Vancouver International Universities Fair

The NACAC Vancouver International Universities Fair (VIUF) is an event about post-secondary education with university representatives, workshops and more.

In 2023 the fair took place on Saturday, April 29th, at the Vancouver Convention Centre (in the newer West Building).

Hosted by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the event was for students, parents and school counselors wanting to learn about post-secondary schools and program options.

At the fair attendees met with admission representatives from over 100 universities as well as the Armed Forces. They also spoke with college counselors, got information from sponsor tables, and learned about summer programs and gap years. There were very interesting and informative workshops as well. And guess what! Admission was free!

If you or your student plan to pursue a post-secondary education in Canada or abroad, you’ll want to attend this event when it returns.

For the event’s official website, click NACAC International Universities Fairs.

University and College Fair in Vancouver

The NACAC International Universities Fair – Vancouver was a large one-day event in 2023 that likely drew crowds of over 3,500 people. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore post-secondary options and start planning ahead for the future. The event featured representatives from more than 120 colleges and universities from around the world. Attendees learned about studying abroad, school sports, co-op programs, and more. There were also informative workshops throughout the fair about specific careers, university admission, financial aid, and other relevant topics.

Best of all? Admission to the fair was completely free. Pre-registration, however, was strongly recommended. Continue reading for more details about the 2023 event or see the official VIUF website.

When and Where

The 2023 NACAC International Universities Fair – Vancouver ran from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on Saturday, April 29th.

The event took place in the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre (primarily in Exhibit Hall A). The venue is located at 1055 Canada Place. It’s right along the waterfront with beautiful views and walking opportunities on the Coal Harbour Seawall.

Participating Universities

There were representatives from over 120 post-secondary institutions at the 2023 NACAC International Universities Fair in Vancouver. Some were from local colleges and universities, but most were from the United States of America and other parts of the world.

Participating institutions located in British Columbia included Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Simon Fraser University, The British Columbia Institute of Technology and University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. Other Canadian universities at the fair included McGill University, University of Alberta, and many more.

The 2023 event also featured representatives from Purdue University, University of Michigan, University of California, Penn State University, and dozens of other American institutions. From the United Kingdom, there was the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London. Examples of other participating universities and colleges in 2023 included Bocconi University in Italy, The American University of Paris in France, University College Dublin in Ireland, and the University of Melbourne in Australia.

For the event’s official website, click VIUF.

Information and Learning Hub Sessions

There were several different workshops at the fair. They all took place during the event, but at different locations in the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Session topics from 2023 are listed below. The sessions’ times, locations and descriptions can be found here.

Information Sessions

Who Gets In? The Truths and Myths of How Canadian Universities Make Admission Decisions
What Students Should Know When Applying to US Universities
How to Write a Winning Essay
Funding Your Post-Secondary Education
What it Takes to Become a Medical Doctor in Canada
What is Engineering?
Many of the Top Ranked Universities are in the UK; Shouldn’t You Know More About Studying There?
University Rankings: Finding Fit Within Higher Education

Learning Hub Sessions

What’s a Creative Career?
Studying Down Under
A World of Choices
Ireland, So Much to Know, So Many Friends to Make

For the event’s official website, visit the nacacattend.org.

Tips and Suggestions

Listed below are some helpful tips that are good to know before the next fair.

TIP #1: The fair is a popular event. For easier access to the representatives, it’s best to pre-register online, screenshot your personal barcode and take it with you to the event on your phone. This way, you won’t waste any time while you’re there.

TIP #2: As you arrive, be sure to pick up a copy of the event locator. This is an especially good idea if you have specific university exhibitors in mind that you want to visit. There are also bags for you to fill up with all of the brochures and other materials you collect.

TIP #3: With all of the different post-secondary education booths and presentations, you’ll be learning a lot. Don’t forget to take notes!

TIP #4: Register in advance to take advantage of the fair’s MatchMaking feature. With the MatchMaking, as part of the online registration process, students complete a questionnaire identifying what they want in a university. After that, attendees get an e-mailed list of specific schools that best match their stated preferences. This is a great way to identify which universities to look out for on the day of the event!

TIP #5: Be sure to tell your friends about the fair. If they plan to pursue a post-secondary education, they’ll likely want to go too!

TIP #6: Counselors wanting to promote the event at their high schools can find fair graphics and other promotional content that they can use here.

Vancouver Fair Video

To see what to expect at the NACAC International Universities Fair in Vancouver, check out the following video. It shows scenes of the event from 2023.

Other Information

To learn more about NACAC National College Fairs visit nacacattend.org. You can also e-mail collegefairs@nacacnet.org or call 800-822-6285.

The organization behind the fair is the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). Founded in 1937, it’s an organization of more than 26,000 professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing post-secondary education.

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