Resources to help high school juniors explore colleges, find more scholarship, achieve higher standardized test scores.

2. Presentation Objectives
1. Get more scholarship
2. Choose the perfect recommendation
3. Write a stellar essay
4. Make the most of your campus visit
5. Achieve higher ACT and SAT Scores
6. Stay organized through the college admissions process

3. UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

4. Welcome to Big Orange Country!
 28,321 Students
 22,317 undergraduate
 235,000 Alumni
 600 Acres
 285 Buildings
 26 new and improved
facilities in the past 5
years
 900+ Programs

5. Gotta Know Knoxville
 Tennessee’s third
largest city
 Urban Wilderness
 Vibrant Music and Arts
Scene
 Acclaimed Festivals

6. Pursue Your Passion
Experience Learning
Undergraduate Research
Honors and Scholars
Student Support Services

7. “What are you doing this week?”
A. Resume, Job Seeking, and Interview Prep on Wednesday
B. Enra: Japanese Dance Troupe on Monday
C. Mossman Lecture Featuring Bill Nye the Science Guy on Thursday
D. Society for Physics Students Pumpkin Drop on Friday
E. All of the Above

8. Life @ UT
400+ Extracurricular Programs
 Community Service
 Arts & Culture
 Sports & Recreation
 Print & Broadcast Media
100+ Large-Scale Events
Concerts
Off-Broadway Performances

9. Eat Like a Volunteer
 30+ locations
 All-You-Care-To-Eat dining
 Retail brands like Chick-Fil-A, Raising
Cane’s, Dunkin Donuts
 Made-to-order daily specials
 NEW! More options off campus

11. COLLEGE EXPLORATION

12. Factors Affecting Your College Choice
 College environment
 Extracurricular opportunities
 Profession
 Major
 Geographic location
 Community
 College size
 Concerns
What are your top 4-6 criteria in selecting a college?

13. College Exploration
 UT Undergraduate Admissions:
admissions.utk.edu
 Tennessee Student Assistance
Corporation: tn.gov/collegepays
 College Navigator:
nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator
 College Score Card:
collegescorecard.ed.gov
 College Board:
bigfuture.collegeboard.org

14. Campus Visits
What To Do
 Research the school before to ask
insightful questions
 Request academic appointment if
available
 If not, contact a professor/department
 Search school’s event calendar in
preparation for your visit
 Attend an information session
What Not To Do
 Do the campus tour and jet
 Try to register last minute for peak times
(fall break and spring break)
 Two visits in the same day
 Skip the on campus meal
 Neglect getting the business cards of
people you meet

15. Career
 What Can I Do With This Major:
career.utk.edu/explore
 Occupational Outlook Handbook:
www.bls.gov/oco

16. ADMISSIONS

17. Admissions Application
Official High School Transcript
• normally sent directly from the high school to the college
• schools typically get a school report listing things like AP classes offered, how many students in a class, etc.
• colleges might require mid-year grades
Standardized Test Scores
• go to act.org (ACT) or collegeboard.org (SAT) to request official copies
• some schools are able to take ACT/SAT scores from you transcript, but not all
• senior year be sure to mark your top schools to receive your scores on the test
Application Form (Common Application or school’s website)
• personal information
• honors and awards
• extracurricular
• employment
• summer activities
• essays
• disciplinary action
• application fee or fee waiver
• signature

19. UT’s Freshmen Admission Checklist
High School Transcript
Test Scores
Additional Factors
letters of recommendation
(optional)
personal statement (optional)
rigor of high school curriculum
extracurricular or leadership
activities
awards

20. Deadlines
Non Restrictive
• College will let you know
by a certain date
Regular
Decision
• College admits throughout
the admissions cycle
Rolling
Admission
• College will send you a
decision earlier
Early
Action
MAY 1ST CONFIRMATION DATE
Restrictive
• If admitted, you are
committed to that
school
• The school may
hold your
application for
regular decision
Early
Decision

21. Key Dates
November 1st
Priority Deadline
Apply by this date for priority
admission and in order to be
eligible to apply for competitive
scholarships and the Honors
and Scholar Programs

22. Key Dates
December 15th
Regular Deadline for
Admission
Apply by this date for admission
and to be considered for
institutional scholarships,
including the Volunteer
Scholarship.

23. Essay
 Tell a Story
 don’t write what you think they want to hear
 show your personality
 Proofread
 strategy: read essay from bottom to top
 no “thnx” or “B4”
 grammarly.com
 Get a Second Opinion
 listen with an open mind
 Stay Focused
 really read the essay prompt
 add substance to some of your
achievements

24. Recommendations
Who?
 Teachers
 core academic subjects (history, math,
science, languages)
 teachers who know you well
 recent years (junior and senior)
 Guidance Counselors
Tips:
 What are things you would like your
recommenders to highlight?
 Why did you choose this specific
recommender?
 Give recommenders PLENTY of time

25. Testing
 ACT
 SAT
 AP Exams
 IB Exams
 FREE TEST PREP
 Khan Academy, khanacademy.org
 ACT, act.org
 SAT, satpractice.org

26. SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCIAL AID

27. Volunteer Scholarship
Annual award amounts for students with a minimum 3.8 GPA* are
based on the following criteria:
ACT/SAT Score In State Out of State
34–36 / 1520–1600 $8,000 $18,000
30–33 / 1390–1510 $5,000 $15,000
28–29 / 1310–1380 $3,000 $10,000
*core weighted GPA

28. Competitive Scholarships
• Complete and submit admission application by November 1
• Admitted students will receive an e-mail with the link to the
scholarship application
• Scholarship application due
 December 15

29. Financial Aid

30. Scholarship and Financial Aid
 UT One Stop Express Student Services:
onestop.utk.edu
 Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA): fafsa.gov
 Federal Student Aid: studentaid.ed.gov
 Form Your Future: formyourfuture.org
 The Smart Student Guide to Financial
Aid: finaid.org
 Fast Web: fastWeb.com
 Find Tuition: findtuition.com

31. PLANNING FOR
COLLEGE
Michael Porter // michaelp@utk.edu // 865-946-8687