More Canadians Pursuing College Dream in America

US College Expo features admission experts and life advice from Gold Medalist Tessa Bonhomme

Toronto, ON (March 2015) – As more Canadians pursue a college dream south of the border, the US College Expo will kick-off a multi-city tour this April offering guidance on the complex admission process that many students start as early as grade 9 in order to gain a competitive edge. Due to increased interest from across Canada, this unique Expo will expand its presence from Toronto to include Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa this year.

“More than 6,000 people attended the Expo in Toronto last year in just four hours,” said Joanna Severino, Founder and President of US College Expo and Prepskills, Canada’s premier SSAT, SAT and ACT preparation provider. “This speaks volumes to the level of interest in achieving the US college dream and the information gap the Expo fills for students sometimes lost in a sea of options.”

According to an International Institute of Education 2014 report, the rate of international students studying in the US has risen by 72 percent since 2000. In the 2013/14 academic year, 28,304 students from Canada were studying in the US – a 5.5% increase over 2012. In fact, out of 25 countries, Canada ranks fifth as the country of origin for students coming to the United States.

The tour will culminate in Toronto on April 18 with a guest appearance by Tessa Bonhomme, who starred for the Ohio State Buckeyes in women’s hockey before winning gold with the Canadian Women’s hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Bonhomme has now moved into a broadcasting career with TSN on the anchor desk.

“The NCAA Eligibility Center has changed their initial eligibility standards for the class of 2016 and beyond,” said Bonhomme. It is imperative that young student athletes understand what the requirements are between your core GPA, your SAT and ACT exams. Understanding what is required of you before you can play collegiate athletics in the United States and being able to ask college counselors and administrators what you need to do can really help you before getting to campus”

The US College Expo is the only student recruitment fair in Canada that exclusively features US colleges and universities. It showcases options while also informing attendees of the long road of preparation required to achieve admission.

Admission is free and there will be approximately 100 admissions representatives from institutions such as Boston University, University of California, Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon University, Johns Hopkins University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, The Los Angeles Film School and many others in Toronto on April 18.

“US colleges can be the direct route to a career as a star athlete, film director or medical professional,” said Severino. “However, parents are confused about what college is the right fit and they often don’t know the admission process should start as early as grade 9.”

US College Expo Canada speakers include representatives from Boston University, Johns Hopkins University, NCAA, ACT, SchoolFinder | ScholarshipsCanada and Education USA. Pre-registration at www.uscollegeexpo.com is required:

• Vancouver: Saturday, April 11, 2015, Hyatt Regency Vancouver – 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Calgary: Sunday, April 12, 2015, The Westin Calgary – 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
• Ottawa: Wednesday, April 15, 2015, National Art Centre – 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
• Toronto: Roy Thomson Hall
  • Friday, April 17, 2015 – 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Counsellor Day for high school guidance counselors, athletic directors, IB Coordinators and US college representatives
  • Saturday, April 18, 2015 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
    • Special appearance by Francesco Yates as well as Tessa Bonhomme as guest speaker.