Competitive Scholarships, Competitive Advantage
With more than 1,100 eligible applicants, the selection process is now under way for the inaugural class of Haslam Scholars, a premier honors program that will offer unprecedented opportunities for 15 of the nation’s top students to attend the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The Haslam Scholars Program is a top-tier program akin to the Jefferson Scholars Program at the University of Virginia and the Morehead-Cain Scholars Program at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
The program gives UT a competitive advantage, not only for keeping the best and brightest Tennessee students in Tennessee, but also for drawing the best students from around the country.
The program is intended to enhance UT’s reputation as a research university and a training ground for tomorrow’s leaders.
Steven P. Dandaneau, associate vice provost and director of University Honors, said there’s been tremendous interest in the Haslam Scholars program from students nationwide. To be eligible for the Haslam Scholars Program, students had to apply for early admission to the UT Chancellor’s Honors Program and complete an initial interview.
“The selection committee will meet with the 25 finalists during the March 8 and 9 Haslam Scholars Program Interview Weekend,” Dandaneau said. “The 15 inaugural Haslam Scholars will be announced on March 10.”
Selection criteria include scholastic achievement, leadership potential, maturity and seriousness of purpose, and special talents.
Although there are no strict grade point average or test score minimums set for eligibility, Haslam Scholars are likely to have earned a superior GPA in a rigorous high school curriculum and scored in the top 1 percent of the national distribution of standardized test scores, currently 33-plus on the ACT, 1460-plus on the SAT, or 2190-plus on the new SAT. “As part of their interview experience, Haslam Scholar finalists will read and discuss Jonah Lehrer’s book, Proust Was a Neuroscientist. Lehrer, a 25-year-old recent Rhodes Scholar and graduate of Columbia University, argues that the arts and sciences have much to learn from each other,” Dandaneau said.
Haslam Scholars will be part of an intimate study group mentored by top UT faculty.
The honors curriculum is designed to allow Haslam Scholars to capitalize on UT’s internationally recognized strength in medieval and Renaissance history, its collaborative management of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Ready for the World initiative. The students also will participate in service-learning coursework and an executive-level internship that is designed as a hands-on exploration of U.S. intercultural diversity and its relationship to social and economic inequalities.
Haslam Scholars also will receive the Chancellor’s scholarship—now the top academic scholarship—to cover tuition and fees, room and board, and other expenses.
Program benefits include a $1,500 laptop computer, a study-abroad experience valued at $4,000, and up to $5,500 to support a senior research thesis and travel to present this work.
In addition, Haslam Scholars will receive priority registration for classes and housing and have extensive library privileges.
The UT program was created with $2.5 million from Jimmy and Dee Haslam of Knoxville. Jimmy Haslam is president and CEO of Pilot Travel Centers. Dee Haslam (Knoxville ’86) is CEO of RIVR Media and also chairs the UT Development Council. The Haslams chair the Knoxville campus component of the university’s statewide fund raising effort, the Campaign for Tennessee.?
Jim and Natalie Haslam (both Knoxville ’52) of Knoxville contributed an additional $2.5 million to support the program. Jim Haslam is chairman of the board of Pilot Travel Centers LLC and chairman of the board and president of Pilot Corp.
“We are excited to help UT offer this unique opportunity that will bring some of our nation’s top scholars to the University of Tennessee,” Jimmy Haslam said. “UT is a top-notch research institution where Haslam Scholars will thrive. Likewise, campus will benefit from having Haslam Scholars among its ranks.”
For more information about the Haslam Scholars Program, visit them online at http://honors.utk.edu/haslamscholars/haslam.html.