Dear IIT Alumni,

We are very pleased with the response from graduates, like you, to the re-launch of the Alumni Admission Program at Illinois Institute of Technology.  Our alumni continue to achieve great things in their work in every corner of the globe, across a wide range of professions and industries, and we are proud of their talents and grateful for their service.

Among our goals as a university is to be better recognized for the contributions that IIT alumni make to local and global communities, in efforts to attract the very best students from Bronzeville to Boston, to Brazil, Bangkok, and beyond.  Alumni Admission Program volunteers aid this effort by meeting and speaking with applicants and admitted students in their region to help them gain a better understanding of IIT's outstanding academic and extra-curricular culture.

Please join us.

5 Things You Can Do To Help Right Now:

1. Talk to recent secondary school graduates about their plans for the coming school year.
   
   What can be very unfortunate is that talented students sometimes go through the entire admission process without settling upon a destination for Fall 2008 for one reason or another.  I mentioned this incident to a graduating senior a few weeks ago who had worked in the admission office during his undergraduate years; he said, "That was me. I didn't decide to apply to IIT until July."
   
   Let me know directly if you identify a student in this situation and we will expedite the admission process; we still have merit- and need-based assistance available.



2. Forward the electronic versions of our materials to colleagues and friends with a personal note from you.
   
   Offer them a story about how your alma mater is making a difference in the world, and invite them to think about a young person who might be a good match for IIT.



3. Update your information with your secondary school, community college, or graduate/professional school.
   
   The Class Notes sections of various alumni magazines are the most widely read in any issue.  We can utilize this important and friendly vehicle to share IIT with our communities of affiliates—including your own fellow alumni.



4. Find something that works in your community and then share your idea with us.
   
   This past week I met an IIT undergraduate who will soon be starting her Ph.D. at IIT.  She remarked that the "IIT Alumni Admission Program will be different from other schools' because IIT alumni are inventive, innovative and independent.  One size will not fit all."  What should we be doing in your world?



5. Request some materials for local secondary schools, community colleges, or organizations by emailing Jill Sifuentes, Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission.
   
   A few alumni have written to say that they wish to collaborate locally with organizations—including FIRST Robotics, Women's Engineering Society, and Upward Bound—to discuss the kind of education that IIT offers.  You know your neighborhood.  Inform us of what you need and we will send you materials to share.

We welcome your support and energy, and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Gerald P. Doyle
Associate Vice President
Undergraduate Admission

To volunteer: Email Jill Sifuentes, Associate Director of Undergraduate Admission, at sifuentes@iit.edu.

To share ideas about recruitment: Email Gerald Doyle at doyle@iit.edu.