VCU Guarantees Admission to Top High School Graduates Nationwide

• Any high schooler nationwide who graduates in the top 10% of their class or with a 3.5 GPA will be guaranteed admission to Virginia Commonwealth University.
• Graduating high school students need to apply through the Common App and submit their high school transcript to be considered for the program.
• Some of the school's programs, like engineering and arts, have additional requirements specific to their major.
• Statewide systems and individual schools alike have moved toward guaranteed or direct admissions programs in recent years.

Any high schooler nationwide who graduates in the top 10% of their class or with a 3.5 GPA will be guaranteed admission to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), school officials announced last week.

Graduating high school students just need to apply through the Common App and submit their high school transcript to be considered for VCU's new guaranteed admission program, according to a press release from the school.

"The guaranteed university admission program will easily connect top-performing high school graduates with a nationally ranked major research university that is committed to excellence, access, impact and innovation," Hernan Bucheli, vice president for strategic enrollment management and student success, said in the release.

"And this program will have a positive impact on Virginia's economy because we know that our talented graduates are career ready and a majority stay here in Virginia."

School officials noted in the release that some of the school's programs, however, such as engineering and arts, have additional requirements specific to their major.

The new national guaranteed admissions program at VCU builds on existing guaranteed admissions agreements with two-year colleges, including the Virginia Community College System, according to the release.

VCU's program also builds on a nationwide trend toward guaranteed admissions. Proponents of guaranteed admissions programs say they help high school students plan ahead and make informed decisions about where they go to college.

"The benefit to qualifying students is an admissions process without the stress that comes with uncertainty in the college selection process," Bucheli said in the VCU release.

VCU Joins a Nationwide Trend of Direct and Guaranteed Admissions

Statewide systems and individual schools alike have embraced guaranteed admissions.

More than 100,000 Georgia high school seniors will receive a letter starting this week notifying them of public technical institutions, colleges, and universities that are holding a spot for them in the fall 2024 semester based on academic eligibility, according to an Oct. 5 release from Gov. Brian Kemp.

All institutions participating in that new Georgia Match program will waive application fees for students who apply through the program during November 2023, according to the release.

The University of Tennessee (UT) Board of Trustees also recently approved a resolution at its Sept. 8 meeting to guarantee admission to high school graduates if they graduate in the top 10% of their class or achieve a 4.0 or higher GPA, BestColleges previously reported.

"In taking this step, the UT System would join public institutions in at least a dozen other states including Arizona, Florida, and Texas, that offer guaranteed admissions to eligible students," the University of Tennessee proposal read.

Indiana likewise recently enacted a direct admissions program via an agreement between dozens of participating colleges and more than 300 high schools in the state. Students receive pre-admission letters as part of that program, a move that educators hope will encourage them to apply to college.

"Indiana Pre-Admissions: Your Path to College encourages students to apply to institutions they might have thought were not within reach, thus giving students hope and options for their postsecondary education," Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery said in the release at the time.

"The Commission will continue to lean into innovative programs and strong partnerships to address the challenges facing higher education in Indiana."