In recent years, scrutiny of the admissions process at elite institutions in American society has intensified, especially after multiple college scandals were exposed and the U.S. Supreme Court overturned race-conscious admissions policies. However, most American students do not attend highly selective institutions. In many cases, the more common admissions challenge lies in persuading students to pursue higher education itself.

Some higher education experts point out that direct admissions policies could be one potential solution to the above challenges. This approach allows institutions to automatically send admission offers based on existing data such as students' GPAs, and has been gaining increasing attention and adoption in recent years.

Policy supporters argue that direct admissions can boost students' confidence and help them recognize their potential to pursue a college education. Existing research results are generally positive, but specific effects vary depending on policy design.

Direct admissions programs typically come in several different forms. Generally, education departments notify eligible high school students that they have been automatically admitted to relevant institutions based on their existing academic records. Students can then indicate their intent to enroll or continue applying to other colleges.

"We see direct admissions as a way to push more people toward college and increase the likelihood that they will engage with institutions," said Taylor Odle, a professor of education policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Odle has long studied direct admissions policies and has participated in multiple related evaluations.

In which regions are direct admissions policies more common?

Idaho, Minnesota, and Hawaii have all implemented statewide direct admissions programs for public institutions. Earlier this year, the State University of New York system also launched a similar initiative, sending notices to approximately 125,000 recent high school graduates informing them that they had been admitted to local community colleges.

Sara Scudder, college and career access officer at the Idaho State Board of Education, said the goal of the state's direct admissions program—"Next Steps Idaho"—is to foster a college-going culture.

Idaho was the first to implement direct admissions statewide in 2015, with the program covering both two-year and four-year institutions. The model considers high school students' standardized test scores, GPAs, and course credits, recommending admission to participating institutions including Boise State University and the University of Idaho.

"Students feel a sense of relief," Scudder said. "They know they've been admitted, and now they just need to think about 'which one should I go to.'"

Scudder noted that the program has successfully reversed the decline in higher education enrollment rates in the state and reduced the proportion of students leaving the state to study.

An analysis found that enrollment at the state's two-year and four-year institutions in 2016 increased by 3.1% compared to the previous year before the policy launch. Researchers also found that at the institutional level, average undergraduate enrollment increased by about 11% after policy implementation.

A study co-authored by Odle compared Idaho's results with a control group of similar institutions that did not implement direct admissions programs. The results showed that participating institutions in Idaho saw increases of 4% to 8% in first-time enrollment and 8% to 15% in in-state enrollment.

The growth in students was mainly concentrated in two-year institutions with open admissions. However, the study did not show that Idaho's direct admissions program outperformed the control group in increasing enrollment of federal Pell Grant recipients.

Idaho's program is relatively low-cost and easy to maintain, with an annual budget of about $30,000, mostly used for designing and mailing student notification letters. Other work, such as communicating with institutions, is handled by existing staff, Scudder added.

The Idaho State Board of Education oversees the direct admissions program. Because adjustments can be made without legislative action and the office already has jurisdiction over high school data, the program operates with flexibility. In other states, implementing similar programs may require memorandums of understanding between state agencies and additional funding.

"I'm contacted almost weekly by some institution or state government that wants to learn about our program," Scudder said. "Every state that has launched a direct admissions program has designed it based on its own circumstances."

Common App is a nonprofit organization that allows students to apply to hundreds of institutions through a single platform. Since 2021, the organization has also been experimenting with direct admissions models, including partnerships with private institutions.

After multiple rounds of pilots, Common App announced a new initiative this month involving 70 public and private institutions. These institutions will set admissions parameters, including minimum GPA requirements for in-state students. Meanwhile, Common App will use data students fill out in their applications to identify eligible low-income, middle-income, and first-generation college students.

Eligible students can apply for free and are guaranteed admission.

J.T. Smith, director of admissions at Regis University in Colorado, said the institution is one of the participants in the Common App program. He is hopeful that the initiative will help increase enrollment of low-income students at the university. Regis University is a Jesuit Catholic institution that has seen enrollment decline over the past decade and currently has capacity to admit more first-year students.

According to federal data, between 2012 and 2022, the university's fall undergraduate enrollment fell by 57.8% to fewer than 2,400 students. Currently, it has about 500 first-year students and approximately 1,800 full-time on-campus undergraduates. Last year, more than half of its incoming class was eligible for Pell Grants.

"We want to reach as many students as possible and let them know that they are not only needed but welcomed at Regis University," Smith said.

The university plans to assign an admissions team member to support incoming students who apply through the program. Admitted students will receive a $30,000 annual merit scholarship. According to data on Regis University's website, the average financial aid package for first-year students is slightly above $39,000.

Are direct admissions policies effective?

Common App began piloting its direct admissions program in 2021. An August working paper co-authored by Odle evaluated the program's second pilot round. The study found that about 3% of students who received direct admission offers submitted applications, roughly twice the rate of students who did not receive such notices.

Students who received admission offers were also more likely to apply to any college. These effects were more pronounced among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

However, the pilot did not change the likelihood of students actually enrolling. Odle believes that part of the reason is that students who fill out the Common App are already more likely than their peers to attend college, making it harder to increase their enrollment rates.

Economic factors may also play a role. Students still need to submit federal financial aid applications and cover tuition costs. Odle noted that direct admissions policies work best when combined with other equity-promoting measures, such as student support services. For example, bundling direct admission notices with financial aid packages may increase students' willingness to enroll.

Overall, policy design should focus on simplifying processes and removing information barriers for students. Any approach that adds additional requirements, such as creating portfolios, may expose students to more complexity.

"You can't expect to adopt a very low-cost direct admissions policy and see significant enrollment growth," Odle said, "because students still face other very real barriers."