Workers continue to make significant progress on the new $147 million Science Building on the MTSU campus. It is scheduled to open in spring 2015. Prospective students, their families and counselors can learn more about the building at the True Blue Tour events Monday, Oct. 21, at the Memphis Botanic Garden and Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the Jackson Country Club. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

High school and community college students from Memphis, Jackson and all of West Tennessee still have time to register for Middle Tennessee State University’s “True Blue Tour” stop in Memphis.

A student reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, at the Memphis Botanic Garden, 750 Cherry Road, in Memphis. Students and their parents or guardians can preregister by going to http://tinyurl.com/truebluetour, or just come to the event.

For the Memphis student recruiting event, public, private, home school and community college students from Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, Haywood, Lauderdale, Crockett, Dyer, Lake and other counties across the region are welcome.

A student reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, at the Jackson Country Club, 31 Country Club Lane. Students and their parents or guardians can preregister by going to http://tinyurl.com/truebluetour, or just come to the event.

For the Jackson student recruiting event, public, private, home school and community college students from Madison, Hardeman, McNairy, Hardin, Haywood, Lauderdale, Crockett, Decatur, Henderson, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Weakley, Obion and Dyer and other counties across the region are welcome.

Tour stops already have been held in Chattanooga, Johnson City, Knoxville and Nashville.

Organized by the university’s admissions office, the True Blue Tour seeks to recruit high school and transfer students for the 2014-15 academic year and beyond. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and other top administrators, deans of the eight academic colleges and counselors from the financial aid, admissions and other offices will be available to answer questions from prospective students and their parents.

“We always enjoy coming to Memphis and Jackson each year,” McPhee said. “We get to meet many of the West Tennessee’s outstanding students and share with them the variety of excellent programs MTSU has available to them.”

At 11:30 a.m. at both the Memphis and Jackson events, MTSU will host counselors from area high schools and community colleges for a luncheon. McPhee and Dr. Deb Sells, vice president of student affairs, will lead the program. The counselors will visit with MTSU staff and administrators, and return to their respective schools with information they can share with their students.

Before the student receptions, McPhee also will meet with alumni. Some of them will share about their MTSU experiences during the reception.

A printable map for the Memphis Botanic Garden can be found at http://www.memphisbotanicgarden.com/directionsparking.

The Jackson Country Club is located north of Interstate 40 exit 82B and just off North Highland Avenue (U.S. Hwy. 45). Plenty of parking is available.

MTSU has additional on-campus events this fall for prospective students, including:

• A True Blue Experience Day from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, targeting West Tennessee students and others wanting to visit;

• A Fall Preview Day from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. Along with the campus visit, attendees will have an opportunity to attend the MTSU Blue Raiders football game against Florida International (kickoff at 3 p.m.) as part of Salute to Armed Services events; and

• The final True Blue Experience Day of the fall will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, targeting transfer students, but also open to all prospective students.

Go online to http://tinyurl.com/truebluetour to register for any of the special tours or just come to the Student Union, where tours begin. Daily campus tours will continue through Friday, Dec. 13. Visit the site to check availability and to register.

Students who apply for MTSU admission by Dec. 1 receive priority consideration for scholarships, Sells said.

This fall, MTSU is also reaching out to about 15,000 Tennessee high school seniors with ACT scores of 19 and higher with a mailed brochure inviting them to attend a tour stop and visit the Murfreesboro campus, Sells said.

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