The University of Utah just guaranteed admission to 5,000 high school seniors — before they even applied

How can a high school student get accepted to college before even applying?

No, this isn’t a riddle — it’s part of a new pilot program the University of Utah is hoping to now expand statewide.

The first group of high school seniors who were part of the initial test of the program will receive a letter in the mail this week guaranteeing them a spot at the U. It’s called Utah Direct. And, in this inaugural round, more than 5,000 students have already secured admission before submitting an application.

“They will know from day one of their senior year of high school that the U. believes they are ready for college,” said Steve Robinson, vice provost for enrollment management.

The state’s flagship institution announced the results of the first run of the program on Monday, as university leaders and K-12 officials clapped and cheered in the echoing marble lobby of the campus Park Building.

Utah Direct was first quietly launched two years ago, with test groups of 9th and 10th graders across four K-12 districts in the state: Canyons, Davis, Granite and Provo. And at least four more districts are joining this year. The hope is to have the program statewide as soon as possible.

In the first group, students were encouraged to work hard in school, maintain their grades and to picture themselves in higher education. And they were promised: If they did so and had a 3.5 GPA by the start of their senior year, they would get a letter from the U. guaranteeing them admission.

The novel part about the program isn’t necessarily that criterion — most freshmen with that GPA are accepted to the U. There is no minimum GPA for admittance at the school, but its admissions office reports that 75% of incoming students had an unweighted high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.

But the U. has the most rigorous admissions process of any of the eight public schools in the state. Most of the others are open admission schools and accept any students who apply, regardless of GPA or standardized test scores. Those schools are: Utah Valley University, Salt Lake Community College, Weber State University, Utah Tech University and Snow College.

What the Utah Direct program does, then, is promise Utah students that if they meet that GPA, no matter what else, they will have a spot at the U. That means even if more students apply to the school than usual. That means even if the applicant pool is particularly competitive. That means even if they don’t test well on the ACT.

It’s partly to take the stress and pressure out of the college application process, Robinson said, so students know from the start of their last year of high school that there is a place for them. But he also hopes it will encourage more students to apply and see themselves going to the U. — particularly those who may not have thought they could pursue a college degree.

“It sends an incredibly important message to our most at-risk students,” added new Granite School District Superintendent Ben Horsley, who is a U. alum.

Both Robinson and Horsley said they want students to understand their potential from early on — which is why the program starts with 9th and 10th graders.

By 9th grade, students are told about the program. By 10th grade, those with a GPA of 3.0 or higher are pushed to strive to meet the requirements. Students continue to receive letters, counseling and instruction on Utah Direct and generally on making plans for college.

The participating school districts let the U. know this summer which students qualified. Canyons Superintendent Rick Robins celebrated Monday that 968 seniors in the southern Salt Lake County school district are in.

When it first started the program, the U. initially had a cohort of just 9th graders and didn’t anticipate announcing results until next year. But quickly, Robinson said, the university recognized that Utah Direct was having a positive effect on how students approached their classes — performing better with the goal now before them — that they also launched a second group with 10th graders. That’s who is now getting their guaranteed acceptances this week.

Students who get the letter before applying have secured admission.

They do technically still have to fill out the application, but a simplified version will be sent out specifically to them — which lets the U. know what they are interested in studying and if they qualify for scholarships.

They need to accept by Feb. 1 to receive any scholarships or by May 1, as the final commitment date (though financial support from the school is no longer assured then).

U. Provost Mitzi Montoya said the program is part of the U.’s mission to make college “affordable, possible, achievable.”

In addition to Utah Direct, the school also announced Monday a scholarship for rural students in the state who get a 4.0 GPA. That’s called the Arches Scholarship.

Overall, the U. hopes to expand its student body to 40,000 in the coming years. It is currently at 35,000, according to the most recent numbers from fall 2023.

But Utah’s college-age population is at a plateau, so there is a limited number of students in-state to enroll. All of Utah’s universities are then essentially fighting for the same students.

The programs are one way for the U. to stake its claim — before students are even filling out the application to go elsewhere.