Prospective U of I students can find their place at ExplorACES – March 8 and 9

 URBANA – The University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) is giving potential students an opportunity to ExplorACES on Friday, March 8 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, March 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

More than 2,000 students are expected to attend the two-day, student-run event that acquaints prospective and admitted ACES students with the college’s faculty, curriculum and vast selection of student organizations and opportunities. Information will be available on study-abroad programs, potential careers, and how students can apply for nearly $2 million in scholarships.

Prospective students will get a glimpse of all the college has to offer with more than 125 exhibits showcasing academics, research and student development. A reception for admitted students will complete Saturday’s activities at the Student Dining and Residential Programs Building. 

“ExplorACES is the ultimate opportunity to learn more about the college, especially if you are a soon-to-be high-school graduate or transfer student interested in finishing a bachelor’s degree,” said Jason Emmert, ACES assistant dean of academic programs.

Although prospective and admitted students are the target audience for the informational event, parents are encouraged to attend.

“ExplorACES is really about providing students and their families the opportunity to understand what ACES has to offer. Deciding where to attend college is one of the most important choices students will ever make, and it is incredibly helpful for prospective students to see the campus, talk to faculty and staff, and perhaps most important, connect with current ACES students,” Emmert said.

Current ACES students have been planning the event since last September.

“We’ve all been in their shoes and know how hard it can be to choose a college, but this event is shaped to help prospective students imagine themselves as students in the College of ACES,” said Ellen Reeder, ExplorACES co-director. “When I attended ExplorACES as a prospective student, I found it so helpful to have my questions answered by current students, to sit in real classrooms, and to see what I could become involved with on campus. I could truly imagine my future in the college, and I hope prospective students will take advantage of this opportunity to have the experience, too.”

Event coordinators have helped make the ACES campus even more accessible by providing free parking and free shuttle service to and from parking lot E-14, just west of the Assembly Hall.

For more information about the event, visit www.exploraces.org or connect with ExplorACES on Facebook and Twitter.