Kean Piloting Common App’s Direct Admissions Program

By Jalen Gaynor | Published December 16, 2022

Kean has been announced as one of the 14 institutions now taking part in Common App’s 2022-2023 Direct Admissions pilot program.

Students who have a Common App account and meet the university’s admittance criteria will be offered admission to Kean before they even apply. Students then have to formally apply in order to accept the offer.

Kean announced the pilot will allow them to select students who meet the qualifications for admission to the University and contact them earlier in the application cycle. They also made it clear that they will be able to level the playing field for prospective minority and first-generation students.

“Kean University has a deep commitment to supporting students from minority and first-generation backgrounds, and this new admissions tool allows us to offer more students an opportunity to receive a college education at Kean,” Kean President Lamont O. Repollet Ed.D. said. “Through this pilot program, we will put college within reach for so many deserving students.”

This is the third round of Common App’s pilot program which first began in 2021. They announced the latest iteration offered admission to 18,000 students at six participating institutions, and over 800 students accepted the offer. Black or African American, Latinx, and first-generation students were found to have been affected the most.

During this current round of the pilot, Kean and the 13 other participating institutions will reach out to almost 30,000 students.

“Direct admissions is about changing the narrative of a college education from one of scarcity to one of opportunity, by ensuring students know that college opportunity is an abundant resource — and one that’s available to them,” Jenny Rickard, president & CEO of Common App said. “No waiting, no wondering if the institution is looking for a specific set of characteristics. While we’re still in the early stages of this pilot, we’re excited about the potential of this work to help more students pursue a college education.”

This pilot program is another example of Kean working to help give potential students an opportunity to attend a university. The university previously began the Kean Tuition Promise program which provides low-income New Jersey students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree at little or no cost and realize their dreams of a college education.

“The Common App’s Direct Admissions Program coupled with the Kean Tuition Promise create a powerful combination for New Jersey’s most needy prospective students to help them envision a future with a college degree, and that Kean may be a debt-free option for them,” Kean University Vice President of Enrollment Services Marsha McCarthy said.

Around 1,200 students are expected to receive an offer of direct admission to Kean according to Melissa Maiorino, director of the Office of Enrollment Services.

---