by Rachel Gerberick, College Access Coordinator, Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School
College fairs are an essential part of exposing students to different schools they might have not considered previously or cannot visit due to distance and expense. For two years, Covid has upended our usual cycle of bringing colleges and aspiring college-goers together. At least this academic year, vaccination enabled us to bring the colleges to our school for conversations with smaller groups and an appointment system.
Last month was the third college fair Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School hosted this year and the biggest one yet: 65 students signed up, and 52 were able to keep their assigned timeslots. We reached out to a variety of schools to fit everyone’s interests, including Temple University, West Chester University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Moore College of Art and Design, Orleans Technical College, Lincoln Tech, Manor College, La Salle University, and Block School of Leadership as well as military recruiters.
Earlier in this academic year the fairs were open only to seniors, but we wanted to focus this one of the 11th graders so that they come into the fall college application season with an awareness of their post-secondary plans. As a counselor, there is no better feeling than seeing the look in students’ eyes as they run up to you afterward with all of the goodies they collected at the fair, expressing how excited they are to apply to college.
Learn more about PEF’s College Access Program, one of the first in the city, at this link.
