More Colleges Offering Admission to Students Who Never Applied

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More Colleges Offering Admission to Students Who Never Applied

Direct admissions allow colleges to send offers to students based just on GPAs or a few other criteria

It sounds too good to be true: Get into college, with a guaranteed scholarship, without ever applying. This fall, tens of thousands of students will receive such offers from schools around the country.

Direct admissions, as the approach is often called, allow colleges to send offers to students based just on their GPAs or a few other criteria, such as intended major or geographic location, without the hassle of essays, recommendation letters and months of uncertainty.

More than 85% of four-year schools admit at least half their applicants, federal data show. They just make those candidates jump through hoops first. The aim with direct admissions, participants say, is to make the process less cumbersome, show low-income and first-generation students that college is within reach, and funnel more prospects toward institutions desperate to meet enrollment goals.

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