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Texas high school students will now be able to see which of the state’s public universities would accept them based on their credentials before they fill out a college application, state leaders announced Friday.

The new tool, called Direct Admissions, is meant to streamline the college application process and remove some of the challenges that can make students hesitant to apply, higher education officials say.

“Direct Admissions has the potential to reduce time, boost confidence, and increase transparency, encouraging Texans who might not otherwise consider college to take the next step,” Interim Commissioner of Higher Education Sarah Keyton said in a press release.

Students can plug their class rank, grade point average, and standardized test scores into the state’s college and career website, My Texas Future, to get a list of the participating universities to which they’d be accepted. Students can access the information starting at the end of their junior year of high school.

Once a student learns which schools would admit them via Direct Admissions, they still need to apply to verify their academic information. If they don't qualify for direct admission at a specific university, they may still apply through the traditional application process.

Thirty-one public universities in the state — the vast majority — are participating in the new tool, including flagships like the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, but also most regional public universities.

“With the launch of Direct Admissions, the college application process will be made easier for young students and their families to choose the best Texas college or university for them to lead successful lives in our state,” Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement. “Working together, we will continue to develop a college admissions process that is more efficient and effective for all Texas students and create a brighter future for our great state.”

The state developed this new tool with a $250,000 grant from the Lumina Foundation as part of a competition called The Great Admissions Redesign, an effort launched in the wake of massive admissions changes across the country, including the U.S. Supreme Court decision to ban the use of race in admissions, the increase in test-optional admissions and projected enrollment declines.

Last summer, the state launched My Texas Future, a website to advise prospective students about financial aid, explore careers and programs and plan for college.

Disclosure: Texas A&M University, Texas Future and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.

The Texas Tribune partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/10/11/texas-college-admissions-tool/.

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