This was no ordinary college fair held on Sunday, September 14 at the LSMSA. Harvard, Yale, Princeton and each of the other members of the Ivy League were in attendance as were MIT, Caltech, and Rice for a total of 37 top-tier colleges and universities from all over the country. This unique program was put on by Yale University’s admissions office as part of the STORY (Small Town Outreach, Recruitment and Yield) program in which representatives from top selective colleges and universities come together to travel to rural areas which are not commonly visited in the normal course of events.

Four hundred and seven students and their families took advantage of this wonderful opportunity to meet with the college and university representatives. The event started with presentations on different types of colleges & universities, financial aid, applying to colleges and other topics. The attendees then went to the LSMSA’s gym where they met with the various representatives.

This year’s fair is the second visit for the group. The fair represents a life-changing opportunity for the young people of our area. Quite simply, there is no other place in the entire state of Louisiana in which one can meet with admissions officers from such an impressive array of institutions. Central Louisiana is indeed fortunate to have such an opportunity.

The Journal Services Family would like to thank the staff of the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts for hosting the fair and graciously inviting all interested families to attend. We would also like to extend our thanks to the young men and women from each of the superb colleges and universities who took time from their busy schedules to visit our state.