College Fairs- Important Questions to Ask

Hi there, it is a beautiful morning on campus at Black Hills State University! It is good to be back on campus after my first week of college fairs in Colorado. I visited Elizabeth, Colorado Springs, Fountain and Highlands Ranch in Colorado last week and visiting with students there was great! There were a lot of interested students who asked some great questions. I will be back in the office this week so don’t hesitate to shoot me an email if I visited with you last week and you have any questions. There are always lots of things happening on campus to stay updated on such as Preview Days and home athletic events. If I haven’t been to visit your school yet, don’t worry I will be traveling throughout Colorado and South Dakota throughout the fall. Make sure to check out the BHSU on the Road calendar by visiting www.bhsu.edu/visit. Make sure to let me know if you don’t see your school on the list!

Most juniors and seniors will visit a college fair sometime this year and it is important to use the college reps to your advantage. They hold a great deal of knowledge about their school, so ask the right questions to determine what schools meet your needs. Below is a list of questions that you can use to break the ice and learn about what schools have to offer.

1. What are the admission requirements?
2. When should students apply for admission?
3. What factors are emphasized in the admission process? For example, how important is GPA, test scores, letters of recommendation, early applications, etc…
4. What materials are required to apply for admission? Letters of recommendation, test scores, etc…
5. What are the most popular majors?
6. Does the college give credit for AP scores? CLEP scores?
7. Does your college require ACT or SAT scores? Does it matter for admission or scholarships which test I take?
8. How much is tuition, room and board? Is there an annual estimated cost and what does it include?
9. What percentage of your students receive financial aid?
10. Does the college offer scholarships and how do I apply for them?
11. Are freshman required to live on campus and for how long? What are the different types of housing available?
12. How large is the school? How large are the classes?
13. Are freshman taught by professors or graduate assistants?
14. What are some of the social and recreational activities on campus and the surrounding area?
15. What athletics are offered and how do I begin the recruitment process?
16. How can a college visit or tour be arranged?

You can see that there are many things to be concerned about when selecting a school so asking the important questions first will help you along the way. Remember to contact us if you have any questions, want to visit campus, or want to see if a BHSU rep will be visiting your school. I hope to see many of you as I travel throughout the fall! Go Jackets!

Emily Pier
Black Hills State University
Admissions Counselor
Emily.Pier@bhsu.edu