College Fair—The View from the Other side of the Booth

I know my audience. I brought candy.

True, Wellesley College has enough going for it in its own right to justify a crowd of people around the information booth, but what’s the harm in hedging my bets with a big bowl of Dove chocolates? They’re wrapped in Wellesley blue, after all, and if nothing else the kids at Newton North will think well of the school if only because of my good taste in give-a-ways. I mean, come on, do they really need another #2 pencil?

The candy was a hit, no doubt. But I’m not so sure that I was. Out of a crowd of about 300, fewer than 50 kids stopped by the booth for information—and that’s counting the boys. I dutifully distributed flyers and answered questions as best I could. Average SAT scores? Yep, got that one covered. Guaranteed housing all four years? You betchya. Division One sports? No, sorry. Pre-med? Most definitely. Musical Theater? Not sure.

What struck me about the kids was that they so clearly were kids. Some of them didn’t look old enough to babysit, never mind head off to college. As a group they were polite, friendly, and engaging. By the end of the evening I felt genuine excitement for the adventure they were just beginning. Forgive my stating of the obvious, but these kids really are our future. And judging by the group that passed in front of my booth, I think our future’s in pretty good hands--even if they are covered in chocolate.