“Immediately when I stepped on campus, I saw myself being here,” said senior Jake Maraccini.
For Maraccini, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville was actually on the lower end of his list when he first applied. However, its strong business program and exciting sports scene quickly changed his mind after he visited.
Many students like Maraccini have been left impressed by Tennessee’s business program. So much so that the business schools undergrad enrollment has doubled in the last decade.
Tennessee has even started construction on a new building for the Haslam College of Business, which is set to open in 2028: another appealing factor for the incoming class.
Maraccini is one of 10 students who will be attending Tennessee next year, as of May 3rd, according to the LFHS 2026 decisions page: an Instagram page where seniors can share their plans for next year. Ten students are a big increase from last year’s single commitment for the Volunteers. In fact, in the past four years, only three students have decided to go to Tennessee.
Although counselors don’t receive official numbers until mid-May, trends for certain schools are already emerging. Along with Tennessee, other SEC schools seem to be getting plenty of Lake Forest students, with students heading to South Carolina, Auburn, Kentucky, Alabama, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and even a student going to LSU for the first time in multiple years next year.
Unlike Maraccini, Tennessee was always on the radar of senior Bridget Diem. From the “Rocky Top” school spirit and big school feel to the SEC Greek life and sports, it checked all her boxes.
But Diem has an extra criterion for college that many don’t.
She has celiac disease, a condition where the immune system reacts to gluten and can damage the small intestine. Not only did Tennessee show her that they’re willing to accommodate her dietary needs, but they went above and beyond.
“I met with a dietitian at the school, and she walked me through the dining hall and explained to me that if I come to the school, she’ll have someone take me through the kitchens and introduce me to the chefs so I can work with them,” said Diem.
In a time where colleges are doing more work than ever to recruit students, even big schools like Tennessee are doing what they can to adapt in order to make students like Diem feel comfortable and at home.
Counselor Molly Lamick identified one of the biggest factors that puts new schools on students’ radars: sports. Tennessee has had some great athletic success in recent years, with the team making the College Football Playoffs in 2024, falling to eventual national champions Ohio State, and its basketball team qualifying for the NCAA tournament every year since 2021.
Tennessee seems to be on the rise for Lake Forest students, and, with a sharp group headed to Knoxville next year, they have bright futures as Volunteers.
