High School Juniors - Preparing for College

Presentation Objectives

1. Get more scholarship2. Choose the perfect recommendation3. Write a stellar essay4. Make the most of your campus visit5. Achieve higher ACT and SAT Scores6. Stay organized through the college admissions process

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

Welcome to Big Orange Country! 22,139 Students

235,000 Alumni

560 Acres

230+ Buildings

9 Colleges

Gotta Know Knoxville Tennessee’s third

largest city

Urban Wilderness

Vibrant Music and Arts Scene

Acclaimed Festivals

Pursue Your Passion 170+ Degree Programs

Experience Learning

Undergraduate Research

Honors and Scholars

Student Support Services

“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

Life @ UT400+ Extracurricular Programs

Community Service Arts & Culture Sports & Recreation Print & Broadcast Media

100+ Large-Scale EventsConcertsOff-Broadway Performances

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

COLLEGE EXPLORATION

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?

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

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

Career

What Can I Do With This Major: whatcanidowiththismajor.com

Occupational Outlook Handbook: www.bls.gov/oco

ADMISSIONS

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

UT’s Freshmen Admission Checklist

High School Transcript Test ScoresAdditional Factors

letters of recommendation (optional)

personal statement (optional)rigor of high school

curriculumextracurricular or

leadership activitiesawards

Deadlines

Non Restrictive• College will let you

know by a certain dateRegular Decision

• College admits throughout the admissions cycle

Rolling Admissio

n• College will send you a

decision earlierEarly Action

MAY 1ST CONFIRMATION DATE

Restrictive

• If admitted, you are committed to that school

• The school may hold your application for regular decision

Early Decisio

n

Key Dates

November 1st Priority DeadlineApply by this date for priority admission and in order to be eligible to apply for competitive scholarships and the Chancellor’s Honor Program

Key Dates

December 15th Regular Deadline for AdmissionApply by this date for admission and to be considered for institutional scholarships, including the Volunteer Scholarship.

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

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

Testing

ACT SAT AP Exams IB Exams FREE TEST PREP

Khan Academy, khanacademy.org ACT, act.org SAT, satpractice.org

SCHOLARSHIP AND FINANCIAL AID

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 State34–36 / 1520–1600 $8,000 $18,00030–33 / 1390–1510 $6,000 $15,00028–29 / 1310–1380 $3,000 $10,000

*core weighted GPA

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

Financial Aid

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

PLANNING FOR COLLEGE

Michael Porter // michaelp@utk.edu // 865-946-8687

A copy of this presentation is available at tinyurl.com/utkpreview