Patricia DeBolt, 

Dean of Admission

On behalf of The University of Tulsa admission team, I thank you for the work you’ve done with your graduating students.

With your support and encouragement, your students surely feel empowered to embrace their futures with confidence and enthusiasm. We enjoy working with you to ensure your students will continue to develop and flourish as members of the TU Golden Hurricane family! 

Thank you for your dedication to this profession. Enjoy the summer break and we'll reconnect this fall!

Students show off their Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelets: My Tulsa Era, UTulsa, Goldie, Reign ‘Cane and others.

On April 19 we hosted TU Up Close, our last admitted student event for fall 2024, to showcase the TU spirit to these students and their families. Those who’d already decided that TU will be their home for the next four years were able to register for their fall classes and get their TU student IDs. Those in the final stages of their college decisions took this opportunity to determine if 

TU is the right match for what they’re seeking. It’s an exciting time as the fall 2024 class is shaping up to be unrivaled in terms of academic ability!

Realizing TU Up Close would be on the same day as Taylor Swift’s album release, our University Ambassadors thought of some fun ways to incorporate the megastar’s influence. The student organization fair included a table for the “TU Tortured Poets Department” where students could get pre-made TU-branded friendship bracelets and make their own to swap with others throughout the day. It was such a fun way to incorporate Taylor Swift's TTPD drop date!

Survey respondents ranked us 4.8 out of 5.0 for this event with the overall sentiment of how friendly our campus is. This student's response summed up our visitors’

experiences perfectly:

"It was super fun. I loved meeting a broad swath of students and faculty and walking all over campus. I very much appreciated TU’s generous gifts throughout the day for us (lunch, the bag, shirt, cookie, general snacks, Starbucks, snow cones, general welcome.) Most fun TU event I’ve attended. Five stars."

Prospective TU student poses with Goldie, TU's Canine Ambassador, during TU Up Close.

Dating back more than 80 years, one of TU’s oldest traditions is ringing the Kendall Bell. Graduating seniors ring the revered bell after completing their last final exam and many ring it again during the Final Bell Ringing Party and/or on commencement day.

TU’s first campus building, Kendall Hall, was completed in 1908 and was topped by the cupola and bell for all to admire. Students would climb the five-story building to ring the bell to signify graduation ... a rather dangerous endeavor! Since 1973, the bell has been on ground level, and in 2006 it was moved to its current stately location on campus. While some might be tempted to ring the bell, they most certainly won’t until it’s their turn for this time-honored tradition. Legend has it that those who ring the bell before their last final exam will never graduate. Who would want to tempt that fate?

The Final Bell Ringing Party brings graduates and their families together in celebration as they ring the Kendall Bell. Hosted by the TU Alumni Association, this festive event includes a champagne toast for this memorable occasion. The weather was gorgeous on May 10 for this year's festivities!

More than 1,000 students celebrated their degree completion at The University of Tulsa May 10-11, 2024. The UTulsa class of 2023-24 includes 539 bachelor’s degrees, 274 master’s degrees, 72 doctoral degrees, 92 law degrees, and 42 doctor of nurse practitioner degrees. The majority of the graduates have already accepted excellent job offers, many at Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Microsoft, Walgreens, and Walmart. Many graduates also have been accepted into prestigious graduate programs and medical schools including Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, Vanderbilt University, and Washington University in St. Louis.

“The University of Tulsa has a long history of producing leaders, innovators, and changemakers. Today, you join their ranks,” said TU Alumni Association President Thomas Porter (BSBA ’14) during the commencement ceremony. “Stay engaged and connected. You carry the hopes and dreams of all those who came before you.”

As announced in last month's counselor newsletter, TU will offer Early Decision as an application plan option for first-year students applying for fall 2025. We’ll announce this update to students this summer. Look for details on TU's website here in the coming months and encourage your rising seniors to schedule a daily visit this summer!

Have a question? Have a suggestion? Check out our Counselors Toolkit and/or reach out to us! We’d love to hear from you! 

The University of Tulsa
Office of Admission
800 S. Tucker Drive
Tulsa, OK 74104
800-331-3050
918-631-2307
admission@utulsa.edu