High-school seniors planning to attend MTSU in fall 2012 who want priority consideration for major scholarships need to apply by Thursday, Dec. 1, University officials said.

“Making application to MTSU by the Dec. 1 deadline is necessary to be eligible for priority scholarship consideration,” said David Cicotello, associate vice provost for admissions and enrollment services.

David Cicotello

“The earlier a student submits an application, the sooner an admission decision is made,” Cicotello added. “The college-selection process is less stressful when application activity happens earlier in the senior year rather than later.”

Meeting the Dec. 1 deadline will help outstanding students to be considered for National Merit/Achievement, Chancellor, Presidential, Academic Service, Valedictorian/Salutatorian, Provost and International Baccalaureate scholarships. The yearly monetary awards range from the $1,000 International Baccalaureate scholarship to the $6,000 National Merit/Achievement gift.

The University Honors College’s Buchanan Fellowship, which is the most coveted scholarship, also has a Dec. 1 deadline.

Scholarship considerations primarily are based on high-achieving students’ grade-point averages and ACT/SAT scores.

Other scholarships at MTSU, including the DREAM and Foundation awards, have a Feb. 15 deadline. Departmental scholarships generally have a Feb. 15 deadline, but they can vary.

Prospective students who apply between Dec. 2 and Feb. 15 may not receive a major scholarship, officials cautioned.

“While we may be able to award scholarships to late applicants, we never can guarantee this,” said Bonnie McCarty, assistant director of scholarships in the Scholarship Office.

“Students who qualify for academic scholarships must apply for admission by Dec. 1 to have any guarantee that they will receive the scholarship for which they are eligible.”

Prospective scholarship recipients must submit an admissions application with a $25 fee), a high-school transcript and ACT/SAT scores to be considered.

For more information, prospective applicants may visit:

• www.mtsu.edu/applynow;
• www.mtsu.edu/admissn;
• www.mtsu.edu/financialaid; and
• www.mtsu.edu/scholarships.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)