Southeast Missouri State University to offer no-application admissions

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – Southeast Missouri State University now offers automatic acceptance to some students without having to fill out an application.

The university is partnering with an online college search website called Niche. It is designed to streamline the college admissions process for prospective students.

Using Niche’s Direct Admissions program, students who meet the criteria for SEMO admissions are automatically accepted to the university without having to fill out an application.

“Our goal is to simplify a process that can feel complex and intimidating,” said director of Admissions Lenell Hahn. “We want to save students time, make it easier for them to choose going to college, and help them envision being a future Redhawk at SEMO.”

Direct Admissions programs are gaining popularity across the country by simplifying the college admissions process.

“Niche is changing how colleges connect with students and build their future classes,” said Luke Skurman, Founder and CEO of Niche. “By leveraging Niche Direct Admissions, admissions teams are equipped with an efficient, user-friendly way to meet students where they are, providing a modern experience that drives meaningful, measurable results.”

Users who meet predetermined criteria can instantly see that they’ve been accepted into SEMO through a personalized Niche dashboard.

Users have detailed information about the university and the option to initiate the enrollment process. Niche Direct Admissions empowers colleges like SEMO to extend their reach beyond traditional regions by enabling students to discover and connect with institutions outside their home state.

We talked to Southeast Missouri State assistant director of recruitment Iyanna McCurdy who tells us.

“Direct admission essentially is when a school just like SEMO we basically auto admit students based off of certain criteria that they need and they don’t have to necessarily do a complete or a formal application so as more of a modern way for students to apply or to be accepted to university.”

She is encouraged by the university’s advancements in admissions saying, “when you talk about breaking different barriers for students of course like us we don’t have an application fee. There’s no essay requirement those types of things if you break those barriers, it makes it a lot easier for that process for students to commit school or to apply to school so that can be difficult so this is something that I think would definitely be the new trend. That’s gonna happen pretty soon and happening now.”

Southeast Missouri State grad student Philip Francis talks about what this means for future students, remembering back to when he completed his admission letter to SEMO.

“When the students like myself, when I was looking through where exactly I wanted to go and what place might suit me best for my interest. Looking at what kind of effort and time commitment it will take, to just even get that application (done) first, let alone the process of finding out will it be the right fit for me?”

For students interested in learning more about Niche Direct Admissions, visit: niche.com/about/direct-admissions/.

Eligible new Missouri undergraduate students with a 2.75 high school GPA and who are eligible for Pell Grants won’t pay any tuition or fees at Southeast Missouri State with the Will To Do Award. SEMO also offers one tuition rate nationwide for domestic students. Apply at semo.edu/apply.

Prospective students are encouraged to visit campus.