These students will be guaranteed admission to the University of Utah — Here’s what you should know

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — The University of Utah announced a new pilot program Monday that guarantees admission to students who meet certain criteria — and the students don’t even need to apply to the university to know that they would be accepted.

The new program — called “Utah Direct” — is being tested in certain school districts in Utah and will apply to high school seniors with a GPA of at least 3.5. Later this year, students who qualify will be sent a letter that guarantees their admission, should they choose to apply to the university.

Steve Robinson, vice provost for enrollment management at the U of U, told ABC4.com that the university started the program to increase college attendance rates and give students an “overall confidence boost.”

“Overall, we just want them to feel like college is an option, whether it be here at the U — which, obviously, we hope it is — but at any place,” Robinson said.

Starting this year, the program will be tested in the following school districts: Canyons, Davis, Granite, and Provo.

“What we do in this program is we begin by communicating with students from their freshman year of high school about college preparation,” Robinson said.

Throughout the program, students will receive letters in the fall:

• For all 9th graders, the letter will welcome them to high school and encourage exploring the course options.
• For 10th graders with a GPA of at least 3.0, the letter will encourage them to keep working hard.
• For 11th graders with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, the letter will offer advice on college preparation and maintaining good academic performance.
• For 12th graders with a GPA of 3.5 or higher — and who satisfy course requirements — the letter will guarantee their admission to the University of Utah.

“By being able to tell students this early that they have, like, a guarantee from the University of Utah, it lets them know kind of where they stand overall,” Robinson said.

Other letters will be sent to high school juniors and seniors with a GPA between 3.2 and 3.5, and juniors with qualifying GPAs will receive a letter in the spring regarding planning for college.

The university said about 5,000 high school students in the Beehive State will be eligible for guaranteed admission. For Utah Direct students who complete early applications to the U of U, official acceptance will be granted mid-fall, according to the university.

“Utah Direct is a really powerful message to our most at-risk students,” Granite School District Superintendent Ben Horsley said. “The message is ‘We see the great work that you’re doing, you have incredible potential and we’d love to see you become a member of this fine institution and brighten your future.’”

The university’s admission application opened on Aug. 1, and the deadline for early action and merit scholarship consideration is Dec. 1.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.