There is a continuing need to provide information and motivational materials to high school students to interest them in engineering. These students would also benefit by learning about the various... Show moreThere is a continuing need to provide information and motivational materials to high school students to interest them in engineering. These students would also benefit by learning about the various educational programs offered to help them meet their goals. Finally, information on the application process, especially the varying student aid packages from universities, government and industry would benefit high school students. There may be other services that would interest and benefit high school students that this project team could identify. There is also a wide variety of information already available to high school students and guidance counselors from individual universities as well as commercial and government organizations, associations and various publications that rank institutions. The sheer number of sources and volume of information about colleges and careers can be quite daunting to navigate. Everyone who has been through this process knows how frustrating and stressful it can be for students, parents and counselors in not having confidence that the best information was identified in a timely way to consider alternatives and make intelligent decisions. It is envisioned that this project would seek information from IIT engineering freshmen as well as high school students and counselors about current practices and trends in how the web and other resources are used in this process. Based on survey data, the project team will develop a web site or portal that can organize and provide information and services regarded as most valuable to high school students and counselors in their decision making process -- and do so in an integrated way, with appropriate planning and selection tools to support the process. It is envisioned that this could ultimately become part of a seamless service from the earliest consideration of career direction and college selection by high school students, through to specific career and employer selection by college students, and finally extending to support for alumni as they maintain their competitive edge in their professional practice. This project is a continuation of the Fall IPRO project. The team will continue to work closely with the admissions office to learn about university practices at IIT and elsewhere that relate to this web-based services concept Show less
