The Prospective Students Committee was founded on the proposition that the value of an IST degree sells itself.  By raising the level of education regarding the nature of IST and the value it delivers, this committee will assist in growing the number of IST applicants, students and alumni.

We will be working closely with IST students, faculty and staff in order to supplement and expand on- and off-campus recruiting initiatives, with the goal of increasing the interest of high school students looking to choose a degree, current students who are enrolled within the Division of Undergraduate Studies, and those students who have received an offer of acceptance into the College.

We’re extremely excited about the activities in which we’ll be participating this year.  Some of these events include:

IST Phone-a-thons
These events will be aimed at prospective students who have applied and been extended an offer to the major, as well as DUS students who may be potential candidates for the College of IST.

Penn State College of IST Spend a Summer Day
Penn State hosts a yearly set of on-campus visit opportunities for prospective high school students to learn more about the university. We will support these events by sharing our experiences with the program as well as those beyond its doors.

High School Visits
We will begin working this year towards formalizing a program whereby current graduates visit high schools in their area to discuss IST with students. We intend to complete 1-3 visits in the Fall of 2009, followed by more in the Spring of 2010.

DUS Information Sessions
The College of IST provides information sessions for DUS students to learn more about the program.  We will discuss the experiences we had as students (and now as graduates) as a result of our choices to pursue IST.

The message we can deliver to prospective students and their families is an extremely important one that they may not hear on a frequent basis.  With your help, we can be sure that our brand becomes an integral component of the College of IST’s prospective student recruitment strategy.

Check out the committee’s blog on a regular basis for opportunities to get involved, as well as stay up-to-date on how we are achieving our goals. We look forward to your participation and ideas in making the events described above a success.  Hope to hear from you soon!

Send an email to the Prospective Students Chair, Chase Tralka, by clicking here