Massapequa UFSD students Aggie Lesser and Kenneth Geyer, who also attend Nassau BOCES Long Island High School for the Arts (LIHSA)
, recently impressed representatives from 26 colleges and universities across the country. The duo networked with reps at this year’s LIHSA College Fair, making profoundly positive first impressions and establishing a foundation for admission.
“After the event, a number of college reps called and emailed saying how blown away they were by our students’ talent and professionalism,” said LIHSA Guidance Counselor Melissa Stencel. “They were equally impressed by how well prepared the students were.”
Among the colleges represented were Boston University, Penn State, New York University, Wagner College, Montclair State University, James Madison, Hofstra University, PACE, the Fashion Institute of Technology and several SUNY schools. 
At LIHSA, students are guided through the college process step-by-step by their program directors, guidance counselors and teachers, who help them with everything from college applications and essays, to portfolio reviews and prescreening of performance recordings. Once all the applications have been submitted, the process of individualized scholarship searches begins.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our students,” said Stencel of the fair. “They are able to network with colleges on their home turf, allowing the reps to see where they perfect their craft. It can be overwhelming at first, but our artists rose to the challenge. Student response was fantastic…we’re very happy with how it turned out.
“Hosting the annual College Fair provides our students with an opportunity to acquaint themselves with the programs of more than 25 colleges, universities and conservatories,” said Jack Lenson, Interim Principal of LIHSA. “This helps students to evaluate their options and make informed decisions about college applications. The fair also gives college representatives an opportunity to see our students perform and to affirm that our students would make substantial contributions to their programs.”
