Aspen to host 21st annual Western Slope College Fair on Sunday

Western Slope seventh- through 12th-grade students will return to Aspen this weekend to learn about the benefits of higher education and post-secondary programs at the Colorado Western Slope College Fair.

College Outreach, an Aspen nonprofit that connects students across the Western Slope with colleges, in part through the fair, expects over 200 colleges and universities to attend the event. The fair is organized and funded by the Aspen School District and Aspen Education Foundation, among other local entities. It will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the district’s campus — 235 High School Rd. 

“I think it’s the jewel in our crown,” Aspen School District Superintendent Tharyn Mulberry said of the event. “One of the best events we do.”

Over 82 Western Slope high schools will have students attend the fair, “often from smaller towns with limited access to college admissions officers,” a press release states. 

“This is the only college fair between Denver and Salt Lake City,” College Outreach Director Kelly Doherty said. 

She added that 2,000 attendees have so far signed up between students and parents, with some set to travel as far as eight hours to attend.

Among the higher education institutions expected at the fair are Stanford University, Yale University, Amherst College, Boston College, Colorado College, Colorado State University, California Polytechnic State University, Lewis & Clark College, Middlebury College, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Pitzer College, San Diego State University, and University of St. Andrews in Scotland, according to the draft list on College Outreach’s website.

“For all students, I think it helps the college process be more equitable,” Aspen High School Principal Sarah Strassburger said of the fair, noting that not all students can fly across the country to look at colleges in person. 

The fair will also present over 30 career and technical programs, and more than 35 workshops on the college planning process, according to the press release.

The career and technical programs at the event will include the culinary arts, welding, veterinary technology, automotive education, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and ski area operations. 

The interactive workshops will help students and parents understand financial aid and scholarships, college application essay writing, student-athlete recruiting, and alternatives to four-year colleges — like gap years, trade programs, and apprenticeships — and more. There will also be Spanish-speaking interpreters available at the event and workshops offered in Spanish.

Since the fair began over two decades ago, the portion of Western Slope students pursuing higher education has surged, rising from 38% to 60% — “a testament to the impact of our efforts,” the release states.  

Doherty said about a third of the thousands of students who have registered with College Outreach were first generation students, meaning their parents didn’t finish college, and 10% to 15% were “super gen’s,” meaning their parents didn’t finish high school. 

College Outreach encourages Western Slope students hoping to attend the event to contact their school counselors, as most high schools across the state will be providing bus transportation to Aspen. Doherty said three dozen buses from across the Western Slope will be providing transportation to the fair.

Karen Hawkes, post-secondary counselor for Aspen High School, suggested students and parents look into the fair’s programming on College Outreach’s website, https://www.cwscollegeoutreach.org/, to be best prepared for the event. 

“And see what colleges are coming and which ones they want to visit with, but also to keep an open mind, because they might find a college they’ve never heard of that could be a great fit for them,” Hawkes said. “The second thing they can do is they can meet with their counselors at their schools and talk about how to prepare for the fair and what colleges they should visit with, or what programs they should check out for trades or other programs.”

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.