The Haslam Scholars Program seeks to attract and hone the leaders of tomorrow for the state of Tennessee. Haslam Scholars have demonstrated knowledge and experience in leadership, service-learning, and civic engagement and are prepared to use such knowledge to contribute to the state of Tennessee. The application process below is specifically for students interested in the Haslam Scholars Program, students interested in other Honors & Scholars Programs can learn how to apply here.
Qualifications to Apply:
- Test-Inclusive: Students choosing to submit test scores to the university must have 4.0 weighted core GPA and 31 ACT superscore or SAT equivalent. Students applying for admission in Fall 2023 and beyond are required to include test scores as part of their application.
- Graduation Date: To be eligible for the Haslam Scholars Program, students must apply for admission the year of their high school graduation.
- Completed Competitive Scholarship Application: All students applying to be a Haslam Scholar must complete the Competitive Scholarship application through the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarship by the university’s deadline. This is a separate application than the Haslam Scholars essay and must be completed by December 1 to be eligible for review.
Application Process:
Application
Prospective scholars must meet the below deadlines to be considered for the first round of review for the Haslam Scholars Program. This holistic review of the scholar’s essay, video, scores, and activities allows our selection committee to select semi-finalists for the next round.
- November 1: Submit your UT application by the early action deadline via a Go Vols account or the Common App. Qualified students will then receive an email invitation to apply for Honors & Scholars.
- November 22: Submit your Honors & Scholars application by this deadline.
- Email Invitation: After completing the UT and Honors & Scholars applications, students who meet the above qualifications will receive an email invitation to apply to the Haslam Scholars Program. You will be asked to submit a video response to a prompt which will be considered alongside other UT application materials, such as your Honors & Scholars essay, SRAR, activities list, and other essays. This video will be recorded during the application process, not uploaded as a separate attachment.
- December 1: Submit your Haslam Scholars essay by December 1 to be reviewed for the program.
- December 1: Students must elect to be considered for UT Scholarships by this deadline to be considered for the Haslam Scholars Program. Most students will have selected this while completing the general UT application. Students who did not elect to be considered for scholarships on their UT application can change their response on their Go Vols portal.
Essay and Video Prompts
Essay prompt for all students applying to Honors & Scholars
In-state students complete this prompt: Please identify a local community or problem of particular importance to you. Describe the nature of the problem and how it relates to Tennessee, the United States, and our global context. How might you leverage your experience at the University of Tennessee to enable you to have an impact? (300-400 words)
Out-of-state students complete this prompt: Please identify a local community need or problem of particular importance to you. Describe the nature of the problem and how it relates to your community, the United States, and our global context. How might you leverage your experience at the University of Tennessee to enable you to have an impact? (300-400 words)
Video prompt for students invited to apply to the Haslam Scholars Program (3-4 minutes)
How would you leverage the leadership development offered by the Haslam Scholars Program to become an emerging and innovative leader in the State of Tennessee?
Regional Interviews
After a holistic review of essays, 60 scholars will be selected for regional in-person interviews hosted in major cities in Tennessee. Scholars unable to travel will be able to take part in virtual interviews.
- Early-January: All applicants will receive notification of their status in the Haslam Scholars Program
- Mid-January: 60 semi-finalists will take part in regional interviews
Selection Weekend at UT
Following semi-finalist interviews, 30 scholars are invited to Knoxville for an on-campus interview weekend to experience UT first-hand, meet Honors & Scholars staff, and hear from current Haslam Scholars.
- March 3-5: 30 finalists are invited to Haslam Scholars Selection Weekend
- Monday following Selection Weekend: All finalists will be notified of their appointment as a Haslam Scholar or as an alternate* for the program
*All scholars invited to the Haslam Scholars Selection Weekend receive a 5,000/year four-year Chancellor’s Scholarship regardless of their appointed or alternate status