University to Ensure Admission for Top Students, Boosting Inner City and Rural Enrollment
Exciting News for High-Achieving High School Students in Tennessee!
The University of Tennessee (UT) system is set to pass a groundbreaking plan that guarantees admission to high-achieving high school students. Led by UT System President Randy Boyd, this proposal aims to redefine pathways to higher education in the state. If approved at the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, September 8, the program could benefit current high school seniors applying for college admission in the fall of 2024. Check out the proposal here.
“This plan will be an equalizer, giving students from underrepresented inner city and rural schools a better chance,” Boyd told the Knox News newspaper. “Our goal is to have a student body that reflects the population of the state. By admitting the top 10% of every high school or making them eligible, we can achieve better representation.”
Deep Dive Into Admission Nuances
The proposal offers three specific avenues for local high school students to secure their spot at one of UT’s campuses:
- Graduating in the top 10 percent of their high school class
- Achieving a GPA of 4.0 or higher
- Combining a GPA of 3.2 or higher with an ACT score of 23 or higher, or an SAT score of 1130-1150
Boyd’s proposal emphasizes that guaranteed admission does not guarantee acceptance into specialized departments or programs. It serves as an open door to the University of Tennessee campus to which the applicant has applied, subject to meeting the eligibility requirements.
The proposal highlights that UT campuses in Chattanooga, Pulaski, and Martin admit the majority of applicants who meet the criteria. By making a “public promise” of admission, the university aims to increase applications and enrollment of Tennesseans at each campus.
Boyd also hopes that this policy will dispel the misconception that prospective students can’t get into UT’s flagship campus in Knoxville. By ensuring a spot for Tennessee’s most prepared students, the university aims to address the brain drain issue.
Addressing the Brain Drain
In 2021, 28 percent of Tennessee’s top-tier public high school students chose out-of-state institutions for their post-secondary education. Boyd’s proposal aims to change that by offering automatic admission to UT’s top high school graduates. This way, prospective students will know early in the college selection process that there is a place for them at the state’s top public university system. They will only be an application away from being admitted.
If approved, the UT system will join other public institutions in at least a dozen states, including Arizona, Florida, and Texas, that offer similar guaranteed admission to eligible students. The initiative’s effectiveness will be reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees, allowing for adjustments as needed.
Based on projections from 2022’s high school graduation numbers, approximately 6,400 students could directly benefit from this new policy in its inaugural year of 2024.
Anticipated Impact Across All Campuses
While the spotlight often shines on UT’s flagship campus in Knoxville, this proposal will have a significant positive impact on the broader UT ecosystem. Cam
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