When Smithville native Austin Craft applied for admission to Tennessee Tech University for the fall 2024 semester on July 12 of that year, he was worried about facing resistance over his mid-summer submission.
After all, he had applied with just more than a month before the start of the semester. But to the helpful team of admissions counselors who processed Craft’s application and guided him through his next steps, he was right on time.
“I reached out to Tech, and they got back to me the very next day,” said Craft. “They got me a dorm, they got me classes, they got me all set up. Tech was very clutch about getting me in and not letting me go absentee my first year. They came through in a big way.”
Craft had made plans months earlier to attend another institution in east Tennessee and had not sought admission anywhere else. But when a clearer picture of his expected tuition costs emerged, Craft knew he had to pivot.
“The bill hit, and I said, ‘This is a lot of money I don’t have,’” Craft recalled.
Craft had heard of Tech’s comparatively lower tuition costs and had experienced the university’s welcoming campus firsthand as a high school student at American Legion Boys State. He knew applying for admission would be the next right step.
“The campus was a great size, and the people truly seemed nice,” Craft recalled. “My mom is an alumna, and my grandfather was retired faculty, so it also seemed like following the family lineage.”
Mary McCaskey, associate vice president for enrollment and student success at Tech, says the university happily works with students like Craft each year to ensure a seamless onboarding process, even when applications come later than expected.
“We understand that life happens!” said McCaskey. “Typically, when a student thinks it’s too late to apply for admission, it’s really not. Our team will work with you throughout the summer and even into those first days of the semester to get you admitted for the fall and set up for success in your college journey.”
To that end, McCaskey says that the application window remains open for fall 2025 admission, even as the university anticipates another near-record-sized freshman class.
“There is absolutely still time to join us for this fall,” said McCaskey. “Our encouragement to prospective students is to apply today and discover all this campus community has to offer.”
As for Craft, the Warren County High School graduate says he is enjoying life as a Golden Eagle, where he is pursuing a degree in political science.
“I had a great first year,” said Craft. “I found my people, and I found a community that I definitely want to keep being around.”
Tennessee Tech is ranked as a “Best National University” by U.S. News & World Report and as the number one best value public university in the state by SmartAsset. The university offers more than 225 programs of study, and Tech grads leave with the least debt of all public universities in Tennessee.
Learn more and apply for admission at www.tntech.edu/apply.
