applying to. The fair hosted tents from prestigious out-of-state universities such as University of Michigan and several University of California schools, as well as from schools right here in Maryland, like University of Maryland College Park and Baltimore County.

Junior Nico Ballon, who attended this year’s college fair, found the event helpful for those interested in speaking with college representatives and adding or crossing schools off of their growing lists. Though he thought the event would be held outside, it took place inside a large tent, and was therefore a bit crammed.

According to Ballon, buses arrived to the fair grounds a little before 10 a.m., and students promptly received a list of colleges with representatives and stands in attendance. Students were then free to move from station to station and visit with college speakers.

“I personally made sure to visit American University and UMD, but it was nice being able to talk to college reps from other states that are harder to visit because of how far [away] they are,” Ballon said.

At 11:20 a.m., students were given time to sit, chat, and eat lunch before heading back to the buses at around 11:45 a.m. and returning to school.

“Have an open mind about all…potential colleges and never count one out without talking to a rep…Budget your time to ensure you can talk to all the college reps you want to talk to, and make sure you have questions in mind about the important factors you consider when applying,” Ballon advises students planning on attending the college fair in the future.

Overall, Ballon is thankful to the colleges who came out for a good and educational experience. He, along with many of his peers, was able to gain extra information about colleges he was already interested, as well as new schools.