Postcards are usually written from a friend to another, and typically showcase a place that one would want to go to on a getaway. In a collaboration between UNH Admissions and University Advancement/Alumni Relations, this is the concept behind the new “Write A Wildcat” program.

With “Write a Wildcat,” UNH brought together a group of four alumni Tuesday night in Smith Hall to send postcards to accepted students of the class of 2021. The initiative is in its early stages; the idea came from a series of meetings between the departments of admission and alumni relations.

“The goal of the program is to send postcards to 700-800 students,” associate director of Admissions, Tara Scholder, said. “This is a brand new program here at UNH and the second time we have done it this semester and the alumni feedback has been great.”

Director of Engagement, Outreach and Volunteer Management for University Advancement, Brianne Wood, spoke from an alumni engagement standpoint, talking about the benefits for students that “Write a Wildcat” possesses.

“It’s really an easy way for people at the university, especially alumni, to engage with prospective students,” Wood said. “We thought getting alumni on campus would be difficult but we really haven’t had a problem so far.”

Wood went on to speak about the regional “Write a Wildcat” program that is being implemented, in which UNH is mailing out blank postcards to alumni across the country that may not have the ability to get to Durham. The process works in a way that UNH sends out 10 or 20 postcards, whichever the alumni requests. Then the alumni write their postcard to the prospective student and send it directly from their house. UNH is using this method to connect alumni across the U.S. with students living in the same area.

“We’ve been greatly surprised by the regional outreach,” Wood said. “We’ve had several requests for postcards to be mailed out to alumni across the nation so we’re extremely thrilled about that.”

Marcey LaFleur, a member of the 1996 graduating class, participated in her second “Write a Wildcat” program on Tuesday night. LaFleur, a practicing attorney in Hampton, uses these events to reminisce on the memories of her time at UNH.

“I have wonderful memories of UNH when I did my undergrad here, and I’m using that experience to help future students decide on the right school,” LaFleur said. “I wish that when I was deciding on UNH, I received a postcard or a personalized phone call that UNH is doing nowadays.”

Accepted students can look out in the mail for the postcards being sent out this week.