Kim said the event has helped double the number of incoming freshmen in the last four years, with the college witnessing an increase of 100 students this year, bringing the class estimate count to 1,284 students.

“We didn’t strive to get more members,” Kim said, explaining that the college’s goal is to have high-achieving students and to achieve diversity, including that of gender.

He said it is important to have more women in the college, adding that the number of women engineers increased from 172 to 225 in one year.

Before the recruitment office was established in the 2005-2006 school year, the university held a similar event, Engineering, Science and Technology Day, which was more of an open house event. Kim said the event now is centered around solely recruiting prospect students to the college.

Kim said there are usually around 1,000 people who attend the event every year, but he estimated there was more than this year.

“We sent out 5,000 invitations for students this year. We also sent (invitations) to out-of-state students,” explaining that this would help raise more awareness about the university and its programs.

Professor and chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Neeraj Buch said the different departments within the college had tables at this year’s event following the information sessions.

“This model gives people the chance to learn more about academic programs,” Buch said. “At least now they can pick up a brochure from the table.”

Buch said through the lab setting, students are introduced to what happens in the lab, adding that the discussion is usually a “free-flowing conversation,” encouraging students to ask about all aspects related to the college and the university.

“I was here my senior year (in high school),” said Dan Riggs, mechanical engineering sophomore. “It helped me choose that I wanted to be a mechanical engineer.”