GradSchoolFairs.com Sets Out to Reinvent Graduate Student Recruiting
Philadelphia, PA, April 14, 2000 -
Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. (EDU) has announced plans for its newest student recruiting service, GradSchoolFairs.com. The first GradSchoolFairs.com event will be held in the Ballroom of the Pennsylvania Convention Center on September 27, 2000. The concept blends a physical event (collection of school representatives), commercial sponsorship and a new element of a virtual fair by turning the event into a studio for web-based visitors.
The physical portion of the event will be held in the historic Ballroom of the Convention Center located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. Students and educators will be able to mix in the 32,000-square-foot ballroom. Technology will be available throughout the room through high-speed access to the Internet and remote GradSchoolFairs.com servers. The virtual event will be a webcast of the physical event along with interactive tools for a worldwide audience of both prospective students and recruiters.
Corporate participation will be a vital part of GradSchoolFairs.com. Companies that provide assistance to students will have an opportunity to present their services. Petersons.com and Access Group have already committed to the project. Negotiations are under way for a software partner that will be an integral part of the development of the virtual component.
Speaking at the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP) Conference, EDU Founder Mark Shay described GradSchoolFairs.com as "a reinvention of the traditional campus-based recruiting fair." "We are incorporating our years of student recruiting experience and our expertise in web development into a dynamic new forum for students and recruiters to interact," Shay said. "This will not be a one-time event. We are planning on expanding to other locations in subsequent years." EDU also produces the popular Gradschools.com online directory of graduate programs.
"Today's students want more than just a printed catalog and cannot always get the answers they need through the web," stated Shay. "We intend to merge all aspects of the school search process into a student-friendly, information-packed experience." GradSchoolFairs.com will allow students to meet school officials, view school information and upload personal information to schools of interest. Schools will be able to reach a much wider audience through the Internet portion of the event.
About EDU
Educational Directories Unlimited (http://www.edudirectories.com) is a unique college-oriented marketing firm that achieves a dynamic blend of academic purpose and commerce. Among EDU's computer-based recruiting tools are several comprehensive directories:
Gradschools.com, Studyabroad.com,
Distance.Gradschools.com,
English.Studyabroad.com and Studyabroadworldwide.com.
The company's success had been through reaching college students and prospective students through a variety of marketing vehicles on-campus and on-line. Through all of their professionally managed services, EDU continues to grow as a leading on-line college marketing service, connecting students with programs. For more information on Gradschoolfairs.com, or on EDU's services in general, please contact Mark Shay by phone at 484-766-9200, via e-mail at mshay@gradschools.com.
About Access Group
Access Group (accessgroup.org) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing access to education through affordable financing and related services. In addition to providing private and federal loans to graduate and professional school students, it also offers a variety of debt management materials and software, a need analysis service, and a host of online services for schools and students.
About Peterson's
Founded in 1966, Peterson's - a division of Thomson Learning, the nation's largest and most respected provider of lifelong learning online resources, software, reference guides, and books - connects education providers with education consumers so that both are more productive in the pursuit of teaching and learning. In addition to The Education SupersiteSM at Petersons.com, Peterson's other web sites include CollegeQuest.com, LifeLongLearning.com, and GreatSummerJobs.com. Peterson's serves over 55 million education consumers annually through its online properties and print publications.
Media Contact:
EDU Media Contact: Matt Ulmer, e-mail: mulmer@edudirectories.com