Diversity of Choices Available to Students at Golden Circle College Fair

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA – September 23, 2013 – The Golden Circle College Fair is being held next weekend in Des Moines and will showcase nearly 150 colleges, universities and career resources, creating an opportunity for those planning for college within the next couple of years to explore options.

“Being in this profession for 13 years, the Golden Circle College Fair is by far the best college fair I have ever been a part of. I strongly encourage all students and families interested in post-secondary education to attend,” said Ryan Williamson, counselor at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. “This fair provides the most diverse display of colleges and universities from across the country. The amount of information shared is unprecedented.  I can't speak highly enough about the Golden Circle College Fair.”  

A college fair is the ideal place to learn more about schools students might consider too far away to visit, too expensive or exclusive, or otherwise unattainable. Presented by the Iowa College Access Network and ACT, the fair runs from 12:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, at the Iowa Events Center in Hy-Vee Hall. Hy-Vee Hall is located at 730 3rd Street in downtown Des Moines.

“We really encourage high school sophomores and juniors, as well as others in the planning process, to visit college fairs,” said Jennifer Coffman, event coordinator and program coordinator for the Iowa College Access Network® (ICAN). “The Golden Circle is a great fair to attend simply because so many schools exhibit. Students can talk one-on-one with representatives of schools from across the country in one afternoon.”

A new feature of the fair this year is the addition of career resources such as ACT, Inc. ACT, one of the leaders in college preparation testing and research, will offer presentations throughout the fair to educate attendees on planning and preparing for college.

“ACT brings a new level to Golden Circle and really expands the scope for students and parents,” explained Coffman. “In today’s every-changing job market it’s important for students to not only plan for college put to have a career path in mind when they are making college decisions. The addition of ACT to the fair this year brings career expertise and data to a new level.”

More than 100 Iowa and Midwestern schools are joined by colleges from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, among others. To see the complete list of exhibitors, visit www.ICANsucceed.org/goldencircle.

Students can also find suggestions for preparing for college fairs, making the most of their visits and what to do after a fair online. ICAN advises fairgoers to make a list of questions for schools and to take preprinted address labels to stick on college information cards. An additional option is the College Fair Barcode, a pre-fair service that lets students register for and print out copies of a personal barcode to be scanned by colleges in lieu of completing information cards. For more information about the Golden Circle College Fair, or to register for a barcode visit www.ICANsucceed.org/goldencircle.

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About ICAN

The Iowa College Access Network is a nonprofit, educational organization. ICAN is the College Access Network for Iowa, and a member of the National College Access Network (NCAN). ICAN has eight locations in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Orange City, Ottumwa, Sioux City and Waterloo, which provide information and support to students and their families as they plan their postsecondary education and apply for financial aid. All ICAN programs and services are provided without charge. For more information about ICAN, call (877) 272-4692 or visit www.ICANsucceed.org.c