On February 28th, 2023, junior students at Atlantic County Institute of Technology had the opportunity to come in close contact with people who represented colleges from all over the country. The junior class had the chance to discover what type of options they had for the future in reference to college. Students got to discuss and hear from the representatives about what type of majors they offered and possible visits to future open houses at their respective colleges. The colleges part of the event included the University of Alabama, Rowan University, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and all sorts of other colleges. After the college fair, we asked some students what they thought about the event, the overall college experience, and the future that lies among them.

“I got more value talking with colleges than I initially thought. At first, I wasn’t interested, but then as I started talking with more colleges, I wanted to learn more,” said Leon Gazzara, a junior in the Media Production academy at ACIT. “I learned a lot during the college fair, I learned about the recruitment process and certain requirements for different career choices. I registered myself for college websites for Alabama, Temple, and the University of Connecticut,” said Carmine Sausto who is a Math Engineering and Science junior at ACIT.

Along with these students, Ashley Fedeli, a student producer of ACIT Redhawk News, recently interviewed guidance counselor, Victoria Ragone, about the college fair and this is what she had to say. “The main purpose of the fair is to provide our junior class with an opportunity to speak with College Admissions Representatives in person and familiarize themselves with various future opportunities. Hosting it here on campus at ACIT allows for all of our juniors to attend without inconveniencing their weekend or night routines. It also allows them to navigate the fair with fewer people around, giving them the chance to speak with more than a few schools in their designated time slot.” Ms. Ragone also explains what she wanted juniors to take away from the event. “I hope the students become excited and feel less intimidated about speaking with college representatives. I hope that from here they can move forward with curiosity about what they want to do after ACIT and explore those options with confidence.” Finally, she gives great advice to all juniors in regard to the future. “My advice to all students is to start exploring their future as soon as possible. Look at schools, careers, and all of their options to see what fits best. Waiting until senior year is ultimately too much work to cram in such a short amount of time. Get out there and see what option is best for you!”

As we heard from people around ACIT, the college fair made more students interested and involved with college and their futures. Overall, the college fair was a huge success. More students are focusing on what they would like to do in the future and this shows that students are committed to their own futures. With the increasing amount of students thinking about the time ahead of them, it is possible that more college fairs can take place and help other students decipher what they should do in the advancing years to come.