Frequently Asked Questions - USA College Day

 

Q: What is USA College Day?

USA College Day offers students and parents the unique opportunity to meet with representatives from US universities in London, speak with educational service providers and attend information sessions throughout the day. USA College Day represents the oldest and largest event of its kind in Europe. It has grown from a gathering of 200 students and 30 universities in 1977 to 3,000 visitors and around 100 institutions in 2008.

Q: I am a student/parent/advisor interested in attending USA College Day. Do I need to register in advance to attend? If so, how?

The event is free to attend for pre-registered visitors. Online registration opens 3 - 4 months in advance of the event (typically by the end of June). We encourage you to consider registering in advance via the USA College Day page after that time. Please note that each individual attending the event will need to register via the online system to ensure free entry.

Visitors may also register on the day of the event, but there is a fee of £5 per person for registrations made at that time.

Q: May we register to attend USA College Day as a family?

Yes. Families may register as a group via the online registration system. Whilst tickets are transferable, additional members to the party not included in the group ticket will need to pre-register separately online in order to ensure free entry.

Visitors may also register on the day of the event, but there is a fee of £5 per person for registrations made at that time.

Q: I am an advisor interested in bringing a group of students. May I register our school/college group in advance?

Yes. Advisors are encouraged to register groups in advance to take advantage of a separate and, typically, shorter queue for entry. To register as a school group, please email collegeday@fulbright.co.uk

Q: Which universities will be exhibiting at USA College Day this year?

The list of universities and educational service providers registered to attend is online. This page is updated regularly to include exhibitors as their registration forms are processed.

Please note that exhibitor registration typically opens in May, so our staff will be unable to confirm exhibitors earlier in the spring. Additionally, exhibitor registration usually closes at the end of August, so we recommend checking the list in early September to confirm whether the institutions in which you are interested are participating.

Even if the universities in which you are most interested are not exhibiting at USA College Day, you may still wish to consider attending. As explained within Choosing a University, many students end up finding a great match at a university or town they'd not previously heard of! Also, speaking to other US university representatives in-person will give you a better feel for the application process, as well as what US institutions are looking for in their applicants.

Q: Do I need to stay for the entire event (i.e. be present throughout the opening hours)?
No. USA College Day is a drop-in event, rather than a day-long programme.

Q: I am interested in postgraduate study in the US. Should I attend USA College Day?
USA College Day is an undergraduate study in the US fair. Prospective postgraduate students have attended in the past, but as university representatives are usually undergraduate admissions officers and recent undergraduate alumni, they may be unable to answer questions that you have about their postgraduate courses and/or the postgraduate application process. Also, the prospectuses that they have on hand will probably be targeted to undergraduates and, therefore, may not be relevant for researching postgraduate degrees.

If, however, you simply want to get a sense of what a university's campus climate is like, or the local area in which it is situated, it may be useful to speak to the exhibitors at USA College Day.

For postgraduates, the Fulbright Commission hosts an annual event called USA Grad School Day in the spring, which is a three-hour workshop about postgraduate study in the US.