College fairs are often offered in different locations around cities and suburbs.  They are a way to gather information about many institutions in one place.  There may be hundreds of college representatives at these events.  Most commonly, these representatives stand behind tables and offer information about their institutions.  Though it is not usually an event to get engaged in long conversations, you can get a large amount of printed information from a variety of colleges in a relatively short amount of time.  Also, you can introduce yourself to the college reps from the schools that you may be interested in.  Please refer to the page on college reps to see the importance of these relationships.

Talk to your school counselor or search online to see if there are any fairs in the area.  If possible, it is best to come to a fair with a list of colleges that you would like to visit.  First, find the list of colleges who will be attending the college fair.  Then, use the "Free college searches" link on this site to learn more about the colleges that may fit your needs.

Even without any preparation, go to the fair and pick up information to start looking at.  If nothing else, it is a starting point for your family's search.  Spring of sophomore year would be a good time to attend your first fair.

Here is a link to national college fairs in my area to serve as an example.  Around larger metropolitan areas there are many smaller fairs that still have hundreds of colleges in attendance.  Please talk to your school's guidance department about local fairs.