When freshman Jada Witherspoon entered the field house to attend the college fair, she said she didn’t know what to expect.

Witherspoon said she hadn’t given college much thought, but after talking to admissions counselors March 16 , she realized she had a lot to think about.

“Everyone was into it and asking questions,” Witherspoon said. “I really started thinking about college and what I want to do.”

According to Witherspoon, she learned about many colleges she hadn’t known about.

“North Dakota State University stood out for me because it is a really good school and had a nice amount of tuition money,” Witherspoon said.

According to career and college coordinator Kara Mueller, this is Park’s third year hosting a college fair.

“Since it’s a Minnesota education college fair it’s predominantly a Minnesota college fair but some neighboring areas come too,” Mueller said. “Also, the opportunity to hold it on our own site gives students more security.”

Mueller said the idea of hosting the fair came from Park’s counseling department.

“Our counselors decided to do it. They’re extremely active in the Minnesota Association of College Admissions Counseling (MACAC), which puts on the fair,” Mueller said.

Junior Erin Anderson said the fair gave her a better idea of the colleges in the Twin Cities area.

“There were one or two colleges I had never heard of,” Anderson said.

According to Anderson, she tried to take time and think about the booths she wanted to visit.

“I really took interest in Drake University because it had a lot of the majors I was looking for,” Anderson said.

Witherspoon said although she’s only a freshman, she enjoyed the ability to explore different booths.

“It’s important (to have a college fair) so people can get an understanding of different colleges and what they want to do in college,” Witherspoon said.

Mueller said she encourages students to take the fair seriously.

“You don’t know what you don’t know and all the experience can bring many opportunities,” Mueller said.