Colleges Come to Cartersville

Thursday could be a big day for soon-to-be graduates of local high schools, as the Georgia Education Articulation Committee brings its Fall 2011 PROBE College Fair to the .

Set for 9 a.m. to noon, the fair is free and open to high school students and their families.

Parents should attend the information session, at which students can research about 80 schools, including academic requirements, financial aid and more, according to , which interviewed Paige Miller, director of the Etowah Scholarship Foundation.

It's the fair's only scheduled stop in Bartow County, but stops in Rome, and Cherokee, Cobb and Paulding counties are set.

With the tour of fairs, GEAC hopes to stimulate interest in post-secondary education by bringing together students, parents, counselors, administrators and representatives of post-secondary educational institutions including, but not limited to, colleges and vocational-technical schools.

Stops provide local high school students a chance to speak one-on-one with representatives from colleges and universities in one central location.   

“For many families, finding the time and resources, especially with the price of gas, to visit colleges and universities is tough,” said Bill Smith, executive director of PROBE, in a press release. “By bringing the PROBE college fair to the students, they are able to be exposed to schools they might not otherwise have a chance to experience.”

For more information and to view the fair's fall schedule, visit www.gaprobe.org. For a list of colleges, click here.