College Fairs at DAIS: Finding the Right Fit

In 2025, Dalian American International School has welcomed two college fairs to our school, where students met with representatives from universities and programs from all over the world.

During the spring fair on May 20, our students met with representatives from colleges and universities in Switzerland, Spain, Australia, Canada, the UK, the US, and China. With such a diverse selection of schools, students were able to learn not only about universities that are highly ranked, but also about the range of countries, systems of higher education, and career paths that were available to them.

During the fall fair, students met with a variety of institutions from North America, Europe, and Asia, offering strong programs in areas such as hospitality business management, business and marketing, medical school preparation, art, artificial intelligence research, and many more majors.

With over 20 universities from 7 different countries, the College Fair showcased an impressive range of global universities. Students of all ages at DAIS are empowered to be self-aware about their education and personal growth to foster a sense of agency. At this event, along with their parents, they had the exciting opportunity to meet Admissions Officers and gather information about university programs and requirements.

In addition, on September 18, DAIS welcomed Northeastern University’s admissions representative, who came to share about the university’s approach to experiential learning and global opportunities. The officer also explained the school's characteristics, advantages, and the detailed differences between various programs to our Grade 10-12 students. 

For students, it’s about much more than just picking up brochures. Since it is often not possible to travel around the world to visit universities in person, college fairs bring the universities directly to our school instead. Many students took the opportunity to ask about internships, admissions requirements, and international programs. These questions prompted students to critically think about their future, and practice communicating and analyzing information. All of this helped them to better understand the programs, support systems, and values that the universities offer.

Ms. Queenie Zhang, College Counselor: "I was very pleased to see that our students have fully engaged in the college fair, and I also heard many admissions officers giving very positive comments of our students. These events had successfully achieved our goals of guiding students for the college and career exploration."

College fairs give students a rare opportunity to look beyond rankings, and see the programs that each university has to offer, the support systems that surround them, and the values that they stand for. They are a reminder to the DAIS community that applying for college is about more than getting into a “good school,” but rather, finding the right fit for each student’s interests, goals, and future.

Written by: Hyunseo Kim
DAIS Grade 11