Concordia College Convention

By Kenneth Shu 
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This year’s daylight savings day was marked with a special occasion at the Concordia International School: it was the day of its annual college fair. The fair, a brief 2-hour excursion, features a grand variety of universities from around the world, and an equally grand amount of students trying to look for their favorite colleges without getting lost within the maze of booths and representatives.
 
Spanning from the cafeteria to the gym, one could easily spot the plethora of booths and eager college representatives standing at bay. From the east coast to the west—or the rest of the world for those seeking a college beyond the US—the choices were quite numerous. There were your typical safety schools, the target schools, and the select few reach schools that dotted around the campus. The choices were many, and would have, for the average student, been a head-twisting site to behold.
 
Of course, as with most college fairs, there were always the few select booths that are crowded with people, and then there are those that are as barren as the Trump White House. It might be tempting to spend the entirety of 30 or so minutes waiting for that one reach school that everyone is crowding around, but in reality it’s probably best to avoid the Times-Square-esque chaos until all options have been exhausted. In such rare experiences, as Counselor McCracking stated during the Junior grade level meeting that week, “it may be best to strategize and explore some of the lesser known schools”, perhaps to pique or discover an interest that one had previously not have thought of.
 
For the majority of participants that came, most had already devised a list and meticulously planned out which universities they intend on visiting. By setting an agenda, this would minimize the clutter and prevent any tangential distractions.
 
Overall, the Concordia world college fair presented a comprehensive array of universities and options for the many international students of Shanghai to sample. Albeit not fully inclusive of the college spectrum, the fair provided a diverse opportunity for its attendees to interact with the very attendees and alumni of such schools, and provided a furthered understanding of the college lifestyle.