Applying to college can be a daunting process, and spending hours responding to prompts and trying to find ways to stand out from your peers on paper can create a fear of rejection for many students.
To reduce this pressure, more colleges, university systems, and companies have moved toward a different application process known as direct admissions.
What is direct admission?
Under the direct admissions approach, a college makes an offer of admission before a student applies — if he or she meets certain academic and, sometimes, demographic requirements.
“Our goal with this is to really focus on those students who may think they’re not ‘college material,’ for lack of a better word,” says Jay Rothman, president of Universities of Wisconsin, formerly the University of Wisconsin System. “This will give them an indication that they actually are.”
Although direct admission is not a new concept, direct admission is having its moment, says David Berg, vice president of enrollment management at George Mason University in Virginia. He points out that this is due in part to the Supreme Court’s decision on race-based admissions and fear of the coming enrollment cliff.
“I think it’s very possible that in five to 10 years you could see this become the new model for how most institutions look at making their admissions decisions,” Berg says.
How does direct admission work?
The process varies slightly depending on the school or company.
For example, as part of the Common Application Direct Admissions Program — which was piloted in 2021 — participating schools determine eligibility criteria such as minimum GPA and residency status. Students must also be first generation, live in a household with an income below the national average or qualify for a college application platform fee waiver.
Students who meet these criteria are determined by their answers to the Common Application. An offer of intent is sent via email through the Common Application and the Dean of Admissions from the particular institution. This offer can only be accepted after the student submits a formal application and the college verifies the information.
“While we certainly try to avoid these situations as much as possible, some students who receive an offer may not be eligible for direct admission after close review of official student documents, such as school reports and transcripts – depending on each college’s unique major and requirements,” wrote Jenny Rickard, president and CEO. For the Common Application, in an email.
The wide-ranging program officially launched in November 2023, offering admission to more than 300,000 first-generation and low- and middle-income students in 28 states, according to Rickard.
Schools with direct admission programs
GMU is one of many schools participating in the Common Application program. Of these 2,000 students who were offered direct admission to GMU through the Common Application in January 2022, 232 students were accepted and applied, and 32 students were officially enrolled. Of those students, 59% were underrepresented minorities, 37% were first generation and 20% were from rural communities, according to the school.
Like some other schools, GMU also created its own program this year by partnering with eight Northern Virginia high schools that provide some academic information about their students. As in the Common App program, students are then notified and asked to complete a brief application to formally claim their offer. A student’s record is also verified once submitted by the high school.
“From an institutional standpoint, it is in our interest in the communities we serve, in our case Northern Virginia, to make sure that we serve all students who can succeed at Mason, but for whatever reason we choose not to go into higher education at all,” Berg says. “So it gives us an opportunity to interact with students directly and let them know that we believe in them to the point where we are willing to offer them admission without them going through the normal application process.”
However, direct admission does not apply to all schools. For example, highly selective schools do not use this practice.
“It may be because those schools are already receiving an overwhelming number of applications,” says Denard Jones, principal college counselor at Empowerly, a college admissions consulting firm. “Just moving to test optional during coronavirus has really changed the landscape a lot for those universities. You have a lot of students who are willing to throw their name in the hat, so to speak, for that.”
How does direct admission benefit students?
Applying to college can cause anxiety for students and their families, and many experts say direct admissions eliminates that stress.
“I can think about my own history, filling out applications, checking the mailbox, worrying about will they like me enough to offer me admission?” Borg says. “There are schools that I crossed off my list because I thought they didn’t want me.” This program looks directly at talented, college-ready students and says, “You’re going to be successful here. We want you to be successful here. Let’s take your application anxiety down a little.”
Reducing that pressure and removing barriers like application fees helps diversify the application pool, experts say.
“A lot of people don’t even have connections with their career counselors at large high schools or if they’re in rural places,” Jones says. “For me, this is a great opportunity to connect with people who you know have the academic acuity to get into college, but who may not be well-versed and knowledgeable about the process.”
In addition to providing more access to education, direct admissions may introduce students to schools they may not have heard of or not considered in the application process.
“If this is a school that maybe you haven’t heard of or know a lot about, it’s probably worth your time to go on a tour or just check out their website and see if it could be a good fit for you,” says Jordana Maziarz. , director of undergraduate admissions at Montclair State University in New Jersey, is a participant in the Common Application Direct Admissions Program.
“Because you never know what school is going to end up offering you a great financial aid package or end up being a great fit for your future home for the next four years. I would say it’s definitely worth pursuing and worth exploring to see if it’s a good match for you.” for you.”
Disadvantages of direct admission
On the college side, experts say direct admissions can make it difficult to measure enrollment rates — the number of accepted students who actually attend the school.
“I think the return on colleges is very unpredictable,” Jones says. “We like to know what our numbers will look like after an early decision or early or regular action.”
Some people may view the direct admissions process as an invasion of privacy, says Chuck Knipfel, vice president of enrollment management at Portland State University in Oregon, a participant in the Common Application Direct Admissions program.
“Not in the legal sense,” he says, “but, why are you telling me I’m acceptable? I have no interest in you.” “And in theory, I think it could hurt our reputation if we were seen as being too aggressive. I think if people didn’t dig deeper into it, it could be seen as a financial grab for us. We’re not charging these students to apply,” but I’m sure There are direct admission programs where schools require an application fee. This can be seen as a negative as the school is just trying to capitalize on something.”
Direct Admissions can make the college decision process more difficult if a student is accepted by multiple schools through Direct Admissions. Additionally, depending on the school, not all majors are eligible and some academic fields have additional admission requirements.
“Some programs require an audition or a portfolio review, so they’re not really compatible with doing that type of show,” Maziarz says. “The most competitive programs that require a higher GPA than general admission are those that we have not yet tried including direct admission.”
Experts advise students to beware of scams and to be careful when providing personal information.
“Just make sure they look into it, check that it’s actually coming from the person they say it’s coming from, and take it as a compliment to be accepted somewhere,” Knipfel says.
Applying to college can be an overwhelming and daunting process, especially when it comes to navigating the various admission options available. One such option is direct college admissions, which offers a streamlined and straightforward approach to applying to a particular institution. Understanding the ins and outs of direct college admissions is crucial for prospective students as it can impact their college application strategy and overall experience. In this article, we will explore what direct college admissions entail and provide valuable insights on what to know when pursuing this admission pathway. Whether you’re a high school student or a transfer applicant, knowing the details of direct college admissions can help you make informed decisions and set you on the right path for a successful college application journey.