The priority admissions deadline—which incoming freshmen had to meet to be considered for competitive scholarships and the Chancellor’s Honors Program—was November 1.

“UT is looking for the best and brightest students to make up our next freshman class,” said Richard Bayer, assistant provost and director of enrollment services.

But the university is also committed to being accessible, he said.

“When we talk about finding the best students, we’re not just talking about grade-point averages and ACT scores; rather, we’re talking about the whole range of special abilities, characteristics, and talents that students can bring to our campus. Prospective students also can demonstrate their ability to succeed at UT by showing us a healthy combination of grades and extracurricular activities, along with their personal statements and a letter of recommendation.”

Students will be notified of their admission status beginning in mid-November but no later than mid-March.

In addition to December 1, there are two other important deadlines to remember:

• February 15 is the filing deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applying for admission and completing the FAFSA form is all students need to do to be eligible for Pledge Scholarships and Achieve the Dream grants.
• May 1 is the deadline for admitted students to confirm their attendance by paying a nonrefundable deposit of $250.

For more information about the admissions process, prospective students should visit the Undergraduate Admissions website.

To apply online, create a log-in on the Undergraduate Admissions VIP website  or use the Common Application.

—

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely, (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)

The university’s priority admissions deadline—which incoming freshmen must meet to be considered for competitive scholarships and the Chancellor’s Honors Program—is November 1.

The regular application deadline for the 2013-2014 academic year is December 1.

“We hope high school seniors and parents have these important deadlines marked on their calendars so there’s no last-minute crunch,” said Richard Bayer, assistant provost and director of enrollment services. Bayer said he wants to stress that while UT is committed to excellence, it’s also committed to being accessible.

“UT is looking for the best and brightest students to make up our next freshman class,” he said. “And we’re not just talking about grade-point averages and ACT scores; rather, we’re talking about the whole range of special abilities, characteristics, and talents that students can bring to our campus. Prospective students also can demonstrate their ability to succeed at UT by showing us a healthy combination of grades and extracurricular activities, along with their personal statements and a letter of recommendation.”

Students will be notified of their admission status beginning in mid-November but no later than March 25.

Here are two other important deadlines to mark on the calendar:

• February 15 is the filing deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applying for admission and completing the FAFSA form is all students need to do to be eligible for Pledge scholarships and Achieve the Dream grants.
• May 1 is the deadline for admitted students to confirm their attendance by paying a nonrefundable deposit of $250.

For more information about the admissions process, visit the Undergraduate Admissions page. Register for a campus tour here.

To apply online, create a log-in on the Vol In Progress page or use Common Application.

—

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

Vern Granger

Vern Granger, assistant dean of enrollment services and director of admissions since 2009, leaves UT Friday to become associate vice president and director of admissions and first year experience at The Ohio State University.

A national search is under way for a new admissions director.

“We’re looking for candidates with experience and a proven record in undergraduate admissions—someone who understands the recruitment of high ability students, the importance of a diverse population, and someone who has a vision for the future in a changing environment for higher education,” said Associate Vice Chancellor Mary Albrecht, who is chairing the search.

Albrecht said she’s optimistic the committee could schedule interviews in August and have the new person on board as soon as September.

Other members of the search committee are Melissa Parker, director of advising for the College of Arts and Sciences; Jeff Gerkin, director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships; Monique Anderson, university registrar; Richard Bennett, professor in the College of Engineering; Donna Thomas, director of the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center; Anton Reece, director of the Student Success Center; Frank Cuevas, executive director of university housing; Leigh Shoemaker, assistant director of creative communications in the Office of Communications and Marketing; Connie Harmon, associate director of undergraduate admissions; and Sylvia Turner, assistant director of University Honors Programs.

First-time entering freshmen applying for admission to UT for the fall of 2013 will be the first to use Common Application.

Students can access the Common Application via UT’s admission website or the Common Application website. If they use Common Application, they will complete one core application and some supplemental questions for each school they choose.

Students will find no difference between the information they provide on the Common Application and on UT’s application. UT’s application fee is the same for both, and consideration of applicants is also the same, regardless of how they apply.

“We’re doing it as a service to our students to make the application process as easy as possible for them,” said Vern Granger, assistant dean and director of undergraduate admissions.

The Common Application, first piloted in 1975, was initially an effort of a group of private institutions. Public institutions began participating in 2001.

UT is among eight Tennessee colleges and universities who are part of Common Application. The others are all private institutions: Belmont University, Christian Brothers University, Fisk University, Lipscomb University, Rhodes College, Vanderbilt University, and Sewanee, the University of the South. The University of Kentucky and Vanderbilt are the only other SEC schools now using Common Application, although other SEC schools are considering joining the program, Granger said.

Granger said peer institutions who participate in Common Application have seen an increase in the number of applications they receive, as well as an increase in the geographic and ethnic diversity of applicants.

“This is a customer service effort on our part,” Granger said. “Each year, we get requests from students and counselors who want us to be part of Common Application. The time is right for us to do this.”

To participate in Common Application, a college or university must use a holistic review process—something UT has been doing for about five years now. The institution must apply to Common Application and be accepted as a member.

This year, UT has received more than 14,000 applications from students wanting to be part of the Class of 2016. The university aims to welcome a class of 4,200 freshmen in the fall.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

“A lot of the kids I grew up with had babies or went to jail,” Guardado said. “Everyone told me, ‘You’re the good kid. You have a future.’ It was a lot of pressure.”

But now, Guardado, an eighteen-year-old graduate of Glencliff High School in Nashville, is a freshman at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville—and he’s already off to a running start, thanks to the UT LEAD Summer Institute.

Guardado was one of eighty students who attended this year’s Summer Institute, a free five-week program that brought a select group of freshman Promise Scholarship recipients to college for the second summer session. The Summer Institute is a component of the UT LEAD program, which provides academic-year support for all Promise and Pledge recipients.

The Promise program provides scholarships to students from eligible high schools around the state; the Pledge Scholarship targets low-income students and helps ensure they graduate without debt.

“After we increased access to UT for students with these new scholarships, we wanted to ensure success for them as well. That’s why UT LEAD and the Summer Institute were created,” said Eric Stokes, assistant director of undergraduate admissions and director of the UT LEAD Summer Institute. “We knew many of the students came to UT with cultural challenges that may impede their matriculation to campus life. UT LEAD Summer Institute helps to ease their transition, focusing on academic, personal, cultural, and social development.”

This is the fourth year for UT LEAD and the Summer Institute. Its first class will graduate from the university in May.

For Guardado, a Promise recipient who plans to major in computer engineering and minor in business, the Summer Institute provided a chance to test the waters at UT before the fall semester began.

“It let us get ahead on stuff and get to know the campus,” he said.

During the past four years, the UT LEAD Summer Institute has grown from 55 students to this year’s enrollment of 80.

“We saw that after the first and second years, 77 percent of the Promise students who went to LEAD Summer Institute as freshmen returned to the university for their sophomore year,” Stokes said. The retention rate of Promise students who didn’t attend the Summer Institute was only 74 percent.

“Three percent doesn’t sound like a lot, but in retention talk, three percentage points is huge,” Stokes said.

This year, admissions officials invited about 100 students to interview for eighty Summer Institute slots. Whether it grows any larger will be determined by available funds.

“Participants were selected based on academic ability, information provided on their personal statements, recommendations, and an array of diverse characteristics,” Stokes said.

Summer Institute students took courses, typically an English class and writing lab and a math course. They participated in a service learning project, working with children at Pond Gap Elementary School; attended “academic focus,” a study hall-type program, five days a week; attended a developmental seminar four days a week; and took part in group outings, ranging from white water rafting to a ropes course. They lived in the same residence hall, and eight juniors and seniors served as their mentors.

As the academic year progresses, LEAD students will meet with their academic coaches twice a semester and take a course to help them explore majors and learn more about university services.

Brittany Jaimungal-Singh, 18, who graduated from Antioch High School in Nashville, is also the recipient of both the Promise and Pledge scholarships. Like Jose, she found the Summer Institute to be a good ease-in to college life.

“It totally squashed all of your fears of being on a big campus,” she said, adding that she found her way around campus and made some friends. She especially liked the way the Summer Institute participants formed a “family.”

“It helped us keep busy,” said Brittany, who plans to major in clinical psychology. “I haven’t felt homesick once. I haven’t cried yet.”

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

Guided by advisers on both campuses, these Bridge Program students are attending the second summer session at UT and taking a set of credit courses to help them adjust to college life and get a head start on their UT degree. The students will take classes at PSCC during the following fall and spring semesters and then, provided they complete thirty transferrable credit hours and maintain a certain grade requirement, they will transfer to UT as sophomores.

This partnership is just one way UT is complying with the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010. The act is intended to enhance cooperation between colleges and universities in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and UT system.

“We absolutely consider this first year of the Bridge Program an overwhelming success,” said Vern Granger, assistant dean of enrollment services and director of undergraduate admissions. “We were able to strengthen the partnership with PSCC, and we were able to develop a program that we think will help students when they transfer to the university.”

Granger said most of the Bridge Program students are from east and central Tennessee, although a handful has come from other states.

“I think the common thread was that they really wanted to come to UT, and they saw this was the best option for them to get admitted and be successful,” he said.

Lauren Poole, a graduate of Collierville High School in Memphis, said she visited other colleges but had her sights set on UT. When she was placed on UT’s admission wait list, she was disappointed—until she got an invitation to participate in the Bridge Program.

“I didn’t want to go anywhere else besides UT,” said Poole, who wants to major in graphic design. “My family members have been UT fans forever.”

Evan Sapp, who graduated from Christ Presbyterian Academy in Franklin, is a member of the pilot class.

Poole, who plans to major in recreation and sport management, had considered the University of Kentucky, the University of Alabama, and the University of Mississippi.

“I got accepted to Alabama and Ole Miss, but I didn’t know anyone going there,” he said. “When I got the Bridge offer, I thought I might as well go to a place where I knew people. And I liked UT when I toured it.”

All Bridge students are taking six credit hours this summer: Public Speaking or Business and Professional Communication and Career and Personal Development.

They’re already registered for their fall courses at Pellissippi.

Both students say they are enjoying being on the UT campus this summer and have appreciated the chance to get a taste of college life before the fall semester begins.

“I like that we’re getting acclimated to UT and we’re making a lot of friends who go here. It will feel like we’re part of it,” Sapp said.

Poole agreed: “I like that the program doesn’t have a ton of people in it. We can all interact and kind of hang out and get to know one another.”

Granger said about sixty of the seventy-five invitees took UT up on its offer to live in a campus residence hall for the duration of the program. The students are housed in Massey Hall, with the young men on one floor and the young women on another.

Bridge students were issued UT ID cards and enjoy library, computer, tutoring and mentoring services, and recreational opportunities on both campuses.

Granger said UT administrators already have several ideas about how to improve on the Bridge Program for next year.

“We’re looking at enhancing it—looking at transportation options for students to make it easier for them to get between UT and PSCC, increasing support programs and advising services, and stepping up communication with prospective students.”

Admission to the Bridge Program is by invitation only; students cannot apply to be part of it.

“Next year’s Bridge students will benefit from what we’re learning this year and have an even better experience,” Granger said.

—

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, ablakely@utk.edu)

This new bridge program — the type of partnership required by the 2010 Complete College Act of Tennessee — will allow some students who are wait-listed for admission at UT to tackle initial program requirements at the community college. The program provides a seamless transfer to UT, provided they complete a specified number of hours and maintain a certain grade requirement.

The first cohort class of bridge students will be formed this spring. Invitation letters are now being sent to eligible students who have applied for fall 2011 admission to UT and are among those at the top of UT’s wait list.

Participation in the bridge program is by invitation only; students cannot apply to be part of the pilot class. UT is hoping for an initial bridge class of 75 to 100 students.

The students, who will be guided by advisers on both campuses, will attend the second summer session at UT to take a set of credit courses to help them adjust to college life and get a head start on their UT degree. During the following fall and spring semesters, they will take classes exclusively at PSCC, and at the end of the spring semester, will be admitted to UT if their academic record at PSCC indicates an ability to succeed at UT.

Bridge students will be invited to live in a residence hall on the UT campus when they begin. They will be issued a UT ID card and enjoy library, computer, tutoring and mentoring services and recreational opportunities on both campuses.

This partnership between UT and PSCC is part of how UT is working to comply with the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010.

Passed by the state Legislature and signed by former Gov. Phil Bredesen in January 2010, this act is intended to enhance cooperation between colleges and universities in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and UT systems.

The Complete College Tennessee Act:

-Changes the state funding formula so it is based on six-year graduation rates rather than enrollment;

-Eases the transition for community college students moving on to state universities;

-Requires TBR and UT to establish dual-admission and dual-enrollment policies at two- and four-year colleges and universities; and

-Requires community colleges to offer all remedial work.

For more information about the UT-Pellissippi Community College Bridge Program, see http://admissions.utk.edu/undergraduate/bridge/.

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C O N T A C T :

Karen Simsen, (865-974-5186, karen.simsen@tennessee.edu)

The program, “Just for You,” will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 pm at the UT Visitors Center, 2712 Neyland Drive.

Faculty and staff who have children in high school or children looking to transfer to UT from another college will get information about admission, financial aid, services and other benefits, such as the UT tuition discount.

Light refreshments will be provided.

Those planning to attend should RSVP to Kelly Bryan at bbryan@utk.edu or 865-974-2184.

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)

The regular admissions deadline of Dec. 1 is also just around the corner.

“We hope high school seniors and parents have these dates marked on their calendars so there’s no last-minute crunch,” said Vern Granger, director of undergraduate admissions and assistant dean of enrollment services.

Granger said he wants to stress that while UT Knoxville is committed to excellence, it’s also committed to being accessible.

“UT Knoxville is looking for the ‘best and brightest’ students to make up our next freshman class,” Granger said. “But we’re not just talking about grade-point averages and ACT scores; rather, we’re talking about the whole range of special abilities, characteristics and talents that students can bring to our campus. We encourage prospective students to demonstrate their ability to succeed at UT by showing us a healthy combination of grades and extracurricular activities, along with their personal statements and optional letters of recommendation.”

Students who meet the Nov. 1 priority deadline should know their admissions status no later than Christmas, as well as whether they’re being considered for the Honors Program and competitive scholarships (they must also complete the Freshman Scholarship Application). All students who meet the Dec. 1 deadline will be notified of their admission status no later than March 15.

Two other important deadlines to remember:

February 15 is the filing deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applying for admission and completing the FAFSA form is all students need to do to be eligible for Promise and Pledge scholarships, as well as Achieve the Dream grants.

May 1 is the deadline for admitted students to confirm their attendance by paying a nonrefundable deposit of $250.

For more information about UT Knoxville and the admissions process, see http://www.admissions.utk.edu. To register for a campus tour, visit http://www.visit.utk.edu.

To apply online, go to http://www.apply.utk.edu.

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)

Vern Granger and family

KNOXVILLE — When University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Undergraduate Admissions Director Vern Granger moved to town and went house hunting, HGTV’s popular show “House Hunters” went along.

The show featuring Granger and his family will air at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 15. HGTV airs on Comcast Channel 28.

Granger, who began working at UT in September 2009, said his realtor recommended him for the show.

“We got an email back from producers asking if we were interested,” he said. Before they were accepted, though, they had to fill out a questionnaire and film their own video audition.

HGTV notified them in January 2010 that the show wanted them; filming commenced in February.

“The most surprising part was how much work went into it for a 20-minute show,” Granger said. “They did four days of taping on the front end and then came back three weeks later to do the update show.” Each “shoot” lasted five to six hours.

The twist in the show: the family had been living in Laurel Residence Hall while they were looking for a house.

Here’s how “House Hunters” promotes the episode featuring the Grangers: “Vern just started working at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He loves his new job, but isn’t crazy about his current living situation. Vern and his wife and daughter are all staying in a campus residence hall that is also sorority housing at the university. Aside from the space being too small, Vern and his wife, Katherine, want to find a place more suitable for a family. They’re hoping to find a home with a large kitchen and a guest room for Katherine’s family to stay in when they visit from China. Additionally, they’d like a house that meets Katherine’s feng shui requirements. Their realtor will take them to several homes in the Knoxville area, but the real challenge is finding one that both Vern and Katherine agree on.”

The Grangers looked at three houses before they made their choice.

One of the houses — the smallest house and least expensive option — was off Northshore Drive. It had two stories and a finished basement, and it was thoroughly wired for entertainment systems.

The second house — with a middle-of-the-road price tag — was a two-story house in the Cedar Bluff area. It featured an unfinished basement, hardwood floors throughout, a patio and a screened-deck in Cedar Bluff.

The third house — the most expensive option — was off Middlebrook Pike. Also a two-story house, it was the closest to the UT campus and, Granger said, “the architecture had some cool features.”

So which one did the Granger family choose?

You’ll have to tune in to find out.

Here are some hints: Granger said the choice wasn’t difficult, and features were more of a deciding factor than money.

Granger said his wife enjoyed the experience, as did his daughter, Caroline, 5. “She loved being interviewed and having the camera on her.”

Granger admits that he, too, enjoyed his stint as a TV star.

“Oh, yeah, it was a lot of fun,” he said, joking that he’s already contemplating his next venture.

“Maybe ‘Survivor’ or ‘Jersey Shore,’” he quipped.

–

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@utk.edu)

In addition, an open house for high school seniors and their families will be held on the Knoxville campus on Oct. 16.

“The Orange and White Tour allows us to take information about UT Knoxville to our prospective students, while the Open House gives interested students a chance to visit campus,” said Vern Granger, undergraduate admissions director. “At both events, we have admissions experts and current UT students available to visit with high school seniors and community college students and their families. It’s a great chance for prospective students, who get information about UT Knoxville and ask questions that will help them make their college choices.”

To register for the Orange and White Tour, visit http://www.utk.edu/orangeandwhitetour.

The Orange and White Tour stops, all from 7 to 8:30 p.m., include

• Sept. 9 — Pellissippi/Hardin Valley Campus
• Sept. 14 — Roane State Community College, Oak Ridge campus
• Sept. 21 — Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma
• Oct. 6 — Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis
• Oct. 11 — Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences
• Oct. 12 — Walters State Community College in Sevierville
• Oct. 18 — Madison Academic High School in Jackson
• Oct. 19 — Nashville State Community College
• Oct. 20 — Columbia State Community College, Columbia campus
• Oct. 21 — Columbia State Community College, Franklin campus
• Oct. 26 — Holiday Inn, Johnson City
• Oct. 27 — UT Visitors Center, Knoxville

For more information about the Oct. 16 open house, visit http://www.utk.edu/eventregistration/openhouse/.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)

This year’s freshman class’ average GPA was 3.81, compared to 3.79 last year, and more than 41 percent of this year’s incoming freshmen had high school grade point averages of 4.0 or better — continuing the steady rise in this statistic over past years.

“We’re pleased that in addition to its stellar academic profile, our freshman class is diverse and represents an economic cross-section of our state,” Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said. “Quality, access and diversity have been and will continue to be our goals.

“As we did the research to begin our quest to become a Top 25 university, we learned that UT Knoxville has for several years attracted students who are as good — if not better — than those students who attend the best universities in the country,” Cheek said. “The Class of 2014 has carried on that admirable tradition.”

The incoming freshmen have an average ACT score of 26.5 — roughly the same as it has been for the past two years.

Though nearly 500 students larger than last year, this year’s freshman class is expected to be 17 percent minority and about 8.3 percent African-American. Ninety percent of the freshmen are Tennessee residents.

About 99 percent of the in-state, incoming freshmen qualified for the state’s lottery-funded HOPE, which provides $4,000 per year toward tuition and fees.

This year also brings growth to UT’s need-based aid programs — the Tennessee Pledge Scholarship, the Tennessee Promise Scholarship and Achieve the Dream grants.

“Over the past five years, we’ve created these other financial assistance programs to help ensure that money won’t be a stumbling block for academically qualified students who want to attend UT Knoxville,” said Richard Bayer, assistant provost and director of enrollment services.

This year, about 69 percent of the institutional scholarships awarded by UT are merit-based and 31 percent are need-based. In 2005-2006, about 99 percent of UT’s institutional scholarships were merit-based.

About 14 percent of this year’s freshmen will receive the Tennessee Pledge Scholarship which, when combined with other federal, state and institutional aid, will cover mandatory costs — tuition, fees, room and board, and a book allowance. This year, the scholarship is available to students whose families have adjusted gross incomes of up to $40,000, which is about 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The average income of Pledge families is $19,400, compared to about $127,000 for all in-state students.

This year, 175 freshmen have received the Tennessee Promise Scholarship. The only program of its kind in the state, the Promise Scholarship is available to students from a group of eligible high schools across the state. Promise scholarships are valued at up to $6,850 per year plus a $1,200 book allowance. The average family income of Promise recipients is $45,727.

Also, this year, 353 freshmen have received Achieve the Dream grants. The program — for high-achieving students from middle-income Tennessee families — provides four-year grants up to $3,000 per year, when combined with the UT Volunteer or University scholarships. The average family income of recipients is $79,255.

Admission numbers aren’t final until the 14th day of class.

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)

Vern Granger

KNOXVILLE — Vern Granger, undergraduate admissions director for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been named president-elect of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling.

His nomination was approved by the membership on April 20.

Granger has been at UT since September 2009. Prior to that, he worked in admissions at North Carolina State University.

The Southern Association for College Admission Counseling is a nonprofit, professional association founded in 1966 as a chartered affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). The organization includes about 1,600 members from secondary schools, colleges and universities, and educational consulting firms in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and the Caribbean. Members work together to promote high professional standards in the college admission process by exchanging ideas, sharing common goals and preparing counselors to serve students in the transition from high school to college. Additionally, more than 250 non-voting associate members from 30 other states participate in the association.

C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu@utk.edu)

Student recruiters serve a key role for the campus as the primary ambassadors for the university and connection with potential students and families during open houses, campus visits, staffing the Visitors Center and other events and programs. Students are required to attend training sessions and biweekly meetings, and perform specific functions as outlined by the Office of Admissions advisers. Students receive minimum wage for the hours they work. Advisers will chose team captains who will receive a $500 scholarship, in addition to an hourly wage.

As many as 125 members will be selected to become student recruiters. Current members must also reapply and go through an interview process every year.

Information sessions are planned for 7 p.m. on Feb. 22 and Feb. 24 in the Hodges Library auditorium. The sessions will include an overview about the activities and expectations associated with the position. The session will last approximately one hour and include a time for students to ask questions.

“Our student recruiters play a key role in helping to acquaint students, families and friends to the University of Tennessee. Being a part of this group is a wonderful way to demonstrate your Volunteer spirit and gain leadership experience,” said Vern Granger, director of the UT Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Students must have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 and are required to go through a series of interviews as part of the selection process. The deadline to apply is Feb. 26. Training will begin in May and recruiting activities will commence with the start of the fall semester in mid-August.

The comprehensive student recruiting group brings together the talents and responsibilities of the former UT Ambassador Scholars (UTAS), Orange Pride (OP) and Minority Enhancement for the University of Tennessee (ME4UT). Students who are selected for this organization will be highly trained in all aspects of the recruitment of students at UT through a wide range of specialized recruiting programs and activities.

“The first group of selected students will have the advantage of creating a name for the group and helping to develop its overall concept and image,” Granger said.

For an application, click here. For more information, call Laura Stansell, assistant director, at 865-974-0634 or e-mail her at stansell@utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Karen Collins (865-974-5186, karen.collins@tennessee.edu)

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s application deadline for incoming freshmen for the 2010-2011 academic year is Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Vern Granger, director of undergraduate admissions and assistant dean of enrollment services, said applications have been coming in this year at a steady pace.

Granger said UT seeks to admit students who demonstrate the ability to succeed at UT.

“Remember that the term ‘best and brightest’ refers not only to grade-point averages and ACT scores, but to a whole range of special abilities, characteristics and talents,” Granger said.

UT’s admissions staff have noted that a myth exists that students with less than a 26 ACT should not bother to apply to UT. However, for 2009, 57 percent of applicants who had less than a 25 ACT or who had less than a 3.4 core GPA were offered admission.

“In some cases, we know that students are admitted based on their grades or test scores alone. But in many cases, students are admitted because of a combination of grades and extracurricular activities, personal statements and optional letters of recommendation,” he explained.

All students who meet the Dec. 1 deadline will be notified of their admission status no later than March 15.

Students are encouraged to apply online.

For more information about UT Knoxville and the admissions process, see http://www.admissions.utk.edu.

And the regular admissions deadline of Dec. 1 is also just around the corner.

“This is the second year for the main deadline to be Dec. 1, which is earlier than it was in the past. We’re hoping high school seniors, and parents, have it marked on their calendars so there’s no last-minute crunch,” said Vern Granger, director of undergraduate admissions and assistant dean of enrollment services.

Granger said he wants to stress that while UT Knoxville is committed to excellence, it’s also committed to being accessible.

“For the past several years, we’ve been able to boast having our ‘best and brightest’ freshman classes ever,” he said. “Remember that ‘best’ refers not only to grade-point averages and ACT scores, but to a whole range of special abilities, characteristics and talents. Most of all, we admit students who demonstrate the ability to succeed at UT. In some cases, we know that from grades alone. But in many cases, students are admitted because of a combination of grades and extracurricular activities, personal statements and optional letters of recommendation.”

A myth has existed that students with less than a 26 ACT should not bother to apply to UT, but for 2009, 57 percent of applicants who had less than a 25 ACT or who had less than a 3.4 core GPA were offered admission, Granger said.

All students who meet the Dec. 1 deadline will be notified of their admission status no later than March 15.

Two other important deadlines to remember:

March 1 is the filing deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applying for admission and completing the FAFSA form is all students need to do to be eligible for Promise and Pledge scholarships, as well as Achieve the Dream grants.

May 1 is the deadline for admitted students to confirm their attendance by paying a nonrefundable deposit of $150.

Students are encouraged to apply online at http://www.apply.utk.edu.

This year, for the first time, Undergraduate Admissions is taking its message on the road with “Volunteer Visits.”

“Whether you have already applied for admission to the entering fall class of 2010 or are still considering UT, we invite you to join members of our UT admissions staff to get the latest information about campus programs and scholarships, and to ask any questions you might have about UT Knoxville,” Granger said.

All Volunteer Visits are from 6:30 to 8 p.m., except the Memphis visit that will be from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The schedule is:

• Monday, Nov. 2 — Hunters Lane High School, Nashville
• Monday, Nov. 2 — Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin
• Tuesday, Nov. 3 — Bearden High School, Knoxville
• Thursday, Nov. 5 — Ooltewah High School, Ooltewah
• Sunday, Nov. 8 — UT Health Science Center Student Center, Memphis
• Monday, Nov. 9 — UT Visitors Center, Knoxville
• Tuesday, Nov. 10 — Madison Academic High School, Jackson
• Thursday, Nov. 12 — Sullivan South High School, Kingsport-Tri-Cities area
• Thursday, Nov. 12 – Houston High School, Shelby County

For more information about UT Knoxville and the admissions process, see http://www.admissions.utk.edu.

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C O N T A C T :

Amy Blakely, (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)