(The Center Square) – Thousands of high schoolers across Wisconsin are getting into college next week, even if they didn’t apply.
The University of Wisconsin announced it will send out the first of its direct admissions letters to incoming high school seniors next week.
“Incoming high school seniors in every corner of Wisconsin will start receiving admissions offers from the University of Wisconsin under the Direct Admit Wisconsin program,” UW President Jay Rothman said. “Those offers will tell participating and qualifying students which of our 10 participating universities has admitted them starting in the fall 2025 semester.”
Every UW campus except Madison, UW-La Crosse and UW-Eau Claire is participating in the direct admissions program. The other 10 of Wisconsin’s 13 campuses are now automatically enrolling qualified high school students in an attempt to boost their numbers.
Qualified students must be on track for graduating, and have enough high school credits in math, English, science and other high school classes. There is, however, no required GPA.
“These students have already demonstrated through their junior year of high school that they have the ability to succeed at one of our universities and to put themselves on a path to a better life and a better career,” Rothman added. “All they need to do now is select a university and stay on the road to graduation from high school in spring of 2025. It’s that simple.”
The university launched Direct Admit last year as a way to counter flat or falling enrollment at many of its campuses.
While UW-Madison continues to see more applications than spots, enrollment across the entire UW System has faltered.
Rothman has moved to close five of the UW’s 13 branch campuses. And there are expectations that the rest of the branch campuses may close as well.
Rothman said the students enrolled in Direct Admit should get their notices either in their school email address or in the regular mail.
