Meeting Students Everywhere

Expanding Reach, Building Connections

Through college fairs, classroom visits, and partnerships, Jess Wolverton and the admissions team connect with prospective students eager to make an impact through information.

Through college fairs, classroom visits, and campus partnerships, the admissions team works to connect with prospective students who are excited to make an impact through information. During the 2026 recruitment cycle, this work stretched across Michigan, the country, and beyond, reflecting the collective effort it takes to welcome students into the UMSI community.

A major area of focus this year was expanding and strengthening transfer pathways into the Bachelor of Science in Information (BSI) program. The admissions team attended 12 transfer fairs and completed seven community college tabling visits across 10 Michigan community colleges. We also hosted a University of Michigan Community College Academic Advising Colloquium, bringing together advisors from across the state to talk through the transfer process to UMSI and continue building strong, sustainable partnerships. These efforts came to life during our New Transfer Student Visit Day, when 30 prospective transfer students from across Michigan spent the day on campus experiencing UMSI firsthand.

Engagement with prospective undergraduate students extended beyond transfer initiatives. The team hosted 29 BSI information sessions for high school students, preferred admits, and cross-campus applicants, and connected with students at FestiFall and the LSAMP STEM Scholars Resource Fair. We also welcomed students and families through a Preferred Admission Welcome Event and a BSI Parent and Family Weekend Event, creating opportunities for conversation, questions, and community-building. Inside the classroom, admissions staff visited SI 110 and SI 101 to connect with students already exploring aligned interests. Across campus, we partnered with 99 student organizations to expand awareness of UMSI programs and opportunities. To further personalize the experience, we expanded one-on-one appointments with both admissions advisors and student ambassadors.

We continued to expand graduate recruitment efforts in both reach and creativity. For the Master of Applied Data Science (MADS) program, we introduced a highly popular assessment tips webinar beginning in fall 2025 and continued weekly information sessions. MADS also introduced two new student ambassadors to continue to further support students individually. New programming for MADS included faculty lightning talks and webinars featuring academic advising and career development, offering prospective students a deeper look at the academic and professional support available. 

For the Master of Science in Information and Master of Health Informatics programs, we hosted in-person Discover UMSI events, welcoming prospective students into the Leinweber Building, and connected with students at the Grand Valley State University Graduate Fair, the Math–Computer Science–Statistics Scholars Panel, and the LSA Graduate Fair. These efforts were complemented by 17 information sessions, five application workshops, four financial aid sessions, and many one-on-one meetings with admissions advisors and student ambassadors.

Beyond campus, the admissions team engaged with students nationally and globally at the Grace Hopper Celebration (in partnership with DAR, CDO, ELO, and M&C), the Tapia Conference on Diversity in Computing, and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers National Convention, with plans to attend the National Society of Black Engineers Annual Convention in March. We also hosted our first virtual student panel for students from Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan, along with additional virtual panels open to all prospective students.

None of this work happens in isolation. We are deeply grateful to the faculty, staff, students, and partners across UMSI who generously share their time, expertise, and enthusiasm in support of recruitment. Your collaboration helps create the welcoming, student-centered experience that defines our school. As we move into spring, we look forward to continuing this work together through upcoming virtual events and our MSI/MHI in-person Visit Day on April 10, 2026.