Jointly-held Fair Brings College Recruiters to the Area

It’s fall, which means that—for high school seniors across the nation—the college application process is heating up. This week, Eastchester students joined their peers from Tuckahoe and Pelham High Schools for the annual Joint College Fair, making the most of a chance to meet with admissions representatives from a wide range of colleges and universities and gain valuable insights into how to navigate a sometimes opaque and confusing landscape. 

Scores of students from the three high schools—and representatives from roughly 75 colleges—packed the Pelham Memorial Middle School gymnasium on Monday night, marking the fourth successful college fair since the long-standing tradition was revived following the Covid-19 pandemic. EHS Guidance Chair Heather Reilly said that over the past few years, the event has grown back to pre-pandemic levels and that colleges are eager to participate in the fast-growing expo.

“It’s been so great to hear from college counselors; they always tell us that they look forward to receiving this invitation,”said Reilly. “I think the word is out there within the college community; they love coming to meet with our students, and we’re really happy with how ingrained this has become for both students and college counselors.”

The event afforded students a chance to speak with college counselors about academic programs, campus social life, financial aid, and a number of other topics germane to the college application process, Reilly noted that, even if this is the first time students were communicating directly with a college rep, they had a blueprint to follow in order to make sure they made the most of this opportunity. 

“Some students might not know exactly what to ask, but we provided them with a list of questions that can be a good start,” said Reilly. “As students go through this process, they learn more about what they’re looking for, and they have a better idea of what kinds of questions they want to ask.”

Reilly added that, even as Eastchester High School continues to welcome more than 100 college representatives to EHS to meet with students during the school day throughout the year, the three school districts will continue to collaborate on the annual college fair, which will be hosted by Eastchester again next fall. 

“We’re already looking forward to it,” she said. “We’ve made sure to connect with the college admissions counselors who were there, and we love the teamwork with our neighboring districts. It really benefits all of us; we’re able to attract more colleges from further away because we can offer them a chance to meet with more students.”