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Activities link prospective students with NIU

March 11, 2013

Latino Resource Center logoGetting the next class of NIU students to campus takes the efforts of multiple partners across the university.

While Admitted Student Day is a great opportunity for students to confirm their enrollment, connect with academic departments and to investigate housing options, a number of other activities are also valuable in helping connect prospective students with NIU.

Latino Students Show Increased Interest

As the fastest growing demographic in the Chicagoland area, the number of Latino students applying to NIU has seen a noteworthy increase in recent years. So far this year, there are more Latino students admitted to NIU for fall 2013 than in fall 2012.

Once these students are admitted into NIU, the next step is to transition them to enrolled student status. Multiple campus partners have been actively involved in increasing Latino student enrollment numbers at NIU.

In particular, the Latino Resource Center, in partnership with other campus areas including Admissions, Financial Aid and representatives of various colleges, hosts visiting groups of Latino students to the NIU campus from Chicagoland high schools that have significant numbers of Latino students.

 Latino Resource Center staff worked with prospective high school students.

Latino Resource Center staff worked with prospective high school students.

“When prospective students come to campus and engage with current students with whom they can identify, it ignites their interest and motivation, inspiring them to one day want to be an NIU Huskie themselves,” said Emily Prieto, director of the Latino Resource Center. “This campus visit can put them on an educational trajectory to become college students that they may not have considered before coming for a campus visit.”

Upcoming campus tours include visits from Elgin, DeKalb, Glenbard East, Cristo Rey Jesuit, West Aurora, J.S. Morton and West Wheeling high schools. In addition, other high schools are also scheduled to visit campus, including Rochelle Township, Palatine, Buffalo Grove, East Aurora, Fenton and Dundee-Crown. Brigthon Park Elementary and Instituto Health Science Academy also are scheduled.

For more information, call (815) 753-1986.

Online Chat Partnership with College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Photo of fingers typing on laptop computerNIU’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions uses monthly online chats to connect with prospective freshman and transfer students and their families. These chats allow students to learn more about NIU from the comfort of their homes.

During February and April, Admissions has partnered with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to run five online chats.

These events connect prospective students with representatives from the departments of biological sciences, chemistry, physics, non-governmental organization leadership and development, sociology, history, Latino and Latin American studies, foreign languages and literatures and political science.

“Chat Nights provide a great opportunity for our faculty, advisers and current students to connect directly with prospective students,” said Deborah Fransen, director of college communications for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“Participants can log in from home, office, the library, Starbucks, or anywhere there is Internet access … I think (this strategy) holds tremendous potential for getting information directly to students who are interested in our programs, whether they live in Illinois or southeast Asia.”

Additional chats are scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, and Thursday, April 25.