For too long, the road to college has been defined by complexity.
Students sort through applications, financial aid, transcripts, and advising, often with little coordination between each step. This complexity creates real barriers. It can introduce stress, uncertainty, and in some cases, the belief that college may not be for them at all. At a time when education after high school is essential for future success, the journey to college should spark confidence and excitement, not stress and doubt. We believe there’s a better way for students to navigate to college. A way where students see their next move clearly, the route ahead is straightforward, and where stress and uncertainty are replaced with excitement—even joy.
So today, we’re honored to announce a new Great Admissions Redesign cohort of 10 grantees representing states, systems, and institutions working to fundamentally simplify how students access higher education. With more than $3.5 million in funding this year, these efforts build on growing national momentum to make admissions more proactive, transparent, and student-centered.
What matters most is what this work signals about the future of admissions.
This moment is big, and it’s building
Just a few years ago, admissions redesign was emerging in a handful of states. Today? Nearly 28 states are putting redesign into practice, reaching an estimated 2.7 million students. That’s about 70 percent of the nation’s 2026 graduating class. What was once a set of promising ideas is quickly becoming true structural change in how students transition into college. Even more importantly, the work itself is evolving.
Earlier efforts tended to focus on improving one piece of the process at a time. A state might pilot direct admissions, or a university system might streamline applications. These were important strides, but they were still largely isolated solutions within a broader, fragmented experience.
Now, we’re seeing a shift toward integration.
Getting in is just the beginning
Many projects in this new initiative build on direct admissions, which proactively shows students where they’re accepted. But these projects don’t stop there: they then connect students to financial aid, advising, transcript exchange, and even career exploration. In other words, admissions is becoming the connective thread that ties together every step involved in getting to and through college.
This shift changes what it feels like for students, and makes room for something far more hopeful.
From stress and uncertainty to clarity and joy
Today, too many students begin the process of going to college unsure if they’re “college material,” stressed about whether they’ll get in, or confused about how to navigate a system not created with them in mind. Through admissions redesign, we have an opportunity to flip that script. We can proactively show students that they belong, remove unnecessary hurdles, and replace uncertainty with clarity and encouragement.
The goal is to make getting through admissions easier. But it’s also to make the entire college-going journey more seamless, more predictable, and yes, more joyous. Students’ first experiences shape how they see their future. And we want that future to feel open, attainable, and full of promise.
Turning momentum into lasting change
We know there’s more to do. No single model will fit every state or institution, and this work will continue to evolve. But what feels different now is the momentum. Winners of the Great Admissions redesign, past and present, will spend the next 18 months learning and growing together. No one is starting from scratch. They’re building on each other’s work, testing what’s possible, and turning promising ideas into lasting change.
That kind of momentum is encouraging.
Because at its core, this work is about more than admissions. It’s about making education after high school easier to understand, easier to access, and truly within reach for all learners. The process becomes simpler. The road becomes clearer. And more students see themselves in it.
And ultimately, it’s about creating a future where the transition to college feels less like an obstacle course and more like an open door—one that students can walk through with confidence, excitement, and a real sense of possibility.
We’re beginning to see what’s possible when admissions is redesigned. The opportunity now is to keep building on that progress so that more students, in more places, can realize a simpler path to college and a more hopeful, joyous start to their future.