Diversity of Choices Available to Students at Golden Circle College Fair

ANKENY, IOWA – September 18, 2014 – The Golden Circle College Fair is being held next weekend in Des Moines and will showcase nearly 140 colleges, universities and career resources, creating an opportunity for those planning for college within the next couple of years to explore options.

“The Golden Circle College Fair is a wonderful opportunity for students and parents to meet with college representatives from an unprecedented number of colleges in one place,” said Casey McMurray, counselor at PCM High School in Monroe. “This is a great opportunity for parents and students to begin the college planning process. I highly recommend parents and students take advantage of this wonderful event and attend!” 

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. 28, at the Iowa Events Center in Hy-Vee Hall. Hy-Vee Hall is located at 730 3^rd 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 Jessica Schultz, 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.”

For the second year in a row, ACT, Inc. is partnering with ICAN to support the fair, bringing career resources and the expertise of ACT, one of the leaders in college preparation testing and research, to Golden Circle’s students and families.

“ACT brings a new level to Golden Circle and really expands the scope for students and parents,” explained Schultz. “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. ACT brings career expertise and data to a new level.”

ACT and ICAN will offer presentations throughout the fair to educate attendees on planning and preparing for college, as well as the financial aid process.

“This year we will offer two different sessions for attendees, one on college and career planning presented by ACT and one on the financial aid process presented by the ICAN team,” explained Schultz. “Sessions will be held every 30 minutes and include a question and answer session so students and parents can learn about the overall process and receives specific advice and information for their situation.”

More than 120 Iowa and Midwestern schools are joined by colleges from Tennessee, New York, Virginia 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 Ankeny, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Hiawatha, 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.