Successful College Fair for Palomar

Turnout for a college fair April 22, was better than previous semesters, with over 100 students actively participating, according to organizers.

Previous college fair events, sponsored by the San Diego Education Consortium, have been located in the grass next to Palomar’s iconic clock tower. This year the event was held nearer to the Student Union on the cement.

Placing the event on the main thoroughfare of the campus was highly effective in bolstering attendance and participation, Brittany Wong of the Transfer Center said.

At the event, students had to get at least four stamps from the different tables before they could spin the wheel for a prize.

“So they had to actually talk to us, they couldn’t just get the stamps, so that was good. It brought them over to us,” Jessica Bradley from Brandman University said.

Jay Oshiro from Columbia College said that he was “pleasantly surprised because it was set up in conjunction with Earth Day, so there was a lot of traffic.”

The SDEC includes many colleges in San Diego. Events such as college fairs provide a great opportunity for students to have quick access to many different options for their schooling, Wong said.

Private schools that are part of the consortium include Alliant, Azusa Pacific, the Art Institute, Brandman University, Columbia College, Devry University, Webster University, Embry-Riddle, National University, San Diego Christian College, FIDM, The New School, Point Loma Nazarene, University of Phoenix, University of Redlands, Woodbury school of Architecture, and many more.

Private schools allow students the flexibility to create their own majors, blend classroom and online education, and have a more personal atmosphere with the professors and administrative staff.

“I think the more students can see us and know who we are and what we offer, the more likelihood there is that they will think about our school when they are considering transferring,” Bradley said.

Palomar caters to those with jobs, children, siblings, and other responsibilities who may not be able to attend school full time. Palomar’s partnership with other private schools strengthens the bond between educational institutions in San Diego.

The college fair was paid for by the SDEC and was made possible in part by donations of raffle items and contributions from the schools which were in attendance.