On September 28, Milton hosted its annual college fair, welcoming representatives from 103 colleges to the Athletic and Convocation Center. This year marked a notable shift in format: instead of several small fairs throughout the fall, the College Counseling Office (CCO) organized one single, large-scale event for the entire Upper School. The event, which Angela Xu ‘27 estimated drew over 300 students, appeared, according to Anton Badushov ‘26, to be 30-40 percent larger than last year’s fairs.
Dean of College Counseling Laurén Carter explained that the change was designed to make the experience smoother for both students and admissions representatives. “In the past, we hosted multiple ‘mini-fairs’ each year. While they were well-attended, we realized that holding one larger fair would be logistically easier for college representatives and our students. The larger space also allows us to accommodate the entire Upper School and parents or guardians.”
Organizing such an event required significant planning. The CCO sent invitations to a wide range of schools, primarily those where Milton students tend to apply, while also accommodating high school students from other schools who requested to attend. Carter noted that the Office aims to include a diverse mix of colleges—near and far, large and small, national and international.
Shira Keitner ‘27 was surprised by the scale of this event: “We didn’t expect there’d be people from outside of Milton. So many people showed up.”
For students, the event carried different meanings depending on their stage in the college process. For juniors, the event was more exploratory. Xu said, “I've never really known a lot about liberal arts colleges, so I'm hoping to use [Colege Fair] to interact with people and really gain an understanding of what I want. Everything feels so vague and far away on a website.”
On the other hand, seniors arrived with more targeted questions. “In my junior year, it was just to learn about a lot of different colleges,” Sarina Miller ‘26 reflected. “Now, as a senior, I've honed in on my college list, so I'm asking more specific questions. I'm interested in science, so a lot of the questions are about research opportunities.”
Merikukka Koeppel ‘26 described the fair as a chance to “show face.” “I've talked to most of these schools already, but it's important to keep up those connections,” she said. “It’s about finding out more information and making sure they know I exist.”
Students who had attended fairs in previous years appreciated the new consolidated format. “I definitely preferred the bigger space,” said Sissi Ma ‘26. “It was less crowded, so I got to talk to most of the schools on my list. Last year, we had a fair at Babson and had to take a bus there, which was time-consuming. Having everyone in one place felt a lot more effective.”
Natalie Greenwood ‘26 expressed a similar view: “this year, we only needed to go to one event to figure out which schools we like and collect their information,” she said. “It's a little overwhelming, but I'm excited to talk with reps of each college and see what admissions officers have to say about their schools.”
First-time attendees described a mix of nerves in addition to excitement. “It’s terrifying,” admitted Remy Henderson ‘27. “Before I approach a stand, I worry about asking the wrong question—I get a little shaky. But once you start the conversation, things flow.”
Overall, Carter urged students to come prepared with specific goals and targeted questions, but to still keep an open mind and see the fair as an opportunity for exploration. “There are 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States alone,” she explained, “so it’s really important to see what’s out there.”