District college fair set to host more than 100 programs
Representatives from between 100 and 120 universities, colleges and career services, along with the armed forces, are slated to be present Saturday for the 26th annual Burbank Unified College and Career Fair.
“This is for everyone to come out and learn about college and about where you might want to go in the future,” said Ani Aslanian, Burbank High’s college and career center adviser, who is in charge of the event. “We’re hoping to get as many students, parents and members of the community out as possible.”
Aslanian said representatives from several Cal State and University of California institutions will be in attendance, while officials from institutions such as UCLA and Loyola Marymount will highlight regional schools.
Representatives from Glendale Community College, Los Angeles Valley College, Santa Monica College and other community colleges will also be present.
Aslanian confirmed that Kaplan, a for-profit provider of educational services, will be presenting seminars on preparation for the SAT and ACT tests, while a financial-aid presentation, courtesy of Los Angeles Mission College, is also on the schedule.
The advantage of attending such an event, Aslanian said, is getting a taste of the application process, while also getting ahead of the competition.
“One thing that I tell students is that you should go introduce yourself and fill out an information card,” Aslanian said. “What happens is that, later, when you’re applying for that school, your name pops up that you’ve tried to contact them and get information and that’s a plus for them.”
The event is not just geared for high school students, but also for those in middle school who are curious about the college selection process.
“The younger they are, the better,” Aslanian said. “It’s good to expose the kids as young as possible, in eighth grade. I had my son attend when he was in the seventh and eighth grade[s]. It’s great that the kids see what they’re working for.”
The college and career fair was once a mainstay of Woodbury University, but was moved to the high schools for financial reasons, said Mariela Campos, Burroughs High’s college career technician.
Burbank and Burroughs high schools take turns hosting the event, with the 27th annual fair set for 2019 at Burroughs.
“We didn’t take a head count at Burroughs last year, but I think you can estimate we had around 1,500 people there,” Campos said. “I’m expecting around the same numbers this year at Burbank. We contacted not just our district schools, but also other area high schools.”
Campos said it was difficult to put a number on the total number of schools participating because some never arrive, despite making a reservation, while others show up unannounced and are assigned a table.
For Campos, the fair offers an opportunity for community education outside the classroom.
“Having the capability to work with these kids and having them discover, ‘Hey, this is a school I never thought about, but maybe I’ll be able to apply to get into,’ is rewarding,” she said. “Just opening those doors that perhaps they didn’t know about is the biggest satisfaction for me.”
The Burbank Unified College and Career Fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday in the gymnasium at Burbank High, 902 N. Third. St.
