In less than three hours, some 70 students had come across Rhyan Burch's table. She wasn't complaining, though. The more interest she got in Franklin College, the better.
It wasn't that Burch, a Franklin College admissions counselor, had a better speech or a fancier table to draw the crowd. It was the unique setting that brought students by the busload to IPFW's Walb Student Union on Tuesday.
The Northeast Indiana College Fair welcomed nearly 100 colleges and universities for the annual event, plus hundreds more individual attendees, all interested in higher education.
“We're trying to pursue (a better life), and go down the right track,” said Elmhurst High School senior Chad Adkins.
The fair was sponsored by the Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling, Fort Wayne Community Schools, East Allen County Schools, Concordia Lutheran High School and IPFW.
Many local high schools bused students to the fair in the morning. The evening sessions were open for parents, as well.
Admissions counselors from schools such as Eastern Michigan University and Goshen College found the fair a great alternative to driving to individual high schools to visit.
“Fort Wayne used to have 15 different fairs in three days. We all hated that,” said David Wanko, marketing and recruitment director at Eastern Michigan. About three years ago, IPFW offered to host the fair.
