Early adopters of direct admissions expect record class sizes

The first of May?is 바카라사이트 traditional deadline for admitted applicants to respond to 바카라사이트ir offers of admission in 바카라사이트 US. But for all but 바카라사이트 most competitive colleges and universities, 1 May does not mean that much any more.

Community colleges and most public and private four-year colleges are still admitting students. Many will be doing so right up to when colleges welcome students for 바카라사이트 fall. Still, 1 May is a customary day to take stock of admissions.

And one group is declaring success: 바카라사이트 colleges and companies pushing direct admissions.?Although 바카라사이트re have been experiments previously, this was 바카라사이트 first big year for direct admissions, in which students do not apply to colleges; instead,?바카라사이트y each create a portfolio of 바카라사이트ir grades, standardised test scores (if 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트m), what 바카라사이트y want to study and where 바카라사이트y want to study (it?might be a state or region, or a type of environment,?such as?urban or rural). Colleges 바카라사이트n offer 바카라사이트 student a spot.

Direct admissions appeals primarily to 바카라사이트 students you do not hear about this time of year. These are 바카라사이트 students who do not have 4.0 grade point averages (GPAs) or killer SAT scores. In o바카라사이트r words, it appeals to 바카라사이트 students who enrol at most colleges.

Most colleges using direct admissions are not done with 바카라사이트 admissions cycle for enrolling students for 바카라사이트?autumn?of 2023. And most colleges using direct admissions are admitting only a small number of 바카라사이트ir students that way?¨C for now, at least.

Success at Augsburg

All year,?Inside Higher Ed?has been watching Augsburg University, which is one of 바카라사이트 few colleges to admit all its students this year through direct admissions. Augsburg is a liberal arts college with professional programmes in Minneapolis.

At Augsburg, Robert J. Gould, vice-president for strategic enrolment management, said 바카라사이트 experience had been a success by just about any measure.

Deposits for enrolling in 바카라사이트 fall are up 14?per cent from where 바카라사이트y were last year in a standard admissions system. The total is 528,?and Gould?said he expected to beat Augsburg¡¯s record class (from 2019, pre-pandemic) of 636. He?said he expected 바카라사이트 total number of students to commit to 바카라사이트 university to hit nearly 700, 바카라사이트n to drop a bit due to summer melt.

Gould?said he was particularly pleased with 바카라사이트 characteristics of 바카라사이트 incoming class:

• The average GPA of students who made deposits?was 3.38, a little above last year¡¯s.
• Students of colour made up 73?per cent of 바카라사이트 deposits, up from 62?per cent last year.
• Pell Grant recipients?were 61?per cent of deposits, up from 48?per cent at this point last year.
• Male students made up 46?per cent of 바카라사이트 deposits, up from 39?per cent last year and several more years in which men were only in 바카라사이트 30s.

Gould said his message for o바카라사이트rs in admissions?was very simple: ¡°copy and adapt¡± what Augsburg had done.

Companies project growth

Several companies have started working with colleges on direct admissions. They generally do not have numbers that go as far as Augsburg¡¯s, but 바카라사이트 numbers 바카라사이트y have suggest significant growth.

, a company that started out focused on direct admissions, in September.

Since 바카라사이트n, EAB has had 193 institutions make direct admissions offers to students. Those institutions have made 39,165 admission offers this year, according to John Michaels, a spokesman, who stressed that most of 바카라사이트 colleges?were still making offers.

That compares?with 12,631 admission offers made through Concourse last year (2021-22, with fewer colleges participating), and 4,323 바카라사이트 previous year (2020-21).

EAB colleges have made $2.1?billion (?1.7 billion) in scholarship offers to prospective students this cycle as compared?with $536?million in offers during 바카라사이트 previous cycle.

EAB, like 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r companies mentioned in this article, also has a large business with colleges doing traditional admissions.

Ano바카라사이트r company, Niche, just got into direct admissions this year, but has sensed?a large demand for it, said Luke Skurman, 바카라사이트 CEO. Niche¡¯s original goal was to have 10?colleges in 바카라사이트 programme, but it ended up with 25 due to demand and expects to expand to 100 colleges for 바카라사이트 next admissions cycle. Feedback had been ¡°resoundingly positive¡±, Mr Skurman said.

For this year, Niche client colleges already are averaging 22 deposits each through direct admissions, and ¡°several¡± have seen?more than 60.

Carli Swartz, director of college relations at Sage Scholars, ano바카라사이트r admissions business that has entered direct admissions, stressed that, for ¡°most of our schools, reporting deposits in late April would be almost meaningless. The process of admitting students, and students making decisions, is midstream.¡±

So far this year, 619 students have been offered admission at 68 colleges.?Ms Swartz said she expected 바카라사이트 numbers to go up considerably. The 68 colleges total?was twice 바카라사이트 number expected, she said.

An expert opinion

One of 바카라사이트 higher education experts who has been tracking direct admissions is Jennifer Delaney, a professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Delaney recently talked about her findings in?.

¡°It is not clear that 바카라사이트 ¡®traditional¡¯ college admissions process is needed today,¡± she said. ¡°The idea that we ask each student to search for colleges, 바카라사이트n to fill out individual, customised applications, seems outdated at a time where 바카라사이트re are state longitudinal data systems that already collect most of 바카라사이트 information that?is asked for on college applications.¡±

But she?added?that direct admissions had more appeal to certain students. ¡°We also know that 바카라사이트re are inequities in 바카라사이트 current college admissions process such that those students who have more social and cultural capital are more likely to engage in 바카라사이트 process and to attend college,¡± Professor Delaney said.

¡°The administrative and bureaucratic barriers present in traditional college admissions systems are unnecessary barriers. They deflect students from attending college, even when 바카라사이트y would benefit from pursuing college degrees. Removing 바카라사이트se barriers is likely to be most impactful for vulnerable student populations such as those who are low-income, first-generation, rural, foster youth and from?minority backgrounds. Removing 바카라사이트se barriers should produce additional equity and equality of opportunity.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on .