Students looking to continue perusing their education in health, law or veterinary health gathered in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union on Tuesday to experience one-on-one interactions with professional schools for the Professional School Fair.

Fifteen professional schools and programs from Arizona, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Nebraska were in attendance, with a few staying for a post-fair discussion panel in the Cardinal Room afterwards.

The fair was the first professional school fair in years, and students decided to bring it back this year.

“It’s different from the career fair,” said Rachael Prusha, senior in nutritional science and one of the head student organizers. “Most of us don’t need internships, we need to get into schools.”

The setup of the Professional School Fair was similar to the career fair. There were booths with representatives standing with brochures, pens and business cards.

With this year being the first year in many years, organizers are hoping the fair continues on.

“This is really good for students,” Prusha said. “I hope it gets bigger, and receptive, continuing on into the future.”

The fair was a success, with many students filtering into the Great Hall for a chance to speak to school representatives.

“There have been a steady amount of people,” said Patrick Hepner, sophomore in animal science and the pre-veterinary representative. “We haven’t been dead at any point today.”

Hepner is one of many students who appreciated the return of the professional school fair.

“This is a lot more student-run than the previous years,” he said. “It used to be faculty, but students did a lot for this event.”

The goal for the event was around 100 students. Hepner said he hopes that the high number of attendance will mean the return of the fair and schools involved.

“It’s been going really well, and personally, I think it’s a great turnout and we’ll continue it,” he said.

The school representatives were also pleased with the Professional School Fair, praising the students and faculty involved in putting the event together.

Kate Kostka-Snowdon, assistant director of admissions for recruitment for the Minneapolis/St. Paul-based University of St. Thomas School of Law, attended and said she was pleased with the turnout.

“For it being their first year in awhile, they did a great job organizing and putting everything together,” Snowdon said.

At the University of St. Thomas School of Law, they are no strangers to visiting undergraduates interested in pursuing law school.

“We visit about 90 schools in the fall,” she said, “but having this in the spring is really helpful as well.”

She encourages students to talk to many different schools to understand that “it’s important to find the right fit.”

When asked what she looks for in future law students, she revealed that they receive around 1,000 applications and 50 percent get accepted.

“We look for someone who will bring something different to our classrooms, shows leadership, good writing ability, and just the overall package.”

Kostka-Snowdon also said, “LSAT and GPA scores aren’t everything. A good letter of recommendation is very important. It shows that you can build positive relationships.”

One of the students in attendance was senior in kinesiology and health, Dan Schwartzstein, who stood in the middle of the Great Hall with a map looking at which school to talk to next.

“I received a large number of emails about the event and decided to check it out,” said Schwartzstein.

“I like how there are different types of schools and programs in one room,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to see them up close and not just on their website.”

Schwartzstein, who is looking to pursue pre-physical therapy, attended the event looking for a strong program that is well established.

“It’s nice that the schools are regional,” Schwartzstein said, “I thought there would be more schools, but it’s still a good selection.”

With their goal of 100 students, around 140 students attended, making the event successful in the eyes of the organizers.