Illinois Institute of Technology to host science and math college fair for underrepresented high school students
On October 1, Illinois Institute of Technology will host a college fair on its historic Main Campus to encourage underrepresented high school students to consider careers in science and math. More than 50 colleges and universities from around the nation will be present to speak with about 500 high school students from the Chicago area.
“The purpose of this math and science college fair is to hopefully expose more underrepresented populations to math and science-related careers through encouraging them to enroll at colleges and universities with strong math and science programs,” says John Kohlhepp, an admissions counselor at IIT who helped organize the math and science day.
Five out of the seven Ivy League schools will be attending the affair, including Harvard, Yale and Cornell. Other schools include University of Michigan, Carnegie-Mellon University, Drexel University, Purdue University, Lehigh University and the U.S. Naval Academy.
About a dozen Chicagoland schools will be bringing their Advanced Placement (AP) and honors level seniors to attend the math and science college fair.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for our students who don't normally think about college or attend college fair events to come out and see what kind of math and science programs universities offer," says Michel Brinde, college counselor at Hales-Franciscan High School on Chicago's South Side. Hales-Franciscan's student population is 100 percent male African-American. "It also gives them a chance to tour IIT's campus to see what a college campus is like and to meet other minority students from other high schools who are interested in math and science."
In addition to being able to pick up brochures and other university-related materials at booths, attending high school seniors will be invited to hear speeches by IIT faculty and business leaders on the importance of science and math careers and the need for more minority students to get involved in math and science.
"Unfortunately, there have been comparatively few women and minority graduates of math, science and engineering programs," says Judy Todd, dean and professor of mechanical, material and aerospace engineering at IIT who will be speaking at the event. "Its important to have events like this which may encourage underrepresented populations to take the next step and enroll at a university with strong math and science programs like IIT."
Also speaking is Robert Blackwell, Jr., president of Electronic Knowledge Interchange.
The event will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Hermann Union Building at 3241 S. Federal Ave. on IIT’s Main Campus.
About Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, also known as Illinois Tech, is a private, technology-focused, research university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, architecture, business, design, human sciences, applied technology, and law. One of 16 institutions that comprise the Association of Independent Technological Universities (AITU), Illinois Tech offers exceptional preparation for professions that require technological sophistication, an innovative mindset, and an entrepreneurial spirit.
