On Tuesday, April 18, juniors rushed out of their second period classes and hopped onto a bus to visit Montgomery County’s annual National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) College Fair. From 9:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., students had the opportunity to connect with representatives from over 275 colleges and universities and learn more about what each school has to offer. 

The fair, held at the Adventist Healthcare Fieldhouse in Boyds, hosted a variety of higher education institutions, such as four-year colleges, two-year colleges, technical and business schools, service academies and the military. A few notable colleges at the fair were University of Houston, North Carolina State University, Bryant University, Virginia Tech, University of Miami, University of Massachusetts Amherst and hundreds more. 

“I got to talk to schools I didn’t know much about and wasn’t interested in,” junior Maia Mancuso said. “I saw a station and said, ‘why not get the information to learn more about it?’”

Upon their arrival, students received maps from staff members to help guide them throughout the facility. School representatives distributed catalogs, view books and pamphlets for students to gather more information and narrow down their choices. Junior Emma Covas, who attended the fair, believes the experience was particularly valuable.

“I got a lot of good information from the pamphlets the colleges were handing out,” Covas said. “[The fair] was helpful because they have their information all in one place.”