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UNIVERSITY NEWS The University wants a bigger freshman class. Here's how they might attain it.

On one hand I like the idea of using scholarships as a recruiting tool...on the other hand what the hell is the fascination with ACT scores.

My daughter is in her second year...she was home schooled so our focus was not on preparing her for the ACT but giving her a great well rounded education. In fact, she just showed up and took the test and her score was just a result of what she knew - she scored a 26, good, not great. She made mostly A's in High School, but because she was home schooled her GPA wasn't accepted.

She would never qualify for these things...and yet, after 39 hours credit has a GPA at MT of 3.6 and having a great experience.

There are more ways that simple high school GPA and ACT scores to determine who might be a good fit...lets start thinking differently.
 
Home schoolers finish college at a higher percentage and have a higher college gpa than their peers.

We used to homeschool until we enrolled our kids at a private school. Personally I don’t have a problem with ACT or SAT scores as we will be working for them to be successful for those tests as well.

https://www.usnews.com/education/hi...12/06/01/home-schooled-teens-ripe-for-college

Anyhow, it sounds like the Tennessee promise is affecting enrollment. I love that program, BTW.
 
"Home schoolers finish college at a higher percentage and have a higher college gpa than their peers."

Credible, non-partisan source needed for this statement please.
 
Lets hear those more ways other than overall performance in the class room(GPA) and a standardized test(ACT).

Great question and I am not sure exactly...one step is to interview the students versus just having data points...

Lets face it, half of HS is prepping for the ACT to get a high score...the preparation during school for this is crazy. Their is an entire industry around these protocols.

When I was in HS, I literally just showed up to take the SAT...no prep, that's how it was done. That is a true test of what I really knew. I don't have a problem with any testing, I have a problem with class time to focus on it, shouldn't the outcome be a result of those 180 days each year it the class room.

Finally, instead of taking money out of our existing budget to subsidize more smart kids why don't we figure out how to offer a college degree more affordably.
 
"Home schoolers finish college at a higher percentage and have a higher college gpa than their peers."

Credible, non-partisan source needed for this statement please.

A simple google search affirms it, and from a source normally viewed as supporting the usual left wing education tropes, usatoday.

"...Research shows that home-schooled students are certainly capable of adjusting to the college curriculum academically – home-schooled students generally score slightly above the national average on both the SAT and the ACT and often enter college with more college credits. Studies have also shown that on average home-schooled students have higher grade point averages in their freshman years and have higher graduation rates than their peers....."

BOOM.
 
By the way, I didn't want this to be about home school kids, I was just sharing our personal situation... but, its always interesting the comments that flow from folks. And I am constantly amazed at the ignorance of people toward the home school community and then the faith in the existing system. Its a interesting discussion.

My favorite is around socialization, because that's the default when evidence of of performance academically of these kids is shared. And then I always wonder if folks have considered the socialization that happens in your average HS...

Lastly, the good news for public education, my wife is going to be teaching in Rutherford County next year...she is an amazing woman and an incredible leader and teacher. By the way, the process she is going through to update her certification (she was certified in GA in the 1990s before we had kids) is insane, cumbersome and a complete joke. They are not interested in her 18 years of teaching our kids and others or the success of these kids...only to passing some new test.

There has to be a better way.
 
It’s all about standardized testing now. It’s sad really. So many kids are incredibly smart and capable but aren’t good test takers.

My wife spent 20 years as a Social a worker with child protective services. Got out because it became more about numbers than the kids.

She’s in the public school system now and the teachers put a lot on her because they don’t have the time or energy to put individual focus on kids. They have to put their focus on the standardized tests given every year. Their jobs depend on it.

Like someone said above. Interviews would do wonders for a lot of kids. Give different options. Don’t rely solely on one method of entrance.
 
I think the article title is misleading. MT isn't opening the door to more students that wouldn't normally get into school. We are trying to provide reasons for more high achievers to attend MT.

When I see "increase enrollment numbers" in academia, it almost always goes hand-n-hand with dropping the admission standards. The typical spin is that a school is giving more students opportunities...yada yada. That doesn't seem to be the case here at all.
 
I think the article title is misleading. MT isn't opening the door to more students that wouldn't normally get into school. We are trying to provide reasons for more high achievers to attend MT.

When I see "increase enrollment numbers" in academia, it almost always goes hand-n-hand with dropping the admission standards. The typical spin is that a school is giving more students opportunities...yada yada. That doesn't seem to be the case here at all.

I think the goal of the program is to make is easier financially for smart kids who don't have the money - these kids are opting for community college for purely financial reasons.
 
I think the goal of the program is to make is easier financially for smart kids who don't have the money - these kids are opting for community college for purely financial reasons.

I didn't see anything about means testing which I would be okay with. Would beat the hell out of scattering around money indiscriminately, especially on major field of studies that don't prepare students to go out and get a job. Based on what I see entering the work environment from high schools and colleges a lot of folks are not prepared. In fact I think there are a lot of students being passed through the system that really are not college material and should be steered towards rewarding fields that don't require a college degree and a boat load of student debt. The world needs electricians, plumbers, and other blue collar workers, and those folks don't incur huge ass debt getting up speed in those fields.

My concern about the article was the university 'reallocating' funds from somewhere, the article doesn't mention where, to this new 'inititative.'
 
..... these kids are opting for community college for purely financial reasons.

That’s what I did. I made money going to a Juco before MT.

Side note, my friend’s now wife got a scholarship to board of reagent schools, so she went to MT because it couldn’t be applied to UTK. He followed her, I visited him, and fell in love with M’boro/MT. Still have my unused dorm assignment letter to UTK. So I guess this type of scholarship may work in increasing attendance, because 3 of us ended up at MT because 1 got her valedictorian scholarship.
 
My point of that is data points (especially GPA) definitely does not tell the whole story.
 
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