The virtual college fair is all the rage. No longer crammed in a high school gymnasium or Holiday Inn conference space, high school students and their families are milling between college tables virtually. At one college’s virtual space, they hear about the best study abroad options. And over here, a college recruiter is waxing scientific about the most cutting edge undergraduate research being done by students at their university.

It’s a whole new approach, developed as a result of COVID-19, but one I believe will have real staying power. It’s a brilliant way for students from across the country (and internationally) to meet with college representatives without having to travel 1000s of miles.

But how do students make the most of this virtual college fair?

It’s a question I posed to several event promoters. Their advice was spot-on. I present it below in the TOP THREE things to do at a virtual college fair.

1. Review which colleges are going to be at the fair and make a point to visit the online spaces for 3-4 ‘must see’ colleges. You only have so much mental bandwidth. Direct it to learning about the colleges that you have more than a moment’s interest in.

2. Come up with a single question you want to ask all your ‘must see’ schools. Of course, you can (and should) have more than one question in mind. By asking at least one common question to all the schools, you have a point of comparison when you look back over your notes.

And number three is so important I set it apart from the other two pieces of advice.

3. Be present and LISTEN! Okay, so boldfaced and all caps may be a bit overkill but I don’t think so. This is the last and most important piece of advice because it is often the hardest. With all we have to do, our minds are often racing, thinking about the next thing on the ‘To Do’ list. If you are going to make the most of the virtual college fair, then you have to be there. Fully —- in body and mind.

Once you are logged on, you have to summon the energy and focus to listen. Not to think about the next question you want to ask (which is hard not to do). Not to multitask on your phone (which may be even harder not to do). But to really listen to the answer for the ONE question you asked. Only when you listen closely, carefully will you be able to come back with a good follow-up question to take the conversation even deeper.

This is how you are going to be able to set one or two colleges apart from the rest. It’s not the glossy viewbook sent in the mail; it’s not the non-stop email. It’s in the answers to YOUR questions. Because if the person at the virtual college fair cares enough about you and your interest to fully answer your question, then you can be pretty sure the rest of that college’s staff and faculty are going to care enough about your experience to ensure it is spectacular.

I want to give a shout-out to Celeste Headlee whose podcast on NPR’s Life Kit got me thinking how the principles of good conversation can be applied to the virtual college fair space. Want more? Check out Celeste Headlee’s Ted Talk.

Tricia Seifert is owner of Success Prints and co-designer of Success Prints Crash Course, the college simulation game designed to help students learn higher education’s hidden curriculum. She researches, writes, and speaks about student success and how college experiences promote learning and development.