Fort Lee High School Hosts College Fair

Jamie Ciofalo, Director of School Counseling Services for grades K-12, smiled as he said, “We had such a great response from all the colleges. We even had to add a few more tables to accommodate the colleges that wanted to participate at the last minute.”

Last night Fort Lee High School's annual College Fair drew a full-capacity crowd. The gym was buzzing with representatives from 119 colleges and universities, parents, and students who were seeking information from the reps about the school, the course offerings, and the social environment. 

But college fairs don’t only serve the students; they also serve the colleges and universities that seek to increase their regional diversity.

Jacqueline Bauer, a representative from the University of Florida, said, “We’re looking to encourage more out-of-state students to consider our school.” To help in that goal, Bauer informed students that the University has increased the number of scholarships it awards out-of-state students. “98% of out-of-state students receive some type of scholarship from the University of Florida to help defray costs.”

Ciofalo said that the annual College Fair attracts so many colleges and universities because it’s timed to take place the evening before the Bergen County College Fair that’s held at Farleigh Dickinson University. “I like to hold our fair the night before the County fair to accommodate the parents who can’t make it on our night. It gives them another opportunity. And it also attracts more schools to our event.” 

Marcia Leon, Ciofalo’s assistant, is instrumental in helping to coordinate this event because she also assists with the planning of the Bergen County Fair. Additionally, guidance counselors assigned to guide students through the college admissions process, Diana Acosta, Laura Caddell and Kristen Kim, are key to making this annual event a success.

“I believe that information is key,” Ciofalo said. “The more information that we can provide for the students and their parents, the better equipped they are to make an informed decision.”

Ciofalo is in his third year with the Fort Lee school system. He began his career as a special education teacher. Upon continuing his education, he became principal of a special needs school and the Director of Guidance at Immaculate Conception in Lodi. “As a teacher and principal in special education, I discovered that I liked working in small groups and I liked being able to tailor programs for children to fit their individual needs.” 

Ciofalo was also a football coach for Lodi High School for 15 years. “I love coaching. I love being a part of a team dynamic.”

It’s that team dynamic and that razor sharp focus on a student’s individual needs that Ciofalo brings to the guidance department. Following the lead of the Freshman Academy, he decided to streamline the caseload of the guidance department to better serve both the individual and group needs of the students. 

“There are five guidance counselors. One is dedicated to the Freshman Academy. One is now assigned to sophomores, and three to juniors and seniors whose needs are vastly different from those of the underclassmen.” This system also makes the flow of information more fluid among the counselors. 

With 97% of FLHS seniors continuing their education after graduation, college fairs are an important resource. 

“Our students are ambitious,” Ciofalo says. “By the end of junior year they have a lot of information about the colleges that they’ve obtained through a program we use called ‘Naviance College Planner,’ where there’s link to every college and university.” 

Still, Ciofalo places a great deal of weight on the old fashioned face-to-face conversation. “Being able to meet face-to-face with a college representative is a key component to the process. We want our kids to have that personal interaction with colleges as a way for them to establish a connection.”

The college process can be a daunting task. Which is why Ciofalo and his team put so much energy into planning college events in an effort to provide as much information as they can to the students and parents.

“We host two college planning events each year,” he said. “The fall College Fair, which is open to everyone; and, a spring event for the junior class to get them ready to embark on the college process.” 

Ciofalo and his team emphasize the “guide” in guidance. “We never want the students, or the parents, to go through this process on their own.”

In describing the role of the Guidance Department he explains, “We’re here to serve the community of our students, and by extension, the community of Fort Lee.”

What Ciofalo likes most about working in the Fort Lee school system is the challenge of building new programs. “I like being a part of team that never stops working to improve programing.”

But for tonight, Ciofalo is focused on the college fair. If the enthusiasm of seniors Da Som Hong and Boram Choi is any indication, then the college fair was a rousing success. Although both young women are still uncertain about which college they’d like to attend they found the fair an invaluable tool in helping them with the decision making process. 

“It’s so exciting having all these colleges here at our school,” Choi said, trying to balance all the brochures and handouts she had acquired. “This will definitely help me make my decision.”