The Atlantic High School college fair was hosted on Sep. 25, between 9:00-10:15 a.m. Fifty-eight colleges and universities, vocational schools, and military representatives attended along with 450 students from Atlantic, Griswold, ACGC, and Audubon. The goal for the college fair was to open lines of communication between the colleges and the students, according to guidance secretary Gina Honke.

The college fair was open to high school students. Freshmen and sophomores were encouraged to attend as well as upperclassmen. Teachers invited the underclassmen to begin conversations and spark an interest in colleges, while juniors and seniors used the fair as an opportunity to access more detailed information. Honke said this college fair was a “one-stop-shop.”

Atlantic High School encourages students to attend college fairs mainly to start their process of thinking about life after high school. Honke said it allows students to talk with adult representation of the colleges and hear different perspectives, and it is a good experience for basic knowledge about the colleges. This way when a visit takes place, the student has some background. 

The college fair took coordination between the guidance office, custodial staff and Iowa College Access Network who contact and organize the colleges. Students registered to make the process easier when getting information from colleges.