While most college fairs are free, some require that you register. At registration you may be given a name tag, a map, and a brochure that lists all the participating colleges and their contact information. Depending on the size of the college fair, there may be information sessions on topics such as financial assistance, scholarships, and application procedures. There may be panel discussions about how to decide on the college that is right for you, and audiovisual presentations by the colleges.
At the college fair, you may be able to talk to guidance counselors one-on-one to get advice about which college is best for meeting your career goals. You may have the opportunity to speak to admissions representatives about the application process of that college. Be sure to have a list of questions ready for this activity as this is your opportunity to dig deeper and get the answers to questions about your specific situation. You will also be able to compare the answers of different college representatives.
The purpose of the college fair is to offer prospective students information about a college. From the perspective of the college, this is an opportunity to market the college and try to entice students to apply. At the various tables or booths, free giveaways may be stationery with the college's name on it, pens, pencils, rulers or calendars.
Depending on the types of colleges that are at a particular college fair, there might be dramatic or musical performances by current students. These performances serve both to draw attention to the college and to showcase the talent at the school in various artistic fields.