Career & College Directions

Types of Admissions

Universities and colleges have diverse admissions policies, ranging from schools with open admissions, which admit any high school graduate, to highly competitive or selective colleges, which admit only 75% or fewer of the students who apply. Most colleges and universities follow one of the following admissions policies:

Open Admissions --Virtually all secondary school graduates or students with GED equivalency diplomas are admitted without regard to academic record, test scores, or other qualifications.

Selective Admissions --Students must meet certain requirements with regard to test scores, grade point average, courses taken, etc. Within this category, the requirements can range from minimally difficult to most difficult.

Competitive Admissions--When more students apply than the college can accommodate, colleges will choose the candidates with the highest qualifications.

Preferential Admissions--Members of some groups, such as state residents, members of supporting churches, or children of alumni, are given preference.