Direct Admissions: What’s all the buzz about?
Let鈥檚 be direct: Applying to college can be stressful and complicated, and the waiting game that goes with it can feel excruciating.
One solution that seems to be gaining in popularity is direct admissions. But what is it, how does it work, and is it right for you? We鈥檝e got answers from Kim DeRego, Vice Provost of Enrollment Management at the University of New Hampshire, which has recently embraced direct admissions.
UNH has joined a growing number of colleges around the country that are now offering direct admissions. Why?
This is our second year of having direct admissions be available to all students. We were hearing from families about the ever-increasing stress and anxiety around the college application process. Really, it’s an effort to help … make it a smoother and simpler process for them.
How does direct admissions work?
Students are able to create a profile on Niche.com [the platform UNH uses] and they … enter the types of courses they鈥檝e taken, their GPA, their SAT scores, things like that. And then we tell the platform, 鈥淎 student who looks like this would be directly admissable to UNH.鈥� So then what they will do is within the platform show the student the direct admit offer, which typically does involve, 鈥淵ou would be admittable to UNH, and you would get a minimum of merit scholarship of this much.鈥�
[Other schools use the Common App or other platforms for direct admission offers. Students who apply to college using the Common App will automatically receive direct admission offers from schools based on eligibility criteria (regardless of whether they applied to those schools). All direct admission offers are non-binding, meaning you can accept the offer and decide later if you actually want to enroll.]
Is this a popular option for students?
It’s actually a pretty small pool that goes through direct admit. It is a path, but it鈥檚 certainly not the only path or even a main path. There are people in the college admissions world who are convinced this is the future. The jury鈥檚 still out for me.
Who might want to consider direct admissions?
If they鈥檙e feeling a lot of stress and anxiety and really need some encouragement . …It will show students 10 or 15 different colleges that they could be admitted to, so it can really help a student who鈥檚 nervous or struggling or doesn鈥檛 know who to put on their college list. It can be a real boost to families who are not sure.
However, if a student doesn鈥檛 see a direct admission offer from UNH [or another school they鈥檙e interested in] that doesn鈥檛 mean they shouldn鈥檛 apply. It just means whatever the algorithm is looking for didn鈥檛 quite see it.
What criteria does UNH use for extending a direct admissions offer?听听
It鈥檚 very similar to what鈥檚 on our admissions website. There are classes that the students have to take. We don鈥檛 have a specific GPA or SAT score. We basically say we want students who have taken these courses and who we think will be successful, so it analyzes the transcript and gives us that information.
What do NH students and families need to understand about direct admissions?
There are a lot of platforms that are starting to do this. Families will definitely see these offers if they鈥檙e in the Common App, [but not all schools use the Common App for direct admissions.] Niche.com is a separate website.
If a student receives a direct admission offer from your school and chooses to accept it, do they need to take any additional steps?
They will need to submit a final transcript before they enroll. And the financial aid process is the same [as with regular admission]. They will need to file the FAFSA. They should still come to Admitted Students Day. Connecting with current students and faculty is a great way to see if UNH is really where you want to go.
Something else that鈥檚 interesting: Some students worked really hard on their essay.
Students [who receive direct admission offers] who want us to see their essay can absolutely still apply through the traditional route.
Anything else you want to share about direct admissions?
People who are curious should go ahead and create a Niche profile and play around.