Direct admissions (DA) programs—where colleges proactively (and preemptively) admit high school students to their institutions without the need to apply—are growing across the country. From an institutional point of view, DA serves as a buzzy recruiting tool, and it is not surprising that such programs are burgeoning in a time of reduced applications and enrollment. DA is also commonly touted as a benefit to students—especially those who would be first-generation college-goers, those lacking the “social capital” needed to navigate a complex college search, and those for whom fees or administrative requirements could be an insurmountable barrier. Does direct admission boost the likelihood that students will actually take the shortcut, accept an unsolicited admission offer, and enroll in that college? A new working paper aims to test the efficacy of DA from the student perspective.
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