Prospective students had the opportunity to get a look at SIUC Saturday as New Student Admissions Services played host to the semester’s first preview of campus in hopes of recruiting students of high academic caliber to SIUC.

Debbie Perry, special events coordinator for New Student Admissions Services, said this event was as successful as last year.

We had close to 200 people attend, she said. With the students and their parents, we had as many, if not more than, last year.

Advertisement

Perry said students from various areas of Illinois were selected and invited to attend because of their high school academic standing and ACT scores, or from their overall academic GPA with an associate’s degree from a community college.

We like to focus on recruiting community college and high school students with high academic records from the Southern Illinois area, Perry said. Many of the students here have already applied for available scholarships and are visiting to see where they stand in the running.

Daniel Harris, a senior from Danville High school considering SIUC, said the search for a school can be intimidating, but the preview helps take out some of the uncertainty.

Making a decision on a school can be scary. I mean we are talking about four years of your life and an education you will use your entire career, he said. Having this preview helps by adding a personal touch to the search.

Janice Marks, a graduate of John A. Logan who said that she is considering SIUC, said that the preview was helpful in letting her know where she stood.

The people here let me know where I am in regards to consideration for a scholarship, and what I would need to do to improve my chances, she said. This really helps me in the planning process.

Tammy Cavarretta, assistant director of New Student Admissions Services, said the competition for scholarships is fierce, with many people applying for very few spots.

Advertisement*

I have about 300 scholarships to give to new students; most are already gone, she said. In the seven scholarship categories that we looked at Saturday, we averaged about 70 applicants for each.

The preview, the first of five for this semester, gives students an opportunity to see the different aspects of life at SIUC, Perry said.

Students are given information on academic programs, financial aid, on-and-off campus housing options and a campus tour, Perry said. Showing prospective students from the Southern Illinois area what SIUC has to offer is especially important.

Typically, 66 percent of the students from the area that come to the preview attend SIUC as their first choice, she said. The remaining third will inevitably attend classes at some time here, whether in the summer, or as a full-time student.

Remaining previews for the semester include a transfer student open house Feb. 10, a Hispanic/African-American preview Mar. 23, an open house for all students in early April and a final preview roundup April 23 for students who have attended any previous preview.