On Oct. 16, the Pascack Valley Regional High School District counseling department hosted
its annual college and career fair in conjunction with Northern Valley Regional High School District at Pascack Valley High School.
The fair provided students with an opportunity to speak directly to representatives from their organizations of choice; students were able to ask questions about anything that piqued their interests.
In total, 132 universities, 9 career trade schools, and 2 branches of the military were in attendance.
PV students Brady Babcock (Jr.) and Liam Marcanontio (So.) weighed in on their experiences at this year’s college fair.
“I got to learn more about different colleges, and it helped me get an understanding of where I may want to go,” Babcock added “[The college fair] was great, and I think they should keep doing it maybe even twice a year.”
“I learned a lot of things from all of the different schools, and the fair gave us a little bit more information about them, and it really helped me with my future college choice,” Marcantonio said.
At the college fair, each student is given a barcode that can be scanned by each college, and when scanned, they are signed up for the college’s email list.
This year’s fair saw an amazing turnout from the students and parents, with over 1,000 attendees and 859 students scanned in—an increase from the 817 in the previous year. Across both gyms, there were 4,035 total student-college interactions logged. However, the District Director of School Counseling Sean Struncis said that many students forgot to scan in, meaning the actual number is likely higher.
“For seniors, it’s a chance to connect directly with admissions officers who may be the first to read their applications,” Struncis said. “For juniors, it’s a great way to start exploring and building relationships with colleges early.”
According to Struncis, the college fair has been a tradition for many years.
“We’ve always had a college fair at Pascack Valley,” he explained. “For the past 24 years, we’ve alternated hosting it every two years with Northern Valley. It’s a tremendous opportunity for our students to gather information, ask questions, and establish connections with admissions representatives.”
While the fair is for the students, it also helps Pascack Valley Regional grow its connections with colleges.
“Having these colleges on our campus not only benefits our kids, but also puts Pascack Valley on the map as a strong academic community,” Strunics said. “It’s rewarding knowing we can provide this experience for our students.”
