This year, the Fair will have a slightly different format which organisers feel will maximise the impact of the event for both students and attending colleges. We are taking the Fair on the road!

On Day 1, the Fair will be held at CedarBridge Academy, and on Day 2, at The Berkeley Institute. On both of those days, the students of the school will be able to visit the fair throughout the morning, giving them plenty of time to talk to colleges. In the afternoon, the college representatives will be given tours, and have meetings with school counsellors and staff, thus allowing them to gain a better understanding of Bermuda's school system.

Students from all other schools will be able to attend the Fair from 3 p.m. — 4.30 p.m. on Thursday, December 3 at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

Additionally, ALL ARE INVITED to attend our Community Evening on Thursday, December 3 at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess.

The Community Evening will start off at with an information session in the Gazebo Lounge from 6 - 7 p.m., and will provide attendees with information on scholarships, and details about applying to schools in the US and the UK. From 7 — 9 p.m., the Fair will be open to the general public in the Princess Ballrooms.

We are hopeful that this new format will allow us to reach even more students, rather than just those in their senior year, and give them all the tools they need to 'Step into their Future!'

Below is a guide to how you can make the most of your time at the 2009 Bermuda International College and University Fair:

BEFORE THE FAIR - ON YOUR MARK

* Review the list of colleges BEFORE coming to the fair. Do a bit of research so you can narrow down who you ABSOLUTELY want to see.

* Start off with those colleges that offer the programme you want.

* Narrow it down further by looking at college size, and location.

* And slim the list a bit more by considering tuition.

* Print off a sheet of mailing labels with your information. Most colleges will have inquiry cards that they will want you to fill out, which will place you on their mailing lists. You can save a lot of time at the fair by bringing along self-stick labels to place on the cards. Include your contact information, e-mail address, birthday, high school graduation date, GPA, and areas of interest.

* Prepare a resume. Even if you are a high school student (see article on how to do that in this supplement!). Handing out your high school resume at college fairs will show college representatives that you are a go-getter. College reps like to see students who have made the effort to compile a resume. Your resume will allow the representatives to see what kind of a student you are and allow them to take it back to their colleagues in college admissions for review.

* Complete an application. What better way to submit your application than face-to-face with the admissions officer at the fair? If you are looking to head off to college in 2009, then NOW is the time to complete your application. Many universities have earlier deadlines for international students (that's us!) so get it filled out and hand it in.

AT THE FAIR - GET SET

* Ask questions. Tons of 'em. Your reason for being there will pretty much dictate the sorts of questions you should ask. Parents, you'll most likely want to know about tuition! Students may be more interested in campus life. And those of you that are a little older and looking to go back to college may be most interested in what programmes are offered. Use the 'Questions to Ask' article in this supplement as a starting point.

* Are financial aid and scholarships offered to international students? What is the average class size? Do you have a laptop programme? Do you accept the GCSE/IB/BSC/AP? What type of housing is available? What are your sports facilities like? And so on and so on… Make sure you have a pen and notebook to jot down notes about the colleges.

*Be sure to visit with as many colleges as you can. This will give you a diverse group to choose from. Remember that there will be some colleges there that you've never heard of - but that shouldn't deter you from stopping and seeing what they have to offer. Don't focus on only the big-name universities - you may be pleasantly surprised.

AFTER THE FAIR - GO!

After gathering information from the universities, you may now have a better idea of what you really want from your college experience. Perhaps you liked that one college allowed you to take a dual honours programme, but preferred another college's urban location. Knowing what you want will take you one step closer to finding it.

Once the International College Fair is over, you may end up with bags and bags of booklets and brochures and you don't want them to just end up in the back of the closet.

* If you are hoping to be college bound in 2009, now is the time to determine if you want to attend any of the colleges they saw at the fair. Take an online tour of the schools by visiting their websites. Download applications, or apply online. Time is ticking, but there are still many colleges whose deadlines haven't passed, so spend your Christmas vacation filling out applications.

* Perhaps you didn't see any colleges that were 100 percent what you were looking for. Remember, there are literally hundreds of universities out there, and you shouldn't waste time waiting. Websites like www.petersons.com, www.schoolfinder.com, or www.collegeboard.com allow students to search for colleges based on the qualities they want. One of the great things about a college fair is that it shows you that they have choice! And now that you know what you are looking for, you will be able to find it.

* If you have another year of senior school, or are planning to attend Bermuda College first, you have some extra time. But not much! You'd be surprised how the years fly by. Get a head-start on the college search. Look through the information you received at the fair and compare the different colleges, including admission requirements, tuition, and locations.

* And with the flyers you picked up at the scholarship corner, you can begin making a list of the scholarships you would be eligible for, and the corresponding criteria.