Admission Alumni Representative
College Fairs
A college fair is an important tool for introducing new students to Reed and to offering interested students a chance to ask further questions about Reed. Admission staff members travel to a number of fairs around the country, but are unable to travel to all the fairs worth attending.
College fairs are large gatherings, usually in gyms, auditoriums or cafeterias, in which students are able to browse a large and diverse range of schools. Because of this environment, the nature of contact with students varies a great deal. You'll find that fairs do not maximize the one-on-one focus we prefer to give each prospective student, but that they still offer chances for positive contact.
College fairs provide an excellent avenue for a curious student to become a prospective Reedie. You may receive many questions irrelevant to Reed, e.g. questions about sports medicine, business, or physical therapy. Because Reed will not be a great school for everyone who is at the fair, be sure to spend time with students who have demonstrated interest, as opposed to trying to present Reed to every passer-by.
Admission counselors for each region determine which college fairs are worth the participation of our alumni representative. Volunteers will be asked to attend a local fair about a month in advance, and will be asked to provide a mailing address for college fair organizers to distribute pertinent information about the fair.
As the date of the fair approaches, volunteers will be mailed materials to take to the fair (tablecloths, college fair cards, a poster, mini viewbooks and general college information for distribution).
On the day of the fair the volunteer will go to the location and set up the Reed table. During the fair the volunteer will stand at the table and be available to prospective students, families and college counselors. At the end of the fair volunteers should mail leftover materials and interests cards back to the admission office. We also encourage communication about the fair, so admission staff can evaluate whether the fair is worth attending in the future. With this in mind, please fill out the College fair report form after the conclusion of the fair. For more information on general college fair expectations, please explore the NACAC brochure on guidelines for alumni representatives at college fairs.
What we need from a volunteer:
- long term scheduling ability
- ability to transport materials