How do I register for the College Fair?

A registration link will be added to the College Fair page of the OCSA website in the coming months.  Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores will simply need to click on the link, complete the registration process, and print out a page with their unique barcode which they will bring with them to the College Fair. Scanning this barcode at college booths indicates your interest in that school as well as adding you to their contact list for future communication. 

What is the expectation for student participation?

Juniors and Seniors will have priority access to all facets of the College Fair.  They will be expected to attend the booth fair at their grade level's assigned time, and sign up for workshops, panel presentations and master classes that interest them.  Interested Sophmores and Freshman will be invited to attend the last hour of the booth fair.

What is the purpose of the Master Classes, Panel Presentations and Workshops, and when will I find out what sessions will be available?

The purpose of these break-out sessions is to provide both students and college representatives opportunities for meaningful interaction and communication outside of the traditional booth fair.

What do I do if a college I am interested in is not participating in the fair?

We are happy to invite additional colleges based on your input. Suggestions can be emailed to leanne.beck@ocsarts.net.  Remember that it is unlikely that every college will be able to attend, but we will certainly do our best to invite a wide variety of colleges of nterest to OCSA students.

What food options will be available?

Food trucks will be parked on 10th Street on Thursday afternoon for students to enjoy.  Parents who choose to arrive early for the Thursday evening College Prep Sessions.are also welcome to purchase food from the trucks and join their students for dinner on campus.

Planning is underway for OCSA’s 2018 College Fair, which will be held on Thursday, September 20 and Friday, September 21.  The goal of the fair is to provide an opportunity for our students to explore a wide variety of post-secondary educational options.  Through discussions and interaction with college representatives from around the country and abroad, students have a chance to network and learn about the institutions that interest them.  We have listened carefully to the feedback from both our inaugural College Fair in 2016, and our expanded College Fair in 2017, and our leadership team is excited about the progress being made on this year’s event.  A few important details are listed below:

• The 2018 College Fair is again planned for two days, to allow for a large number of Arts and Academic Panels, Workshops and Master Classes.
• Juniors and Seniors will be asked to register for the fair, and will have priority access to the college representatives at the Booth Fair, Panel Discussions, Workshops and Master Classes.
• This year Sophomores will also be able to register for the fair, and the Booth Fair will be extended until 2:30 to allow both 9^th and 10^th graders the opportunity to visit the booths for a full hour at the end of their academic day.
• Although the Booth Fair will again be for students only, parents are invited and encouraged to attend the College Informational Sessions offered in the evening after the Booth Fair.
• Visual Arts, Digital Media, Film and Television, and Culinary Arts will be highlighted with special events during the fair.

Keep checking back for further details regarding dates and times, and other detailed information.  We’re looking forward to another amazing College Fair experience!

How can parents participate?

Parents are welcome to attend the Thursday evening College Prep Presentations.  The content of these presentations will include topics like Financial Aid, Stamdardized Testing (SAT/ACT), and Writing Personal Statements, as well as Panels on University of California & California State Universities,  Private Universities, Community Colleges, Arts Colleges and Conservatories

How can I prepare my child for the College Fair to ensure they have a meaningful experience?

One of the most important things you can do is to help your child create a list of colleges that he or she can focus on at the booth fair.  It can be overwhelming to see over a hundred college reps at their tables, and it can result in students wandering aimlessly rather than targeting those schools that are the best fit for him or her.  Help your student review the list of colleges planning to attend, which will be posted in early October, and highlight those of interest.  That way when the detailed map of college booth locations becomes available, your child can map out a plan and make the most of his or her time at the booth fair.  

Secondly, for parents of juniors and seniors, review with your child the numerous options of panels, workshops and master classes being offered on both Thursday and Friday.  Students are allowed to attend more than one break-out session, but will have to be thoughtful about creating a schedule for themselves by choosing those sessions they find most interesting, keeping in mind that some of them may be offered at the same time.  Your input could be helpful in this process.

Of course it's also important for parents to remind their child that they will be meeting representatives of colleges and universities, who are often on the admissions staff, and are involved in the process of reading and evaluating applications for enrollment at their school. Making a good impression on these representatives is very important. However, students should also be aware that the admissions reps are on their side. They are coming to OCSA to answer questions and provide information about their college or university that will be helpful to the students here. So remind your child to take advantage of this opportunity to introduce themselves to the admissions representatives as well as others representing the schools they are interested in. Face time with students is important for college reps and we want our visitors to get to know our amazing OCSA students.

If I have connections to a university and would like to offer a suggestion for a potential participant, what is the process?

We welcome your input. If you have a suggestion about a college that you'd like to see participate in the fair, please contact Leanne Beck in Student Services. We wil be happy to reach out to them and invite them to our College Fair.