2018 Santa Monica College Fair: A Preview

Students attend the Fall College Fair on October 13, 2015, at Santa Monica College Main Campus in Santa Monica, California. (Dotan Saguy/ Corsair Staff)

Santa Monica College will be hosting its college fair next Tuesday, April 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the main campus, taking place on the quad throughout the whole walkway.

Maria Bonin, Articulation and Transfer Specialist, is the one in charge of the fair that happens every semester. “I think it's important for them to realize that all these schools are here because of them; SMC is well known for the high caliber of students that are academics," Bonin said. "It prepares them very well to move on to a four-year school, and so these schools are coming from all over the world.”

The college fair is one of Bonin’s biggest events of the semester as it's a long process to organize. Since the end of January, Bonin has been sending invitations through social-planning website Evite to schools to be a part of the college fair. Approximately 140 schools have confirmed to attend.

In order to prepare for the event, students can read the pamphlet of the college fair that the counseling complex and other offices have all around campus. The pamphlet provides tips and questions students can ask the college and university admission representatives. Many topics like finances, housing, safety, service, and internships are discussed in the pamphlet. 

Counselors are also available to help students decide what school they would like to attend based on what directions the students are interested in taking.

Bonin says the college fair is a great example of the school's competitiveness as a transfer school. “The majority of them [SMC students] do come to SMC because we are number one in transfer," she said. "Students should take advantage of the opportunity where these schools are coming to them, it's a one-stop shop for the students to be able to talk to these representatives who are working for these institutions," said Bonin.