Recruiting Weekend

Department Hosts Prospective Graduate Students During Recruiting Weekend

Ph.D. student Robyn Remke shares current research with a prospective graduate student during the department's recruiting weekend.

The department played host to 11 top prospective graduate students from across the country this spring in an effort to continue to recruit the best and the brightest.

Graduate Director Steve Wilson said such recruiting weekends are key when Purdue is in competition for top students.

"These were 11 of the strongest applicants to our master's and doctoral programs, and virtually all of them have offers from three to four other universities besides Purdue," he said. "They were all very impressed with our students and faculty during the visit, and I'm hoping that the weekend will help us recruit these really talented students to Purdue."

"One of the strongest thoughts I came away with from the weekend is that there is no doubt in my mind that going to Purdue would offer me the chance to have one of the best educations in the country." -- Attendee

Prospective students from schools in such states as Texas, Illinois, Pennyslvania and Montana were shown both the academic and personal sides of the department. They attended a Friday colloquium, poster sessions of research projects by current graduate students, and "office hours" with professors in their fields of interest. Current graduate students hosted a pizza party and game night to allow the recruits a chance to relax.

One student has already committed to Purdue as a result of the weekend. "The recruiting weekend definitely played a role in my decision," the student, who had also been accepted to another top university, wrote on a post-weekend evaluation form. "I thought the decision would be very close. However, when I sat down to compile my pro/con list, I learned the decision wasn't tough to make at all.

"I think the confidence I have in my decision is a direct result of the recruiting weekend. It made a huge difference to be able to meet with so many faculty members and current students. All in all, the weekend left me feeling comfortable with Purdue, not to mention excited, and that was more than enough to make me sign up."

Another student wrote: "The Purdue weekend was great as far as giving me a sense of the program, a sense of life in West Lafayette, and answering a lot of questions I didn't know I had. One of the strongest thoughts I came away with from the weekend is that there is no doubt in my mind that going to Purdue would offer me the chance to have one of the best educations in the country."

Wilson received a small grant from Purdue's Graduate School to bring the students in. He said continued contributions from alumni and the school are crucial to being able to continue such recruiting weekends.