The Unbranded College Fair Brings a Fresh Perspective to College Search

The Unbranded College Fair is back for year two–this year with 80 schools for students to explore, ranging from small liberal arts colleges to large public universities.

While the college admissions process can often be an overwhelming or stressful experience, College Counseling’s mission is to help students keep an open mind, and even bring some fun to the process with their unique twist on the typical college fair.

When students and their families enter the gym, instead of seeing flashy signs and rows of college names, they see college representatives at blank tables with only a number and a list of five distinguishing facts about their school. Assigned to a random number when they walk in, students and families wander the gym without a destination, intended to help them discover schools they might not expect.

“The purpose of the fair isn’t just to seek out the colleges you already know – it’s about tapping into what you’re looking for from the next stage in your education and seeing what the US (and the world) has to offer,” shared Associate Director of College Counseling Nick Dillman.

Jerry Chen ’25, who is just starting his college search, was inspired by the unique layout. “I’ve been passive through the typical process, and haven’t focused on where I want to study next. This event helped broaden my perspective on how the college search process works as a whole without focusing on a specific college,” he reflected.

Irina Briskin ’25 shared how the fair helped her discover new options for her. “It’s so much better when you don’t have the predisposition of the school when getting to know them. I can focus on what I like and not what society wants me to think about the school.”

She came into the night hoping to find a school that fits her varied interests. “When I found a school that had a competitive powerlifting club team, a biotechnology and pre-med program, is test-optional, and out of state, I became so excited and giddy,” She shared. “It ended up being Case Western.” Thanks to her conversation, she is looking forward to planning a visit to the school soon.

The event does more than just benefit the students; it helps the college representatives build more genuine connections with families.

“The conversations are better,” said a representative from St. John’s University. “You have to think about the school beyond their academic programs and really reflect on what makes the school distinct.”

Similarly, a representative from Goucher College noted, “I love the challenge of students really thinking about what they want rather than what they think they want.”

Dana Bulger ‘25 shared her feedback on the format: “You can be impressed by schools you didn’t look into before. Going in blind, you don’t have the name tags associated like when you’re doing a normal college search.”

“I hope the students understand now that in addition to the popular colleges, there are so many other colleges with the same background that might be a great fit,” commented College Counseling Office Manager and College Representative Visit Coordinator Terry Tuttle.

College Counseling is committed to guiding George School students to options that support their individual interests and personality. Nick explains, “this idea of finding the right fit is aligned with the College Counseling’s Office’s overall philosophy – it’s about identifying schools that match a student’s personal values, enhance their education, and provide the most ideal overall experience.”