The Montana College Fair holds annual college fairs at the University of Montana. This event includes Polson and Flathead high schools in addition to those in Missoula. Colleges and universities set up stands in the University Center with flyers that hold information about the unique majors and courses that they offer. Some stands include information on how and when to apply as well.
This event is for juniors who will soon be deciding where they want to apply. For some students deciding where they want to go is difficult and many put it off to the side to worry about later. This college fair provides information on different schools from all around the country, handfuls of these schools were Montana based but many came from the Pacific North West and the South. Seeing these schools gives ideas of areas that students may want to live in or communities that they like and would fit in with.
A special thing is that the college fair provides information about WUE, the Western Undergraduate Exchange, which is a scholarship for a handful of schools in the west that gives a lower tuition to students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher that reside in a western state. The higher your GPA is above 3.0, the more money the scholarship will provide you with. This really does help students stay motivated towards good grades. Many students and parents are unaware of this scholarship, so the college fair brought this opportunity to many students’ minds. The WUE award is valued differently at certain colleges, but the award provides around $13,000-15,000.
The schools in this year’s college fair were very diverse in what they specialized in, which provided many ideas revolving around what they may major in for students. Even students who already have been set on a school and who have an after high school plan had many other backup options brought to their attention, which is always a great safe option. The college fair wasn’t only colleges, there were stands for the army, airforce and even the postal service, so as to not make students feel like college is the only option for them after high school.
This year’s college fair was an excellent experience and opportunity for students to make decisions for themselves. The college fair is annual so if you are a current sophomore at Hellgate make sure to attend and follow the sign up requirements at the beginning of your junior year.
