This New Admissions System Changes How Students Get into College — And Helps Schools Find Prospects

Direct admissions bypasses the usual application process, and many colleges waive such requirements as the personal essay. Instead, colleges reach out with a conditional offer of admission to potential undergraduates who have made their GPA and relevant test scores available on a direct admissions website. The approach not only reduces the hoops students need to jump through to become a freshman, but it also lets colleges connect with those who might never have considered applying there. It also allows schools to diversify an incoming class — ethnically, economically and geographically — while adhering to the federal prohibition against using affirmative action in college admissions decisions.