PHOENIX — Some students are being accepted into Arizona colleges without even applying. It’s not a mistake — it’s part of a program aimed at getting more qualified students into higher education.
The Personalized Admissions Project started during the 2021-2022 school year with students from the Phoenix Union High School District. That year, Arizona State University sent acceptance letters to more than 1,400 students who “met or were close to meeting admission standards.”
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Since then, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University have joined the program and nearly 11,000 students have received letters this school year.
More than two dozen school districts across the state are now part of the program.
“By streamlining the application process, we remove a key barrier in attracting more students, especially first-generation students and students of color,” ASU said. They also noted that, “Arizona's high school graduation rate and college-going rate are lower than the national average by 10 and 14 percentage points respectively, and yet 65% of all jobs in Arizona require some sort of postsecondary education and training beyond high school.”
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