A Falk seventh-grader talks with current Pittsburgh Obama 6–12 students. Pictured at center, in black sweatshirt, is Class of 2020 Falk Lab School alum Cora Myers.

On April 19, Falk Lab School hosted its annual High School Fair for Falk seventh-graders and their families.

The fair offers seventh-grade students a friendly, low-pressure introduction to nearly a dozen Pittsburgh-area high schools, as well as a chance to learn about the process for applying to schools. Participating schools set up tables in Falk’s gym with information families can take with them.

Each school also sends an admissions officer to the fair, giving seventh-graders a chance to ask questions and parents an opportunity to meet the people they may be interacting with during the admissions process.

“It’s just a starting point,” says Falk Middle School counselor Sarah Faulx, who organized the fair. “They don’t have to make any decisions. This is just getting an idea of where they might like to shadow or tour.”

The fair is also a good chance for students and their parents to get on the same page about high school plans, Faulx adds. Sometimes parents and children have different ideas, but a low-pressure event like the fair gives families a chance to begin that dialogue.

This year, schools attending the fair included:

• Central Catholic High School
• City Charter High School
• City of Bridges High School
• The Ellis School
• Nazareth Prep
• Oakland Catholic High School
• Pittsburgh Obama 6–12
• Shady Side Academy
• Sora Schools
• Taylor Allderdice High School
• Winchester Thurston School

In the fall, Faulx conducts meetings with incoming eighth-graders and parents to create an admissions plan and understand students’ needs. Falk also offers Ask a High Schooler Night in the Fall, which gives students a chance to hear about high school from recent Falk graduates attending a number of area schools.