Mankato, Minn. – Hanna Halverson’s decision on where to attend college next fall is shaping up to be easy.
A senior at Roger High School in the suburbs northwest of Minneapolis, he was interested in Minnesota State University, Manunkato, when he received an email last month announcing his acceptance.
“It really helped me confirm that I wanted to come here,” he said in an interview before visiting campus this month, adding that he’s 90 percent sure he’ll be back.
Minnesota is one of a growing number of states that offer direct, a system in which colleges and universities accept students even before they apply by mail or email. Students are usually admitted according to meeting requirements such as the minimum grade point average, although this does not always guarantee that it reaches every hundred or program.
Many colleges across the country are struggling with declining enrollment and see direct admissions as one way to get more students to attend. For students who can determine whether they are eligible for admission or are unsure about the college, automatic offers can be complicated and they need to register.
California extends express consent
California is in the process of becoming one of the latest states to go live. Last year, a Direct Admissions Pilot was started in Riverside County. Students at public high schools in the County who have met with California State University have been notified by mail that they are automatically approved to transfer 2025 campuses to one of the 10 CSU campuses.
And soon, direct consent will expand throughout California. The Gov. Gavin Newlom last month signed Senate Bill 640, which will add direct admission to public high school districts across the country. Students who meet CSU’s requirements will automatically be admitted and eligible to enroll at one of the 16 campuses. The program’s most selective campuses, such as Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, will not participate.
The University of California System, which has nine undergraduate campuses that are generally more competitive than CSU campuses, will not participate.
Adrian Huerta, Professor of Adertas and College Fines Accer at the USC Rossier School of Education, said Precy Decy Womusions will make life easier for students, especially in areas like the Central Valley and the Inland State. College attendance rates in those states lag behind many other parts of the State.
So far, the pilot is already helping, increasing first-year enrollment from international high schools by 6% compared to 2024, according to CSU. CSU campuses participating in the magic include Channel Islands, Chico, East Bay, HumpBold, Humpterey Academy, Monterey Bay, San Francisco, San Marcos and San Marcos and San Marcos and San Marcos and SONCOS and SONCOS.
“Being able to get that message that says, ‘Hey, you’re accepted, and you just need to submit some paperwork,’ I think it’s going to be a huge raise for a lot of students,” Huerta said.
With Minnesota implementing direct consent in 2022, the program has paid dividends, according to officials. About half of public high schools participate in direct admission. Each high school is entering the program, but the State hopes to have them all join before the end of the decade.
At participating schools, 76% of students applied for federal financial aid in the previous year, compared to 50% of all graduating seniors. And 46% of participating high school students are enrolled in a Minnesota college, compared to 28% of Minnesota high school students.
In Minnesota State’s system, which contains seven four-year universities and 26 two-year universities, enrollment has increased over the past three years, including a 4.2% jump this fall last year. The hikes in recent years follow nearly 15 consecutive years of enrollment.
The State of the World
At least 15 states offer some form of express consent: California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. The specifics of direct consent vary by State.
The types of colleges that participate in direct admission vary and differ: some states are limited to direct admission to public institutions, while private colleges participate in other states.
For students, one of the upsides is that direct admissions reduces the “administrative burden” on students, said Taylor Ofle, an associate professor of education policy studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In general, direct admissions can make a big difference for students who are “in the neighborhood” and not sure if they’ll go to college, Olle said. That often includes first-generation students or students from rural areas who may not believe they are a college major, or may consider only their local community college.
When applying to some colleges, students often write essays, submit transcripts and receive letters of recommendation. “So the idea behind direct consent cuts that red tape,” Ofle said.
That was part of the application for Hallerson, who knew that as long as he maintained a 3.0 grade point average, he would be automatically accepted to Mankato and several other campuses, including Minnesota campuses and many private universities.
Knowing in advance that she would be accepted based on her grades alone “made it a lot easier,” she said. “Because at that time I was able to find schools that would take me, and then I was able to plan to pay for it and the dorms and all of that.”
Burke writes for edsource.
