Higher Ed Utah

It feels like spring is finally here! The impulse to run around outside is pretty much irresistible this time of year. But before you exchange all thoughts of school for thoughts of summer, read this. The Utah Council and UHEAA are hosting six college preparedness nights this May, and if you (or your kids!) are a sophomore or junior in high school, you should come to one of them!

These events are a chance to meet representatives from Utah’s institutions of higher education, learn about financial aid, the admissions process, and what resources are available to help you plan for college. Also, there will be cookies. I don’t know about you, but the possibility of cookies is always a good incentive for me to go somewhere.

Desserts aside, these events will be a really great opportunity to get the edge in preparing for higher education, and there are a few things you can do to make the most of them.

• Learn about the schools who will be there. You can find information on Utah’s colleges in the 2011-2012 High School Guidebook. If you have questions about a specific college, this will be a great time to get some answers! Write them down in a notebook, and bring it with you to help you remember the answers.
• Set up a “college” email account: firstname_lastname@gmail/yahoo/hotmail.com. It’s going to leave a better impression than, for instance, crazy_katz@whatever.com. (Hint: this “I’m a serious adult” email address will also serve you well when you apply for jobs.)
• Gather business cards. If you talk to a representative and really like their school, get a card from them and email them later with more questions!
• Go to the information sessions. These events will be set up with a college fair and information sessions on financial aid, UtahFutures, and admissions. The sessions will be 30 minutes each and will probably answer a lot of your questions. And if the presenter doesn’t answer your question, ask it!

Now that you know how to prepare for these events, you may be wondering where they are.  You’ll find the locations of the events below.  Click on any of the school names to register.

• Weber State University
• University of Utah
• Salt Lake Community College
• Utah Valley University
• Southern Utah University
• Utah State University-College of Eastern Utah

See you at the fairs! -UHEAA