Top Students Receive Warm Wildcat Welcome
LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 18, 2011) — Hundreds of top students from across the state and region will be in Lexington this weekend, not to watch basketball, but to get a head-start on their college careers. The second of UK's two Merit Weekends takes place March 18-19.
The University Registrar and Office of Undergraduate Admission host these two-day events every March so that the best and brightest prospective students can have one last look at campus before they decide where to attend college.
"UK is proud to host Merit Weekends for top scholars across the state and country," said Don Witt, vice provost for enrollment management. "Our goal is to honor top students by giving them an early orientation and advising conference."
Merit Weekends are available by invitation to admitted students who have excelled academically in high school.
"Merit Weekend is always an exciting time when we can congratulate students on their academic success and showcase everything that UK has to offer these exceptional students," said Stephen Barnett, associate director of admissions and associate registrar.
Katlyn Teager, a Morehead sophomore, knows firsthand how important this weekend can be for prospective students.
"None of the other schools I was considering offered something similar to Merit Weekend, so that in itself made UK stand out," said Teager. "It was really helpful that the conference took place before I had to make a final decision about where I was going to school because once I saw the classes I could take and actually signed up for the ones I liked, I didn’t want to go anywhere else. I was so excited to begin the next year that I never considered another college after I went to Merit Weekend."
This year, a record number of students have already registered for this year's Merit Weekends. 443 students attended the first Merit Weekend of 2011. Officials expect over 400 students to take part in the second event this weekend. That brings the estimated total to a record 862 students representing 25 different states, compared to last year's record-setting total of 781. Officials say the record is a continuation of UK's recent enrollment gains in academic quality.
"We have found that Merit Weekends increase our yield with these outstanding students," Witt said.
Teager says it's because of the personal attention she received. "I really loved being able to break up into small groups and meet with the advisers and plan my classes," said Teager. "The conference reassured all the fears I had and convinced me that UK was the perfect choice for me."
Not only do students meet with individual advisers to register for fall 2011 classes, they also get to talk to current students about what it's like to attend UK. Teager is one of several student staff members who will be there to help attendees and their families feel comfortable.
"I was in their exact position two years ago so I understand the stress of deciding on a college and signing up for the right classes," said Teager. "I want to be able to give the same kind of reassurance that I received during my Merit Weekend to future students."
But it's not all about classes. Students also get to attend a wide variety of sessions to learn more about the opportunities that await them at UK.
"Thanks to this campus wide effort, we’re able to assist these students in taking that first step in transitioning to college," said Barnett. "They will learn about everything from Education Abroad and Undergraduate Research to Student Involvement and Academic Enhancement programs, all while charting an academic course for their college career."
"Merit Weekend represents the collaborative effort of many areas across the UK campus," said Witt. "The success of the program is tied to the goals of moving UK forward!"
For more information on Merit Weekends click here, call (859) 257-3256, or send an e-mail or tweet.
To view videos about the University of Kentucky, visit: www.youtube.com/universityofkentucky.
MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Jones, (859) 257-1754, ext. 257. amy.jones2@uky.edu.