FRHSD college night
moves to Brookdale
By dave benjamin
Staff Writer
One of the largest college and career nights in the state — the Freehold Regional High School District’s College and Career Night — will be held this year in the gymnasium of Brookdale Community College, Route 520, Lincroft, on Oct. 17 from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
"This is a first-time event," said Super-intendent of Schools James Wasser. "We’ve always sponsored a college and career night at one of our buildings. Last year we hit the breaking point. When I walked into Howell High School last year and into Marlboro High School the year before it was wall-to-wall people."
Wasser said district administrators invite college representatives to attend the event.
"This year we have 188 schools (colleges) represented," the superintendent said. "It’s the most we’ve ever had."
He said the change of venue will allow an additional 40 schools to exhibit at the college night.
Representatives from almost 200 colleges, post-secondary schools and the armed forces will participate in the college and career night.
Students and their parents will be able to obtain information on programs of study, admission requirements, tuition expenses, campus life and extracurricular activities, and later plan an on-site visit to further explore their top choices for higher education.
"Because we are a large regional school district with a high percentage of students who plan college attendance, we attract an unusually high number of colleges and universities at our college night," Wasser said.
Schools expected to participate include Rutgers, Princeton, Columbia, Temple, Cornell, Bucknell, Drexel, and Drew universities; the universities of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maryland, Con-necticut and Delaware; and Dartmouth, Middlebury, Barnard and Gettysburg colleges.
Wasser said that in the past parents and students from outside of the district have attended the event, adding to the turnout.
"So we decided after last year, seeing the size of the crowds that come, to make arrangements with Brookdale Community College at no cost to the district," he said.
The annual college and career night is jointly sponsored by the guidance departments at the district’s six high schools. The superintendent praised the guidance staff who organized the event and made the arrangements with Brookdale Com-munity College.
"It will be a wonderful event," the superintendent said. "There will be 188 colleges, so if you’re considering (college), this is the place to see them. These reps will have a wealth of information for the parents and for the students."
The FRHSD operates high schools in Colts Neck, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marl-boro. In addition to students from those six communities, students from Englishtown and Farmingdale attend district schools.
Free bus transportation from each of the six high schools will be available to and from Brookdale. Buses will leave each high school at 7 and 8 p.m. They will make the return trip from Brookdale back to the high schools at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m.