Resource Archive

Faced with a steep demographic cliff and a growing chorus of questions about value, higher education is wrestling with a somewhat unfamiliar question: How can the college admissions process evolve from gatekeeper to gateway?

This resource examines the role of stronger data systems in addressing challenges and barriers students must currently overcome to access postsecondary education, highlights efforts states and institutions are undertaking to streamline the admissions process, and identifies best practices that have emerged in the field.

As the postsecondary landscape has changed, it is critical that the field develop a common language through the creation of a typology that can be used to describe the landscape of admissions innovations and the characteristics of each type as the basis to better understand their impact.

Complexity and uncertainty loom large in the college application process. We leverage a largescale experiment that reduces administrative burden through a proactive guarantee of admission coupled with tailored information, a simplified application form, and automatic fee waiver to test the impact of emerging “direct admissions” policies.

Helping more Americans earn bachelor’s degrees that position them for further learning and successful careers is essential to a thriving society. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting testing policies and historic legal rulings have significantly disrupted college admissions and enrollment over the past several years. While Americans overwhelmingly understand and value the importance of a college…