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Reverse admissions: How some students are getting into college without even applying

Student Loans Cost of College
Posted at 10:29 AM, Dec 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-12-15 12:29:02-05

The process of getting into college is changing. More schools are now offering admission to students who never applied.

"We're hearing students say like, 'Is this real?' You know, they get so much marketing and brochures from so many sources," said Joe Morrison, who serves as the managing director of Concourse at EAB.

The company offers a platform that is used by school counselors and students. They build a profile showcasing their academic achievements and interests. The platform then delivers matches based on an institution's selection criteria.

It's up to the students to accept the offer.

A growing number of other organizations are also doing what's known as direct admissions where students also get offers from schools. However, they have to go through an application process still.

The people behind these alternative admission models say it's about making the process more student-centric.

"For a lot of students, they get offers from colleges that they hadn't considered, or sometimes even heard of," Morrison said. "They realized, in many cases, that they're eligible for more in scholarships than they thought. So really, it's enabling a path to college that a lot of students didn't think they were able to access, and probably wouldn't have even applied for."

EAB's platform is free for counselors and students. Universities pay a fee when they get a match with a student.