The Big Decision: Students Study Schools

The gym at West Essex Regional High School Tuesday night was filled with unfamiliar noises—rather than the squeaks of a late-night basketball game, it was instead a cacophonous bustle of curious students, solicitous parents, and college representatives.

This night marked the kick-off of what many hope will become an annual College Fair for high school students in the West Essex region.

"It's a great turnout," said West Essex Supervisor of Guidance Vincenzina Shane, director of the event.

"I basically selected the colleges based on where students had attended, plus competitive colleges," she explained. "I tried to make a well-rounded list of colleges."

Over the course of the two-hour event, there was no noticeable lull in activity, as students and parents continuously filtered in from the surrounding schools—Cedar Grove, Verona, Mount St. Dominic Academy, James Caldwell, and most prominently, the host school, West Essex Regional.

Fairfield residents Megan Myslak and Gina Egnozzi both attend West Essex. Egnozzi is looking to study animal science in college.

"I don't like people," she said, laughing. "So I might as well deal with animals."

While the mood in the room was lighthearted, students like Myslak and Egnozzi were serious about finding the right college.

"I want to live in a dorm," Myslak noted when asked about what she is looking for in a college. "I kind of want to get away."

Kevin Stocker, a student at James Caldwell looking to go into music management and production, also found the fair to be helpful in gaining information about a variety of schools.

"This [fair] is necessary for me because I'm not going to go check out [all] my safety schools; I'm just going to kind of read up on them," he said.

Megan McLeod is also from James Caldwell; she wants to run track in college. She identified the prospect of financial aid and sports as the two most important factors in her decision.

"I would go very far away if I got the opportunity," she said, later adding, "Basically, I want to see how much it costs, because the cost of the college means a lot and will affect my decision."

College representatives also appreciate the chance to meet with students and help them narrow down which schools to apply to.

"There is so much information out there for kids, it's kind of nice to have one place where they can get a lot of it," said Anke Kramer, representative for Princeton University.

While most of the 50-or-so schools were set up in the gym, Princeton and Harvard delegations were placed in the library. Kramer, from Princeton, maintained that she would have been fine in the gym.

T. Carter Hagaman, the Harvard University representative, however, asked to be in the library. "I don't know what went on in the big room," he said, reasoning that in the library, "It's quieter, and you can talk to people."

It appeared, nonetheless, that most students and parents were pleased with the event.

Rob Drumm, a Fairfield resident who is seeking a pre-law program, was, in retrospect, happy that he attended.

"I was kind of forced by my mom," he admitted.