Diverse: Issues in Higher Education utilized the expertise of UW–Madison’s Taylor Odle in its recent “Year in Review” article reflecting on trends across higher education in 2024.
Odle, an assistant professor in the School of Education’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, spoke about streamlining pathways between high school and college as a positive development this past year.
The article notes that Odle has done research around direct admissions, where students don’t go through a traditional application process and simply receive a letter of acceptance. “There are 10 to 12 states over the last year that have adopted some type of direct admissions program,” said Odle.
Examples cited in the article include the California State University system, which announced a direct admissions pilot program beginning in 2025. In addition, the State University of New York (SUNY)’s Top 10% Promise Program will launch in 2025, automatically granting acceptance to at least one SUNY institution for graduating high school seniors in the top 10% of their class who meet academic readiness criteria.
“States and systems of higher ed are moving away from this old guard college application process … to really simplifying the on-ramp into college,” Odle said. “In tandem, many non-profit and for-profit partners are doing the same thing.”
Read the full article to learn more about developments in higher education this past year and what may come next in 2025.