The Top Ten Reasons to Choose UConn recruitment piece, has received a prestigious Circle of Excellence award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, a national public relations and development organization. The piece was selected from more than 200 entries to receive one of five gold medals.

The judging committee, made up of public relations professionals, selected the winners based on strong design and writing, understanding the target audience, and articulating key messages.

The Top Ten recruitment piece, a foldout, lists the reasons why undergraduate students should choose to attend the University of Connecticut, including the fact that there are more than 90 majors and more than 250 clubs to choose from. Each point is illustrated with scenes of college life, ranging from an exuberant choir to a student deep in thought in a chemistry lab.

Many people were involved in developing the recruitment piece, including Rodney Baker and Leonard Blanks, design, Patti Fazio, marketing, Peter Morenus, photography, all of University Communications, and M. Dolan Evanovich, director of enrollment services, and his staff.

Blanks, who helped formulate the concept for the piece, says the design was intended to be something different that would attract attention.

Scott Brohinsky, director of University Communications, says that although the award is welcome recognition, "the ultimate test does not rest with winning awards, but with helping the University achieve its critical objectives."

The piece was successful in this respect also. More reply cards were returned than from any other recruitment material in recent history - up from 3.9 percent in 1997 to 11.3 percent this year.

Elvita Dominique

Anna Liamzon and Elvita Dominique, students at Westhill High School in Stamford, wrote these articles while participating in Mentor Connection, a three-week summer program for talented high school students.