IACAC Collaborating with New York Times and CPS on College Fair

The New York Times College Life Fair will provide students and their families with a comprehensive introduction to the college experience. The fair will incorporate exhibits and presentations on admissions, as well as on the broader college experience, including academic expectations, athletics, student life, technology, health and wellness, career counseling, tutoring and residential life.

The event will be an interactive one, where attendees will have access to colleges, universities and other exhibitors who will provide them with essential and timely information about the process of applying to college, paying for it, enrolling and attending. Registration is open to all high-school aged students and their parents and/or guardians. There is no fee for admission.

“For many high school students and their families, the path to college admission can be a bewildering experience, rife with anxiety, misinformation and missteps,” said Felice Nudelman, executive director, education, The New York Times Company. “The Times decided to create this fair to provide a unique, interactive experience for college-bound students that exposes them to every aspect of college life and aids them in the decision-making process.”

In addition to exhibits, students will have access to the Spotlight Stage, a forum that will feature a rotating lineup of speakers who will discuss various aspects of applying to college, paying for college and succeeding once there. New York Times senior editor Jacques Steinberg, creator and lead contributor to The Times’s college admissions blog, The Choice, will serve as moderator of these informative sessions.

“Reporting and writing about education, and explaining these issues to readers with clarity and authority, have been a signature mission of The Times throughout its long history,” said Mr. Steinberg. “The New York Times College Life Fair will serve a ‘news you can use’ function. It is a natural extension of The Times’s existing education initiatives and deep coverage of the subject.”

The Times is collaborating on the planning process for the fair with the Illinois Association for College Admissions Counseling, a non-profit membership organization for counselors, admissions officers and other professionals. The Chicago Public Schools plan to bus thousands of high school sophomores and juniors to the event throughout the day. Students from other schools in Chicago and its suburbs are also expected to attend, whether during the day or in the evening with their families.