Jed Hoyer to Speak at The New York Times College Life Fair

The New York Times announced today that Jed Hoyer, the new general manager of the Chicago Cubs, will be a featured speaker at the inaugural New York Times College Life Fair (www.nytimes.com/collegefair), to be held on May 31 in Chicago.

Hoyer, who began his professional life as an admissions officer at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, joined the Cubs as executive vice president and general manager in November 2011. From the fair’s Spotlight Stage, which will feature a rotating series of speakers, Mr. Hoyer will offer students advice on the college admissions process from a fresh perspective, drawing on how choosing applicants for admission to a selective college helped prepare him to later assist in leading the Boston Red Sox to two championships.

"I’m excited for the opportunity to speak with the students and their families at The New York Times College Life Fair,” said Mr. Hoyer. "I’m thankful for the opportunities I received at Wesleyan, and am eager to relay my experiences to this great group.”

"Parents and counselors will find Jed Hoyer's words of advice — to say nothing of his own journey — to be inspiring,” said Jacques Steinberg, creator of and lead contributor to The Times’s college admissions blog, The Choice (nytimes.com/thechoice), and moderator of The Spotlight Stage. "While best known for helping assemble the first World Series championship team in Boston in 86 years, the skills Jed learned on the job, screening students for admission to a competitive college like Wesleyan, served him well as he sized up potential players for the Red Sox, and will also inform his efforts to execute his mandate in Chicago.”

A number of other noted college admissions professionals will speak throughout the Fair from the same Spotlight stage, including those who will offer invaluable tips on navigating the application process and securing financial aid. Some of the confirmed speakers include:

• Marybeth Kravets, a veteran college counselor, former president of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling and co-author of "The K&W Guide to Colleges For Students With Learning Disabilities or Attention Deficit Disorder”;
• Mark Kantrowitz, a financial aid expert and founder of the financial aid resources, finaid.org and fastweb.com;
• David Marcus, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and author of "Acceptance,” which followed a Long Island guidance counselor and his students for a year;
• Laura Docherty, president of the Illinois Association of College Admissions Counseling (IACAC), and a counselor at Fenwick, a private high school outside Chicago;
• and Rafael Figueroa, a former admissions officer at Wesleyan and Occidental and current director of college counseling at Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico.

The Fair will also feature a number "counselors on call” available to students and their families. These experienced professionals from Illinois public and private high schools will offer expertise and answer questions in real time.

Admissions representatives from a variety of colleges and universities will also be on site, representing institutions including the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Alabama, the University of Iowa, the University of Missouri, and Indiana University, as well as Pomona College in California and Drew University in New Jersey, and Roosevelt, Columbia College and Mount Mary, all schools from in and around Chicago.

Separately, the event will incorporate exhibits and presentations on the broader college experience, including academic expectations, athletics, student life, technology, health and wellness, career counseling, tutoring and residential life.

The Times is collaborating on the planning process for the fair with IACAC, as well as The Chicago Public Schools, which plan to bus thousands of high school sophomores and juniors to the event throughout the day.

Students from other schools in Chicago and its suburbs are also expected to attend, whether during the day or in the evening with their families. There is no fee for admission and any high-school aged students and their parents and/or guardians are welcome to attend.

The New York Times College Life Fair will take place on Thursday, May 31, 2012, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Navy Pier in Chicago. For more information, to participate as an exhibitor or sponsor, and to register for the event visit nytimes.com/collegefair.

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This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com.