MANCHESTER – Last week, UNH and Plymouth State University announced they are now offering “direct admissions” to students, part of an effort to simplify the college application process. Due to this new addition for UNH and Plymouth, students may begin getting acceptance notices from those schools, even though they didn’t apply.
Here’s a bit more about the direct admissions program and what it means for students:
What is direct admissions: The direct admissions program that NH state universities are participating in is part of the Common App. The program enables colleges to offer admission to qualified students before they apply. Direct admissions is intended to streamline the college admissions process for students and open up options they may not have otherwise considered.
How can students be considered: In order to be eligible, students must fill out the Common App, which you can find at https://www.commonapp.org/. Colleges establish criteria – such as GPA –and perks, such as waiving the essay, and identify students based on their responses in the Common App.
What happens if your student is accepted: Students who receive an admission offer from a college through this process can choose to accept the offer or ignore it. It is a non-binding offer, so the student is able to then learn more about the college and decide if it’s a good fit. The student would then complete an application for that school in the Common App.
What schools are taking part in this program: In addition to UNH and Plymouth State, Keene State University is also participating. More than 100 colleges around the country have signed on to participate, as outlined in the Common App’s announcement from September. You can see the list here: https://www.commonapp.org/blog/common-app-launches-2024-2025-direct-admissions-program-116-colleges-and-universities.
If you have questions about the direct admissions program, you can find more information at https://www.commonapp.org/directadmissions.