Greeted by eager school representatives from universities across the country, more than 1,000 students attended the Graduate and Professional School Day fair in the Bryan Center Wednesday.
The GPSD fair, a biennial event sponsored by the academic deans of Trinity College, offered the opportunity for students to meet face-to-face the admissions officers who would otherwise only meet them through their paper applications. The fair brought to campus representatives from more than 100 universities, including graduate, medical, law, business and divinity schools.
The informal setting allowed students to learn more about various programs of study and begin forming their post-college plans.
"I think it's good to meet representatives in an informal setting," said GSPD Director Norman Keul, who is also an associate dean of Trinity College. Though thoughts of the next stage after college may "seem daunting," meeting the school representatives "demystifies" admissions and expels "unrealistic fears," he said.
The GPSD Steering Committee encouraged all undergraduates to attend, publicizing the event with school-wide e-mails, bright-colored balloons and an informative Web site that provides suggestions for participating students. Sophomore Joanna Bromley said she was impressed by how the fair reached out to students at all stages of their studies.
"I expected it to be geared towards juniors and seniors," she admitted, adding that she was pleasantly surprised to find the number of opportunities directed toward underclassmen. A recently declared economics major contemplating either graduate school or business school, Bromley was excited to learn that some schools offer summer programs to help undergraduates find their specific area of interest in a professional field.
Henry Granison, associate director of admissions at Cornell Law School, noted the broad range of interest levels.
"Some really know that they want to go [to law school], but some stop as they pass by because they are considering it," he said.
Regardless of their interest, Granison said he hopes to be a resource to students in helping them to decide which path is right for them.
Indeed, for some students, like freshman Amy Li, the fair provided a good opportunity "to get information and some brochures to look at later."
But for students currently in the process of applying to graduate or professional schools, the GPSD fair helped them to narrow down their choices.
Senior Vincent Ling, a law school hopeful and DUU major attractions chair, said he knows in general what schools he plans to apply to, but conversations with the representatives may ultimately solidify the final list.
"It's good to hear directly from admissions officers and get firsthand information," he said.
And though conversations with university representatives benefit many students, the GPSD fair also provides an opportunity for schools to recruit passionate students.
"Many schools want to come, but there's only so much space," Keul said, gesturing to the packed Bryan Center. But for both attending representatives and students alike, the fair is what Keul calls "a win-win situation."
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