UIC Ignite

Paul Preissner, acting director of the School of Architecture, describes academic programs to admitted students. — Photo: Roberta Dupuis-Devlin

About 1,700 admitted students and family members visited campus Saturday for the third annual UIC Ignite.

Students were welcomed to campus by UIC Chancellor Michael Amiridis and Provost Susan Poser, then had the chance to view campus facilities, meet with faculty and staff members and learn more about academic undergraduate programs offered on campus.

About 41 percent of participants already intended to enroll at UIC when they attended Ignite, while the rest were still making college decisions, said Kevin Browne, vice provost for academic and enrollment services.

“Ignite is designed for those students who have been admitted to the university and have to make a decision by midnight May 1,” Browne said.

“Faculty, staff and students talked about what their experience will be like for the next four years. It’s not about selling the university, but about saying, ‘This is who we are.”

The colleges of Applied Health Sciences; Architecture, Design, and the Arts; Business Administration; Education; Engineering; Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Urban Planning and Public Affairs showcased their offerings through demonstrations by faculty and students.

Students also received information on campus housing, financial aid, undergraduate research opportunities, orientation and more.

“It’s an opportunity to really drill down into the academic core and see whether or not our experience will really resonate with what their desires are,” Browne said.