From Gatekeeper To Gateway: A New Approach To College Admissions

Forbes

05-08-2025

For too long, college admissions has been a high-stakes, high-stress process that many college hopefuls dread. Despite years of good intentions and isolated reforms, the current system still places too much of the burden on students to navigate a complex maze of applications, deadlines and financial aid—while offering too little clarity on the value higher education can provide. And for first-generation college-goers and those from low-income families, the barriers can feel particularly insurmountable.
That's why a growing group of innovators is no longer trying to fix admissions around the edges—they're reimagining the process entirely.
As part of the Great Admissions Redesign, a challenge launched by Lumina Foundation in 2023, colleges and systems from across the country are testing bold changes aimed at expanding opportunity and reducing friction for students.
The effort couldn't come at a more critical moment. The long-predicted 'demographic cliff' is on colleges' doorsteps, meaning they will need to be savvier about reaching and recruiting a smaller cohort of high school-aged students. At the same time, questions continue to grow about higher education's value and the return students can expect from their investment, so colleges need to get more sophisticated about how they're marketing themselves with a greater eye toward the long-term outcomes they offer their graduates.
The current admissions system isn't working for students or for colleges; and it's ripe for innovation. Here are three of the most promising strategies emerging from the challenge.
Flip The Process: Start With A Yes
One of the most powerful ideas gaining momentum is a process often called 'direct' or 'guaranteed' admissions—a model that removes the application as the starting point and instead makes the college an active participant in recruiting qualified students.
In a traditional model, the onus is entirely on the student to seek out, apply to and wait for decisions from colleges. Direct admissions flips that dynamic; instead colleges use existing data (like students' GPA and course-taking) to proactively identify potential students and make conditional offers of admission. In some cases, students receive multiple offers at once—without ever filling out an application.
For students who might otherwise assume college isn't for them, a letter that says 'You're in' can be life-changing. The approach is also a game-changer for colleges themselves. The California State University (CSU) Direct Admissions program offers a compelling case study via its initial pilot with the Riverside County Office of Education. In the spring of 2025, more than 12,000 students in Riverside County were proactively offered conditional admission to CSU. As a result, CSU-Riverside is predicting a 30% increase in first-year enrollment this fall—an unheard-of increase in an environment where many colleges continue to see enrollment declines.
Addressing Questions Of Value
As higher education's value continues to be called into question, convincing students that college is a worthy investment is a crucial piece of solving the enrollment puzzle—and new approaches to the admissions process could help.
The Great Admissions Redesign highlights how connecting the admissions process with other critical processes—like financial aid and academic advising—can help address concerns about affordability and student success.
When admissions teams collaborate seamlessly with financial aid, students receive clearer, more predictable cost information upfront, reducing uncertainty and increasing the likelihood of their enrollment. Washington state, for example, plans to notify students that are eligible for SNAP benefits as early as 10th grade that they are eligible for the state's WA Grant and affording college is within their reach. This notification will eventually be paired with admissions offers for the state's Guaranteed Admissions Program for eligible 12th graders as part of a comprehensive statewide communications strategy.
Similarly, connecting admissions data with academic support and career services allows institutions to better understand student needs and proactively guide them toward programs that align with their aspirations and labor market demands. This integrated approach ensures that the value proposition extends far beyond the acceptance letter, encompassing a student's entire educational and professional trajectory.
Leverage Technology As An Accelerant
Technology has long promised to streamline admissions—but too often, it has added layers of complexity. Now, a new wave of tools is helping institutions use technology as an accelerant for equity and efficiency.
Some states and colleges are improving how they use data to personalize outreach, predict match and fit, or simplify financial aid processes. Others are leveraging artificial intelligence to ensure that students receive timely, actionable information tailored to their profiles. The most promising efforts are not simply digitizing old systems; they're reimagining them entirely to reduce paperwork, increase transparency and meet students where they are.
One of the most transformative technologies in this space is the use of centralized application portals, such as the Common App or state- or system-specific platforms like Apply Texas and Cal State Apply. These systems allow students to access applications to multiple institutions in a single place and simplify data management. Other states and colleges are working to develop digital transcript and data sharing systems to increase automation, ultimately resulting in reduced administrative burdens, minimized errors and accelerated admissions decisions.
Technology can also help ensure that students find and are admitted to schools that are a good fit for them and will deliver the value they seek. CaliforniaColleges.edu, California's official college and career planning platform, is the only statewide college and career readiness platform in the country that links to K-12 student records. It includes tools for students to assess their interests, develop their college and career plans, access information on financial aid, launch college applications and monitor progress toward enrollment. Counselors also have access to online lessons and dashboards to track student progress to tailor their support. By using technology to better connect advising and admissions, states can help smooth the road to career success.
These advances require both states and colleges to get serious about data integration, interoperability and privacy. That's why the leaders in this work are not just investing in new tools—they're rethinking their infrastructure to support them.
Innovation For Impact
The Lumina Great Admissions Redesign challenge isn't just about fixing a broken system; it's about reimagining college access for the 21st century. By simplifying admissions, linking processes and leveraging technology, higher education leaders can move beyond simply defending their value. They can proactively demonstrate it, ensuring that more students find their path to a meaningful education and a successful future.
The future of higher education depends not just on who gets in, but on how they get in—and whether the journey starts with a barrier or a bridge.