The System will host the 38th Annual Salute to Academic Achievement (SAA) event on September 29 at UIC Dorin Forum, meeting in person for the first time in two years due to the pandemic.
SAA’s goal is to recruit traditionally underrepresented students (African-American, Latinx, Native American, and some from low sending northern counties). It is an invitation only event and students are invited based on a mixture of their high school GPA and standardized tests or are nominated by their high school counselors. We anticipate between 400 and 500 students will attend and a similar number of family members are expected to join us as well.
The event will start with a welcome from President Killeen. The president will then host a panel discussion with current students from our three universities before moving the audience into a U of I college fair where 100 representatives from our academic will stand ready to meet and chat with the students. Participating students will also receive application fee waivers to our universities, a professional portrait option, and an SAA certificate.
Data shows that SAA events increase the yield of our student applicants. SAA is one of several of our programs designed to keep the best underrepresented students in Illinois and at one of our three universities for their undergraduate degree journeys.
Additional information about Salute to Academic Achievement (SAA)