Middleburg Academy's Annual College Fair, this year set for Wednesday, April 2, is expected to bring close to eighty representatives from four-year colleges around the country to the local secondary school campus.

The college representatives, stationed at tables around the gym, are available to answer questions and talk about the courses of study and programs offered on their campuses. All students in grades nine through eleven attend the fair in shifts throughout the afternoon. Parents are also welcomed and, in fact, strongly encouraged to come, too.

This annual event is one of the largest of its kind hosted by an independent school in our area, and typically students and college counselors from neighboring schools including Foxcroft, Highland and Wakefield take advantage of Middleburg Academy's invitation to attend.

View the list of participating colleges and you will see an impressive range of higher education institutions, from the Virginia state schools to select liberal arts colleges such as Bates in Maine and Colgate in New York State, as well as major research centers including Johns Hopkins and Purdue University.

Prior to the event, Director of College Counseling Mrs. Jan Healy preps students on how to best take advantage of this event and also how to make a positive first impression.

She reminds them, in addition to other tips and advice, "That the representatives are gathering information about you and our school at the same time they are telling you about their college. Make a positive first impression – be friendly, maintain eye contact, and be respectful. The majority of these college representatives will be the first reader of the application you submit to their school."

Middleburg Academy's College Counseling Program is structured to assist each student in obtaining college admission offers that best represent their academic abilities, personal preferences, and co-curricular pursuits. Families are guided through the college placement process both generally – through orientation sessions -- and individually, in multiple, one-on-one planning sessions.

The college-preparatory school interprets "college preparation" in the broadest sense: preparing its students for the academic demands of higher education, but also helping each to develop his or her own moral compass in preparation for increased independence at college.