Area high school students, their parents and families are invited to attend the upcoming Rutherford County College Night — one of the first college recruiting fairs in the Middle Tennessee region this fall.

The event, hosted by MTSU, features 50 colleges and universities from across the Southeast. It will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, in the Student Union Ballroom, 1768 MTSU Blvd., on the MTSU campus in Murfreesboro. For general information, visit www.mtsu.edu/rccn.

MTSU College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Bud Fischer, right, laughs along with a prospective student and her mother while discussing science opportunities in August 2018 during the annual Rutherford County College Night at MTSU. This year’s event, which is free, is from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, in the Student Union Ballroom, with 50 colleges and universities participating. (MTSU file photo by Randy Weiler)

Guests will be able to park in the Student Union Lot starting at 5:30 p.m., with overflow parking in the gravel lot behind Scarlett Commons across from the softball field. To find parking and building locations, a campus map is available at http://bit.ly/MTSUParkingMap.

Public, private and home-schooled students from Rutherford and surrounding counties are welcome to attend the free event.

There also is no cost for students or their parents to register for the fair online through the automated system at www.gotocollegefairs.com.

The Tennessee Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers endorses the Wednesday, Sept. 4, Rutherford County College Night at MTSU.

After registering, the student will receive a printable bar code or one that can be used from their phone. College recruiters can then scan the student’s bar code and instantly receive all necessary information.

MTSU will have a huge presence at the event, manning at least 15 tables in the large ballroom.

“One of our biggest goals surrounding this event is to continue educating local students on the number of possibilities MTSU has to offer, both inside and outside the classroom,” said Joey Clark, coordinator of campus tours and events.

“There is oftentimes a misconception that students within such a close proximity know all there is to know about our institution, and at the rate we are currently growing, there are so many new and exciting details to share.

“This event is a great way for us to broadcast MTSU specifically [and] also offers the chance to promote an overall college-going mindset here in our home county,” added Clark, who also is vice president of recruitment services for the Tennessee Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, which endorses the event.

For questions about the college night, call 615-898-2233 or email admissions@mtsu.edu.

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

Chris Rochelle, second from right, enrollment coordinator with MT One Stop, provides information and answers questions from prospective students and their parents attending the 2018 Rutherford County College Night. Guests will return for this year’s college night starting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 4, in the Student Union Ballroom. (MTSU file photo by Randy Weiler)