Thousands Automatically Admitted to Wisconsin, North Carolina Colleges

Both Wisconsin and North Carolina have expanded programs that automatically admit qualified high school seniors to colleges without requiring traditional applications. Wisconsin's Direct Admit Wisconsin program admitted nearly 34,000 students from 467 schools, an increase of over 9,000 students and 155 schools from the previous year, allowing automatic admission to up to 10 UW campuses except UW-Madison, Eau Claire, and La Crosse. Similarly, North Carolina's College Connect program will send automatic admission letters to nearly 63,000 students from 41 colleges, covering about 56% of the state's high school seniors, based on GPA and course completion criteria. These initiatives aim to simplify college admissions, increase access, and encourage students who might not otherwise consider college to enroll. Both programs evaluate students after their junior year and require them to remain on track for graduation. Officials emphasize that these efforts open doors to higher education by reducing application barriers and increasing awareness of college opportunities.