Shatima White, second from right, a senior at Central High School in Memphis, Tennessee, shows initiative in discussing an aspect of MTSU assistant professor David Nelson’s biology research during the Oct. 17 True Blue Experience Day for the College of Basic and Applied Science in the Science Building. Watching in the front of the class are Joselyn Alvarez, a senior at Hillsboro High School in Nashville, and Tyler Braun of Bell Buckle, Tennessee. He is a senior at Cascade High School and has already had his application accepted. (MTSU photos by News and Media Relations)

Tyler Braun received his acceptance letter from the MTSU Office of Admissions two weeks ago.

The Cascade High School senior visited the Murfreesboro campus for the second time Oct. 17 and liked what he saw in the new 257,000-square-foot Science Building, which will be his academic home away from home starting in 2015.

“This place is amazing,” said Braun, a Bell Buckle, Tennessee, resident. “My dad (Sean Braun) helped do the lighting and electrical work. He’s really proud of the building.”

More than 100 people, including 64 prospective students, attended the True Blue Experience Day that emphasized the 11 departments in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. Students from as far away as Memphis and Bowling Green, Kentucky, spent the day touring campus and talking to university personnel.

Pre-dentistry, a branch of biology, is the area of study Braun plans to pursue.

A 30-minute drive to campus will leave Braun close to family, and he admitted attending MTSU is “far less expensive for the same education.”

Craig Redden, a Bowling Green High School senior, and his mother, Melanie, traveled across the state line for his fourth college visit. An MTSU alumna, Melanie Redden (Class of 1991) wanted her oldest child to see the campus she is both proud and fond of even 24 years later.

“This was a much better visit than I even could’ve conceived,” Craig Redden said. “I’ve been surprised by the depth of opportunities and the immediate availability — the opportunities not just to incoming freshmen, but as you continue an education here.”

MTSU assistant biology professor David Nelson, left, talks about his department and research opportunities with Craig Redden and his mother, Melanie, Oct. 17 during the MTSU True Blue Experience Day for the College of Basic and Applied Sciences. The Reddens are from Bowling Green, Kentucky, where Craig Redden is a senior at Bowling Green High School. Melanie Redden is an MTSU alumna. Nelson also talked with the group about his research in the Science Building.

Biology is the field Redden, who scored a 33 on his ACT, plans to pursue wherever he attends college, but the Science Building and its faculty and leaders left an impression.

“It’s a dream come true for a first-time campus visitor,” he said of the facility. “And the entire staff is eager to get going and stay going. That took me by surprise.”

Redden and his mother, who shared fond memories of the late chemistry professor Aaron Todd, listened as assistant professor David Nelson and MTSU junior biology major Larissa Wolf of Murfreesboro talked about their research. Respective biology and chemistry department chairs Lynn Boyd and Greg Van Patten led tour groups.

The Reddens also met with University Honors College Dean John Vile.

Prospective students will have more opportunities for a firsthand look at campus:

• The final Fall Preview Day will be held Saturday, Nov. 1.
• Other True Blue Experience Days will be held Jan. 23, 2015, for students in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Jan. 30 for prospective students in the College of Mass Communication, the Jones College of Business and the Colelge of Education.
• Admissions has special Saturday tours planned for Nov. 15 and Dec. 6, with all starting at 10 a.m. in the Student Services and Admissions Center.

To register, visit www.mtsu.edu/rsvp.

University officials urge prospective students apply by Dec. 1 in order to be considered for major scholarships for those who qualify.

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