Crowded halls and overstuffed rooms burst with anxious teens perusing hundreds of colleges with parents in tow (or possibly the other way around). The 21st annual College Night commenced on Sept. 15 at the Fresno Convention Center.
After six years of running this event, Jennifer Quinn, special project coordinator of Fresno County Office of Education, is convinced this event is necessary for all high school students.
“With so many students, counselors are not able to sufficiently answer all of their college questions,” Quinn said. “This event provides one stop shopping for anyone who is interested in going to college.”
Many students went to the college night because they wanted to view their options for further education.
“I wanted to see how many opportunities I could find, and I also went just to see what it [College Night] was all about,” Rebecca Wilson, ’06, said. “I learned that students should start looking for the college they want to go to early and not rush at the last minute. I also got great advice from people that I met there.”
With about 6,000 people attending (one of the biggest turnouts ever), many of the representatives from the colleges were exhausted by the night’s end, but satisfied that the event was a success.
“Since we [UC Davis] have no regular representative in the Valley (San Joaquin), this event helps people learn about our school,” Jacquelyn Ross, assistant director of admissions for UC Davis, said. “There are even alumni from our school here so that high school students can ask questions to get an idea of life at the campus.
The event also provided “”break out”” sessions throughout the evening, focusing on specific elements of getting into the college of choice. There were even a few sessions in different languages to match the ethnic backgrounds of our city.
“I hope students are overwhelmed, in a good way, with all the options out there,” Jon Endicott, vice principal said. “There are workshops on how to get into college, financial aid and scholarships.”
For further college ideas, the First Baptist Church will host the Christian College Fair on Sept 22 from 6-8:30 P.M. Contact Endicott for more information at 299-1695, ext. 5.
For more information on the National Association of Christian Colleges, go to www.naccap.org.” “Jennifer Schmidt, Staff writer” “Over 6000 students attended the annual Fresno Area College Night with over 100 universities and colleges presenting on Sept. 15.” “” “” “National Association of Christian Colleges
