With the beleaguered appearance of a university student during finals week, Frontier High School senior Tyler Cotterman paused to assess the stack of college brochures and pamphlets piled in his arms.

Cotterman was among dozens of other high school students from Delphi, Twin Lakes and Frontier high schools who spent time Wednesday afternoon at Twin Lakes High School, host of the annual Carroll/White County Regional College Fair, sponsored by the Indiana Association for College Admission Counseling.

The fair, said Twin Lakes Guidance Counselor Jerry Whybrew, is an ideal opportunity for students to take a look at a variety of colleges, universities, vocational schools and military branches while making their post-high school decisions.

“It really exposes kids to colleges they might not have looked at otherwise. In some cases, it puts a face to a school, and that tends to yield a more positive interaction,” Whybrew said.

Sarah Wurtz, a guidance representative from Indiana State University, was on hand Wednesday afternoon to give students personal attention and answer any questions about the school such as majors offered, living arrangements and available scholarships. The ability to answer such inquiries firsthand, she said, is the benefit of such fairs.

“It allows us to have a wider audience, and it's an easier way for students to approach schools — to get that first contact,” said Wurtz, who added that she has seen an increase in e-mail correspondence with prospective students following a college fair and that can also help make a better match between student and school.

Although Cotterman said his list of school choices was narrowing to Purdue, Indiana, Southern Indiana and Ball State universities, the stress of deciding the fate of his future was no less intense.

“There's definitely pressure to know what you're doing. Schools are more competitive now; even out of state kids have to be in the top 10 percent of their class. So I need to decide as soon as possible,” he said with a knowing look.

Cotterman said factors such as academic departments and financial aid will play a big part in his final decision. But he noted a deep commitment to 4-H. Coupled with his duties as a teaching assistant to seventh grade band students at Frontier, Purdue's agriculture education program may be where he's headed.

Some students, like Frontier junior Katie Potts, were feeling a little less pressure at Wednesday's college fair and were using the information from various schools as a starting point in their college application process.

“I don't know what I want to do, but I wanted to see what I could find and talk to some people in person,” said Potts, who is considering a career in the medical field.

Delphi High School senior Alysia Caldwell walked the rows of admissions booths with friends Jenilynne Hall and Alyssa Lewis Wednesday, discussing future college options.

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