UTK Bridge Program

#1
GreveHaller

GreveHaller

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#1
My son has been accepted to UT through the Bridge Program*. Do any of you, parents or students, have any experience with this program? I'm looking for feedback from those that have gone thru it.


*the bridge program is for incoming students where they live on campus but take classes at Pellisippi State for their freshman year then, which proper grades, transition seamlessly into sophomore year on campus.
 
#3
#3
That's why I'm trying to find more about it. There's a few catches: you cant be in a social frat/sorority, cant be in the POTSB, cant be on athlete on a team that is in NCAA.
 
#7
#7
I checked into it with a rep I know from the alumni association a few weeks ago and he gave me a little insight. The average ACT to get in now is about 27 or 28 and average gpa is 3.8 (my son's was 24 and 3.0). With the Hope as well as other factors has raised the bar on students getting in. While this makes UTK a little more 'elite' scholastically, it also takes those kids who's scores arent quite as high and can get in to the other schools ie UTC, UTMartin, MTSU, etc... raising the scores of their incoming. Last year they allowed in 6300 first year students and 1300 bridge students. The program is invitation only.

My guess is that they use is also for kids that are borderline or legacy (I'm an alumn as well as my father, mother, uncle, cousins). It doesnt flat out say no but doesnt give you all the benefits as a full student. You have the option of not living on campus but they encourage it (if he goes the bridge route, he will live on campus). The get IDs from both schools. And crusse is correct, there are other schools that have a similar program

I wanted to hear from someone that had actual experience with the program to see if there were any other disadvantages besides the social aspect.
 
#8
#8
GreveHaller said:
I checked into it with a rep I know from the alumni association a few weeks ago and he gave me a little insight. The average ACT to get in now is about 27 or 28 and average gpa is 3.8 (my son's was 24 and 3.0). With the Hope as well as other factors has raised the bar on students getting in. While this makes UTK a little more 'elite' scholastically, it also takes those kids who's scores arent quite as high and can get in to the other schools ie UTC, UTMartin, MTSU, etc... raising the scores of their incoming. Last year they allowed in 6300 first year students and 1300 bridge students. The program is invitation only.

My guess is that they use is also for kids that are borderline or legacy (I'm an alumn as well as my father, mother, uncle, cousins). It doesnt flat out say no but doesnt give you all the benefits as a full student. You have the option of not living on campus but they encourage it (if he goes the bridge route, he will live on campus). The get IDs from both schools. And crusse is correct, there are other schools that have a similar program

I wanted to hear from someone that had actual experience with the program to see if there were any other disadvantages besides the social aspect.
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My question...do you live on campus and commute to Hardin Valley for all of your classes? That seems incredibly inconvenient and assuredly discourages students from attending class
 
#9
#9
crusse10 said:
My question...do you live on campus and commute to Hardin Valley for all of your classes? That seems incredibly inconvenient and assuredly discourages students from attending class
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that's exactly one of my questions I wanted to find out. The UT site only says you take the PS classes but doesnt say specifically where. Do you have to provide your own transportation? If Hardin Valley is the only location, does UT have a bus that runs there periodically?

As to the first part of your question, you can live on campus in the dorms or off campus but they strongly suggest on campus. If he goes the bridge route, he will stay on campus. That's dad putting his foot down. Sorry but I'm in the camp that half of what you learn in college is from books/classes. The other half is learning to be an adult. Your first year is where you meet a majority of friends and the dorms are the first place you meet them. Next being frats and orgs ie potsb. No matter where he goes he'll be in a dorm first year.
 
#10
#10
GreveHaller said:
that's exactly one of my questions I wanted to find out. The UT site only says you take the PS classes but doesnt say specifically where. Do you have to provide your own transportation? If Hardin Valley is the only location, does UT have a bus that runs there periodically?

As to the first part of your question, you can live on campus in the dorms or off campus but they strongly suggest on campus. If he goes the bridge route, he will stay on campus. That's dad putting his foot down. Sorry but I'm in the camp that half of what you learn in college is from books/classes. The other half is learning to be an adult. Your first year is where you meet a majority of friends and the dorms are the first place you meet them. Next being frats and orgs ie potsb. No matter where he goes he'll be in a dorm first year.
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You've mentioned the Pride multiple times. As I recall, you're one of the former Pride members on here. Sorry to hear that he can't be in it next year.
 
#11
#11
crusse10 said:
You've mentioned the Pride multiple times. As I recall, you're one of the former Pride members on here. Sorry to hear that he can't be in it next year.
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he wouldnt be anyway....as much as I would have liked it. First, he quit playing trumpet when he was in 10th grade. He had completed his fine arts requirement of two years as well as needing that period for other requirements. Second, his school did not have a marching band (private school) so he never learned how to march and play. Finally, he played football.

He might be a football jock but I guarantee he's the only jock on that team that knows what Blue Devils, Blue Coats, Vanguard, and Phantom are.
 
#12
#12
GreveHaller said:
he wouldnt be anyway....as much as I would have liked it. First, he quit playing trumpet when he was in 10th grade. He had completed his fine arts requirement of two years as well as needing that period for other requirements. Second, his school did not have a marching band (private school) so he never learned how to march and play. Finally, he played football.

He might be a football jock but I guarantee he's the only jock on that team that knows what Blue Devils, Blue Coats, Vanguard, and Phantom are.
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lol nice. I never marched in high school for the same reason. Band camp was quite the shock for sure
 
#13
#13
GreveHaller said:
My son has been accepted to UT through the Bridge Program*. Do any of you, parents or students, have any experience with this program? I'm looking for feedback from those that have gone thru it.


*the bridge program is for incoming students where they live on campus but take classes at Pellisippi State for their freshman year then, which proper grades, transition seamlessly into sophomore year on campus.
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I bet he tell the ladies he goes to UT
 
#15
#15
It doesn’t sound like too bad of an option, especially if it’s the only way he can get in to UT, assuming that’s where he wants to go. I would think about letting him stay closer to school if he indeed does have to provide his own transportation, and potentially have hours off between classes.

Plenty of opportunities to meet people/socialize wherever he lives, and also at work if he gets a job. Of course I had a single room dorm my freshman year and was more of a loner throughout college so that doesn’t seem a huge aspect of college life to me.

I doubt I would have gotten in to UT now after seeing how high that GPA/ACT score has gotten. I had a 27 and under a 3.0 high school GPA; started first year of lottery.
 
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#16
#16
crusse10 said:
You've mentioned the Pride multiple times. As I recall, you're one of the former Pride members on here. Sorry to hear that he can't be in it next year.
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Is access available to UT facilities? How about the UT library? What does one get for the added cost of the Bridge as opposed to just directly attending PSTCC? I'm seriously curious about how or why this would work or be an advantage? Student tickets?
 
#17
#17
SmokyRiverDog said:
Is access available to UT facilities? How about the UT library? What does one get for the added cost of the Bridge as opposed to just directly attending PSTCC? I'm seriously curious about how or why this would work or be an advantage? Student tickets?
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I'm pretty sure they have access to anything study related ie library. They get an id card for both PSCC and UT which indicates to me you can enter the library and check out stuff.

You get the benefit of living on campus. Considering we live in Nashville, if he went to PSCC we'd have to get him an apartment + food. He can stay here in Nashville and go to Vol St or Columbia St and live at home.

I dont know about the student tickets. That might be the make or break for him. If he cant get football tix as well as not being able to be in a frat, he'll prob go to UTC. If it was me I wouldnt go that route without the tix.


I too would have never got in to UTK with the ACT & GPA levels they have now
 
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#18
#18
GreveHaller said:
I'm pretty sure they have access to anything study related ie library. They get an id card for both PSCC and UT which indicates to me you can enter the library and check out stuff.

You get the benefit of living on campus. Considering we live in Nashville, if he went to PSCC we'd have to get him an apartment + food. He can stay here in Nashville and go to Vol St or Columbia St and live at home.

I dont know about the student tickets. That might be the make or break for him. If he cant get football tix as well as not being able to be in a frat, he'll prob go to UTC. If it was me I wouldnt go that route without the tix.


I too would have never got in to UTK with the ACT & GPA levels they have now
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Those admission levels are incredible. I was a good student, and I would have been borderline for acceptance under that criteria.
 
#19
#19
I've skimmed this, so sorry if I missed it, but will you be paying UT prices to attend PSCC?

Why not go to Pellissippi as a normal community college student, get the grades and then apply for UT once the grades meet the UT requirements? Without doing any actual research, it seems like a better idea to me.
 
#20
#20
volfanbill said:
I've skimmed this, so sorry if I missed it, but will you be paying UT prices to attend PSCC?

Why not go to Pellissippi as a normal community college student, get the grades and then apply for UT once the grades meet the UT requirements? Without doing any actual research, it seems like a better idea to me.
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we live in Nashville so if he wanted to go the CC route he could stay here and go to Vol State, Nashville Tech, or Columbia State. The way it is implied you're automatically enrolled soph year in UT as long as your grades meet the requirement. With the cc route you still have to apply, send transcripts, and be accepted. Bridge cuts out a few steps.

I believe we would pay the room and board prices like a typical student. As for the per hour price for classes, I dont know. Worst case, its UTK per hour pricing. Best case, CC pricing.
 
#21
#21
It's not like it's that hard to send the transcripts, grades and be accepted. I don't understand paying all that extra just to be a community college student.

Looking back on things, I wish I had taken care of a lot of classes through a community college and then transferred. So much cheaper that way.
 
#22
#22
volfanbill said:
It's not like it's that hard to send the transcripts, grades and be accepted. I don't understand paying all that extra just to be a community college student.

Looking back on things, I wish I had taken care of a lot of classes through a community college and then transferred. So much cheaper that way.
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if it was a cost issue then you are correct. Cost isnt. I've been saving for a long, long time. I'm sitting on about 100k so he/we can afford to have a full college experience.
 
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#23
#23
GreveHaller said:
we live in Nashville so if he wanted to go the CC route he could stay here and go to Vol State, Nashville Tech, or Columbia State. The way it is implied you're automatically enrolled soph year in UT as long as your grades meet the requirement. With the cc route you still have to apply, send transcripts, and be accepted. Bridge cuts out a few steps.

I believe we would pay the room and board prices like a typical student. As for the per hour price for classes, I dont know. Worst case, its UTK per hour pricing. Best case, CC pricing.
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With the promise program he can get as much as 2.5 years tuition free at a CC
provided the grades are maintained. That's a heck of a lot of tuition, dorm rent, and food plans cash outlay potentially avoided. Bridge program sounds like a way for UTK to offset the losses they may be having as a result of the promise program.
 
#24
#24
GreveHaller said:
if it was a cost issue then you are correct. Cost isnt. I've been saving for a long, long time. I'm sitting on about 100k so he/we can afford to have a full college experience.
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I don’t get using the money just because you’ve saved it tbh. Use the extra money so he can enjoy himself while he goes to school or something. Just doesn’t make sense to me all around, but if it’s what he wants to do, go for it
 
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#25
#25
SmokyRiverDog said:
Those admission levels are incredible. I was a good student, and I would have been borderline for acceptance under that criteria.
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When I was in HS people actually got Fs and a 27 ACT was around 90th percentile. Grades and scores don't mean what they once did.

OP when I was coming up lots of local kids in Nashville who were marginal for Vandy accepted encouragement to attend Peabody and try to transfer after 1-2 years. Most of the people I knew who went that route never made it into the "real" Vandy and after a couple of years they had to choose between staying at Peabody and being trained as a teacher or transferring into a school that they could have started out at. It sounds like your child is college ready, so I'd go ahead and try to start him somewhere that he can get the degree he wants within a reasonable amount of time.

After looking a little further, I see that a 27 in the 80s was actually about a 92-94% whereas it is now an 87%.
 
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