More than 60 colleges and universities from across the nation will converge on Columbus State University’s campus for the Probe College Fair, giving local students an opportunity to personally interact with many schools at one time.

“CSU is very pleased to host the Probe College Fair, a truly great opportunity for students and parents in our area to learn more about universities and colleges of interest to them,” said John McElveen, CSU’s assistant vice president for enrollment management. “There is no easier, less costly or more efficient way to get a lot of the information needed to make a more informed choice when selecting a university or college to attend.”

Managed by the Georgia Education Articulation Committee, Probe is an annual college tour program that seeks to stimulate interest in post-secondary education for students in Georgia. Through the tour, students and their families are exposed to a variety of colleges – many that may not be as well known but can offer an outstanding educational experience.

“The purpose of Probe is to help connect Georgia high school students with colleges and universities across the state and country,” said Bill Smith, executive director of Probe. “Students and parents will have the opportunity to meet the college representatives and get their questions answered about each campus, admissions policies, scholarships and financial aid.”

The Probe college tour makes its next stop at Columbus State University on Tuesday, Oct. 20 from 6-8 p.m. in CSU’s Cunningham Center. The event is free to attend for anyone interested in going to college.

Students can register in advance for the fair at http://www.gaprobe.org/. While pre-registration is not required, doing so will give each student a unique bar code allowing college representatives to quickly capture their information during the fair. Students can then receive timely information about admissions, scholarships and visitations days from the colleges of their choosing.

In addition to registering, Probe recommends students follow these tips to prepare for the fair:

• Do your homework – Students should find out in advance who is attending the college fair and decide on which schools they are most interested in learning about.

• Make a list of questions to ask each school – Students should write down three to four questions to ask each college representative.

• Have a back-up plan – Students should have a back-up plan in case of illness or conflicting obligations on the day of the fair. Students can send parents in their place. Parents will play a major role in the decision making process, and it is a good idea to get them involved in the initial research process.