Aiming Higher for Their Education, Students Gather at Shady Grove Event

More than 1,000 students from 16 Montgomery County high schools and about 700 from 14 schools in Prince George's rotated through the seventh annual college fair last Tuesday.

Students, who were given white plastic bags and a sheet of questions in English and Spanish about college admissions, were allowed about an hour to visit with admissions officials stationed around a large conference room. They picked up brochures and filled out information cards while visiting tables representing such local schools as Montgomery College and American University as well as more far-flung colleges such as Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and Roger Williams University in Rhode Island.

Pausing to chat with friends, Blake junior Tyler Gates, 16, of Silver Spring, said he thought the fair was a good idea "so people know what's out there. A lot of these colleges people probably never heard of."

The table manned by Montgomery College officials was one of the more popular stops. Students stood two- to three-deep waiting to fill out information cards and talk with the officials.

Maria Davidson, coordinator of admissions recruiting, said the community college is popular with county high school students, drawing 25 percent of seniors each year. Low cost, a diverse student body and an open admissions policy are some of the attractions, she said.

"We just want them to be aware of everything we have to offer," Davidson said.

The school's open admissions policy is particularly appealing for students who have limited English skills and would have difficulty achieving the SAT scores necessary for admission to other institutions, Garcia said. If students do well at Montgomery College, they can transfer to another school.

"Students know it's a school where they can begin," she said.

The U.S. Army Reserve Recruiting table was another popular spot as students flocked around the young men wearing combat fatigues and handing out black carrying bags.

As one student questioned whether he would be sent to fight if he joined, Staff Sgt. Stephen Ramos of the Army's Rockville recruiting station office answered him frankly.

"You're probably going to go to Iraq or Afghanistan," he said. "I've been twice."

Ramos said he also explains to potential recruits that joining the Army is a life-changing decision that should be more about choosing a career than just about earning money for college.

"It's too big a decision to base it solely on getting money for college," he said.

Some students attending the fair said they wished that more schools had been represented. Watkins Mill junior Michelle Almeida, 16, of Germantown, said she was surprised by the number of students who had come.

"I see a lot of Latinos are really interested in college," she said.