Represent CSU at a college fair

Alumni attendance to college fairs is managed through Undergraduate Admissions.

If you receive a request to attend a college fair or wish to find out if there is a college fair open to alumni volunteers in your area, please complete the interest form at the bottom of this page and a CSU staff member will contact to you.

Preparing for a college fair

The following information can help you prepare for volunteering at a college fair. Whether this is your first college fair or your 50th, it’s a good idea to become familiar with these general guidelines. We hope this information will help you feel confident as you talk with prospective Bucs and their families!

Once you’ve arranged with Undergraduate Admissions to attend a college fair, we will mail your Buccaneer box at least three weeks before the event in order for materials to arrive on time.

If there is a local college fair that you would like to represent CSU at, please submit the College Fair Materials Request Form at least three weeks prior to the fair for admissions to approve your attendance and mail your materials.

Please watch the College Fair Training Video and review the following resources:

  • Know the recruiting principles we follow and be familiar with examples of ethical and unethical behavior.
  • Review the links on the recruiter resources page to learn the answers to some frequently asked questions.
  • Review the reference materials, supplies and handouts in your Buccaneer box.
  • Download the Charleston Southern PowerPoint Presentation to show on your personal iPad or laptop. Music is a no-go, talking to students/families is your #1 priority!
  • Complete the Alumni Rep. Response Form online the day after the fair and return completed inquiry cards and any leftover recruitment materials in the return envelope provided in your Buccaneer Box.

If you have any follow-up items that need immediate attention, contact the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at bwatkins@csuniv.edu.

Best Practices in College Recruiting

As a member institution of the National Association for College Admissions Counselors, Undergraduate Admissions at CSU is committed to ethical standards in its recruitment of prospective students.

The following are some of the guidelines, taken from NACAC’s Statement of Principles of Good Practice, that must be adhered to by all alumni representing CSU.

Alumni representatives agree that they will:

  1. Provide information about our university that is current, accurate, and factual.
  2. Have no more than three alumni representatives, including admissions staff, behind the college fair table at one time.
  3. Remain behind your assigned college fair table at all times. Talking with students and distributing materials in the aisles is not permitted.
  4. Arrive on time at the fair and staff the table for the entire duration of the college fair hours.
  5. Not distribute small gifts such as buttons, pennants, candy, pens, pencils and other items. Only academic materials provided by Undergraduate Admissions can be given to students and their parents at a college fair.
  6. Not speak negatively about another institution.
  7. Not call students or families to the table or booth at a college fair. They must approach you.
  8. Keep audio visual equipment confined to the college fair booth and volume levels to a minimum.
  9. Not violate any building rules or ordinances by displaying balloons, stickers, and elaborate displays not permitted at the college fair.
  10. Not sell products at the college fair.

This represents a small portion of NACAC rules and regulations regarding alumni representation at college fairs. All alumni and admissions representatives intending to recruit for CSU must familiarize themselves with NACAC rules and regulations. For the entire NACAC document, click here.

Best Practices for Prospective Student Interaction

It is important to remember that when interacting with prospective students or family members our goal is to provide the information they need to make a well-informed decision when choosing a college. CSU has much to offer prospective and current students. However, we realize that we are not the best choice for everyone. Our goal is to admit students who will have the best chance of earning a degree and who will also have an overall positive and successful college experience.

Please follow the guidelines below:

  • Be enthusiastic, and professional. You are CSU in the eyes of the students you meet.
  • Wear a nametag noting CSU alumni designation.
  • Know current tuition and general facts about the university. You can find this information on the Overview brochure that came in your box of materials or at charlestonsouthern.edu.
  • Say “I don’t know” when you don’t. If you are uncertain about the answer to a question, please direct prospective students and family members to the appropriate source, i.e., either Undergraduate Admissions at 843-863-7050 or enroll@csuniv.edu.
  • Enjoy yourself!
  • Make any statement, guess or promise regarding the possibility of a student’s admissibility to CSU. Many factors are considered when making an admissions decision besides a student’s ACT/SAT score and GPA. Therefore, only Undergraduate Admissions can make decisions regarding admissibility based on the student’s entire profile.
  • Make any comment or promise regarding financial aid eligibility. Please encourage students to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on or after October 1.
  • Sit at the college fair table eating or reading the newspaper and/or other materials.
  • Solicit students from other representatives at a college fair.

Recruiter Resources

Please become familiar with these useful online resources to be prepared before attending your first event. These links are a guide to everything CSU!

College Fair Interest Form


College Fair Materials Request Form