<p>Hi- I feel like I just saw a thread like this somewhere on here, but I couldn't find it just now, so sorry if this is redundant.</p>
<p>Seeing as I'm in such close proximity to Eastman, I'll be going to their college fair in October, but many of the schools that will be there are also visiting my high school. I feel like when they come to my school, however, it will be more geared towards other majors/those undecided and more general aspects of the school. Is it worth it to go talk to the schools when they come to my school or should I just wait until the fair at Eastman?</p>
<p>In D's case, HS visit reps were more general in nature and could only say things like, "We've got a great music program here at Dingbat U." There were a couple of exceptions of the ones she attended, notably Lawrence.</p>
<p>That being said, we felt that music and arts related college fairs weren't all that illuminating either, beyond an initial working list to get more info. It was the web college searches, emails and road trips that were the key thing.</p>
<p>If the college fair at Eastman is labeled a "performing arts fair" you'll probably get a bit more detail than at a general college fair scenario. The general info sessions are really just that... general. You should have a bit more luck at the PA type of dog and pony show, as the staff sent is sometimes more knowledgeable about music program offerings.</p>
<p>It's a place to get some general info, pick up some brochures, etc. You may get real lucky and be able to talk to an actual student in the program staffing the table.</p>
<p>Realistically, much of the info you will get is available through the web. </p>
<p>Personal visits to the shortlisted schools are the best option. </p>
<p>Just my experience for both s & d, one music, one in a specialized animal care discipline.</p>
<p>The college fairs I attended, including one performing arts fair, were rather hectic -- usually a rep or two from each school sitting at a table covered with brochures and hard to have much of a dialogue. You can pick up some nice pens from Juilliard, etc., but the information is limited. The individual college sessions at the high schools could be informative and the rep is often on the admissions staff, so it is good to establish some rapport and register an interest in the college. Schools with music programs (such as Oberlin or Northwestern) may not send a rep who knows much about the music, but they may know a lot about how the schools work, financial aid, etc.</p>
<p>well, molto, even though I've read on CC that the fairs aren't the best option, my singing S and I have taken the train to DC and are going to the College Fair for Performing Arts tomorrow at Kennedy Center, so I'll let you know what it was like (can't go to the closer NY or Boston shows because of singing conflicts; this fair has the advantage of being earlier, too). We may not learn much, but I can't imagine we will come out knowing less--I hope not, anyway. We figure that he will be applying and then visiting for auditions, if he passes prescreening, in some places. Just no time to visit all the schools before application, even if that is the best option.</p>
<p>Of course, the schools we will line up to talk to are the ones where everyone else will be. But we've got a list of questions and will pick up literature (even though we have buckets of info from the mail and printed from the internet) and maybe that nice pen, even though Juilliard is not on S's list. (I printed out many pages from CC and read them on the train and S was a captive audience.)</p>
<p>The college fair at Eastman last year was so mobbed it was nearly impossible to get near the tables. My S was able to gather some brochures and they had info cards that interested students could fill out to get on mailing lists. But we found that the main benefit of the fair @ Eastman was to look at Eastman itself.</p>
<p>Even after extensive study of viewbooks and websites, and even after talking to people (not at college or performing arts fairs though, but actual students he knows), I will say that the deciding factor on where my son wants to audition was made by actually visiting the schools himself.</p>
<p>There was nothing more vivid than experiencing the school, professors, students, practice rooms and performing spaces in 3D. The first place school dropped off his list entirely, and another rose in his mind, after visiting.</p>
<p>I do agree that the best option is to visit schools (we've been to a few)--S simply doesn't have time to see them all before applying, so will count on visits during auditions or after acceptance (fingers crossed!) to decide. Of course, since no auditioned music program is a sure bet, who knows what will happen in the spring? S is applying to two close-by schools (that he will visit) that only ask for supplemental materials, not auditions, but these are BA programs, not BM. If no acceptances, he may take a gap year and sing, somewhere. Then he'll have time to visit schools!</p>