The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees held a special meeting of the Education, Research and Service Committee followed by a meeting of the full board today to discuss a guaranteed admissions standards proposal that would impact all UT undergraduate campuses.
The approved proposal means all UT undergraduate campuses would guarantee first-year admission to all Tennessee high school students who meet any of the following eligibility criteria:*
Finish in the top 10% of their high school’s graduating class; or
Achieve a 4.0 or higher cumulative GPA.
Additionally, UT campuses in Martin, Pulaski, and Chattanooga would add a third criteria:
Achieve a 3.2 or cumulative higher GPA andhave an ACT composite score of 23 or higher (or an SAT score of 1130-1150 or higher).
I don’t believe so - but I don’t think a rank alone - or minimal score on a three hour test should guarantee anything.
But other schools have minimums - such as an ASU as an example.
To be admitted to ASU, you will need one of the following:
top 25% in high school graduating class
3.00 GPA in competency courses (4.00 = “A”)
ACT: 22 (24 nonresidents)
SAT: 1120 (1180 nonresidents
I’m a resident. I’m not sure this is good - but it’s fine - the non UTK schools are all very easy admits anyway and UTK is relatively easy although perhaps it’ll be getting more apps like other southern schools.
I think its an interesting move for the state. Can agree to disagree. Surprising to hear , given the ongoing emphasis on UA, that one doesn’t like auto admits (or close to).
auto merit - different. UTK had auto merit when my son started- he got $5K (because of in-state) - it still cost more than Bama but neither kid was interested in UTK - likely for the same reason my NJ kids on here poo poo Rutgers, etc. - the in state thing.
I like auto merit.
I’m fine with the change - just saying I don’t think it changes much. Like UT Austin, you get auto admit, but not major admit.
At some schools, the top of the school isn’t as accomplished or able as a middle kid at a different school. I realize there are socioeconomic and probably diversity factors in that statement but - it’s just as a see it. It’s fine - I just don’t see it doing much.
Why not, for a college that is not that selective and has plenty of space to admit according to the stated auto-admit criteria and still have space left over to take a closer look at non-auto-admit applicants closer to the margin?
Note that Arizona State has stated auto-admit criteria for each major, although the criteria may be higher than that listed for campus admission.
The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees held a special meeting of the Education, Research and Service Committee followed by a meeting of the full board today to discuss a guaranteed admissions standards proposal that would impact all UT undergraduate campuses.
The approved proposal means all UT undergraduate campuses would guarantee first-year admission to all Tennessee high school students who meet any of the following eligibility criteria:*
Finish in the top 10% of their high school’s graduating class; or
Achieve a 4.0 or higher cumulative GPA.
Additionally, UT campuses in Martin, Pulaski, and Chattanooga would add a third criteria:
Achieve a 3.2 or cumulative higher GPA andhave an ACT composite score of 23 or higher (or an SAT score of 1130-1150 or higher).
How are high school GPAs calculated for this purpose? Presumably “4.0 or higher cumulative GPA” (emphasis added) implies that some sort of weighted GPA is used.
One concern that I have is that the auto-admit to all UT campuses will funnel students to the Knoxville campus at the expense of the smaller campuses (such as UT-Martin and UT-Southern). Additionally, UTK already has issues with finding living space for its current (and anticipated) students; and to the extent that this policy will exacerbate that problem, I don’t think that it is a good thing.
I’ve never heard of anyone going to Martin although it has 6700 students. You make a good point though - that maybe it makes it harder to get in OOS? But I’m not sure if the campus populations mingle. It’s actually closer to where I live than Knoxville.
UT Southern is sort of new - it was Martin Methodist but the state absorbed it. It will be interesting to see how it does.
I never heard anything about Martin when my kids were in HS. I don’t remember if they were at the college fair or not.
Only time I ever hear about them is when they are a pay day patsy for a football team.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out - but I don’t think it changes much of anything.
Interestingly, I didn’t read this in the news - but there it is - so it must have been buried below.
with the non major stories. They acknowledge the housing shortage and yet want to grow 5K students.
I think the two schools (UT and UTK) can’t be compared in the sense of selectivity - and UTK has far more OOS students (more than a 3rd) vs. less than 10% I believe.
No opinion on it. I’m surprised in the article they say - we don’t want in state kids going out of state because they think it’s an impossible admission. I guess that’s the difference of living in a wealthy county vs. not - I never would have thought that. But obviously, others do - or they believe others do.
The state has worked on access for lower income the past few years and absorbed Martin Methodist, plus added a high profile system leader in Randy Boyd - so perhaps UTK is one to watch.
No change. I think it’s unnecessary. I might be mis informed but to me it seems much ado about nothing.
That’s why I said:
No opinion on it. I’m surprised in the article they say - we don’t want in state kids going out of state because they think it’s an impossible admission. I guess that’s the difference of living in a wealthy county vs. not - I never would have thought that. But obviously, others do - or they believe others do.
Yea and yes. I mean it is non news and I don’t like it. How many non qualified in Texas get in but qualified don’t. I read the Tennessean every day - had to google to find it - so it wasn’t a featured story that I can tell.
There are issues I care about. But this isn’t one.
Not a fan. But at least where I live and granted it’s one of the wealthier counties in the country , this won’t have an impact - I don’t believe. So I’m sure a lot of bias comes in on my opinion.
But to be clear, you said it was non-news because these kids got in anyway, not that you couldn’t find the information. IMO it IS big news. There are different ways to attract talent or to try to keep talent in state. One is to “buy” residents with automatic scholarship $ (which they have to maintain their performance when in college to keep the scholarship.) My own state does this. Others may not have the funds to give a lot of scholarship money, but the free community college as well as auto admit sends a clear signal. It may well make it harder for OOS kids to get into UT. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Might bring brighter OOS kids instate.
And I think that - if you met the stated new criteria, you were getting admitted anyway.
I think it changes nothing.
But should someone top 10% in Tn or 6% in Tx who is woefully unprepared get in - no.
So if you have an 18 ACT either should welcome you bcuz you make the rank ?
No.
But at UTK that kid was getting in anyway - in my opinion.
So my opinion doesn’t matter. But it was not big news here and I’m biased as I come from a wealthier demographic but I think it’s a snooze.
But what I think doesn’t matter.
There’s many things I don’t like - test optional, loan forgiveness if it wasn’t stated up front, elimination of majors for non academic or budget reasons.