The Charles County College Fair is traditionally the first field trip of the school year for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) high school juniors and seniors. They visit the convocation center at North Point High School to talk to representatives of colleges and universities, the military and trade schools about “life after high school plans.”
Like so much this year, things are going to work a little differently this go around.
The 23rd annual Charles County College Fair is Wednesday, Sept. 16, and will be held virtually. CCPS students and parents will connect live with admissions representatives through video conferencing using Zoom, Webex, and Google Meet on the day of the event.
Students will access a database housed in their CCPS Microsoft Teams account to attend the college fair virtually. Counselors for juniors and seniors will email additional information to students early next week, and the database will remain available after Sept. 16 for students and parents to reference.
At the virtual fair, college and career representatives will hold hour-long live sessions during which they will discuss admissions requirements, the application process and take virtual campus tours. The fair has two sessions — one from 9 a.m. to noon, the other from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Students can “visit” a school on the hour. The first 30 minutes include a presentation, with the second half reserved for questions and answers.
More than 75 colleges and universities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), U.S. military branches, and trade schools will be represented at the virtual fair. The College of Southern Maryland will hold a live financial aid presentation virtually from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Parents and students can join the financial aid Zoom meeting on the evening of the fair at the 23rd Annual Art Fair Virtual College Fair.