By Joe Nolan ’20

Beside the tempest of academics, activities, sports, and social lives, the juniors have also been caught up in the whirlwinds of the early stages of the college-application process. Standardized testing preparation, scheduling college visits for the summer, and general research about the process have all consumed a great deal of time for the Class of 2020. On Tuesday, May 21st, the juniors participated in another critical chapter of the journey – the school’s annual college fair, at which students and their parents were able to meet admissions counselors from nearly one hundred schools from all across the country.

Understandably, a majority of the students in Chaminade’s junior class have little idea as to what they want in a college: Do they want to attend a small or large school? How far away from home is too far? How important is the accessibility of nearby urban areas? All of these factors, among others, are imperative in one’s making a decision on where to attend college. The college fair sought to answer these questions and help the students gain a better insight as to how and where they want to spend achieving their higher educations.

Scores of colleges and universities were represented at the fair. The night saw the attendance of all kinds of schools, from Ivies (Harvard, Princeton); to small, rural schools (Colgate, Bucknell, Lafayette); and from athletic powerhouses (Alabama, Ohio State, South Carolina); to the so-called “Catholic Ivies” (Notre Dame, Georgetown, Villanova, Holy Cross).

Hundreds of juniors indulged in the opportunities that College Night offered. Sean McCosker ’20 expressed his appreciation for having been introduced to schools that he never thought he would even consider. “College Night blew me away,” Sean explained. “When I originally saw the roster of the representatives registered to attend, I didn’t see many of the schools that I had been seriously considering applying to and possibly attending.  Walking around the AAC, however, I was introduced to schools that I never would have considered had the admissions representatives not been present. I would definitely call Chaminade’s College Night very worthwhile.” Another junior, Sean Kelly ’20, had different reasons for his complimentary review of the evening. “College Night was definitely a success for me. While I did get to learn a little bit about a couple of new schools, being able to reconnect with schools that I have been in contact with this past year was the most beneficial part of the night for me. Being able to further demonstrate my interest in these schools is hugely beneficial in the admissions process.  There’s really not much more that one can ask for from a college fair.”