These 14 Mass. colleges now accept students before they even apply

Fourteen colleges and universities in Massachusetts now proactively offer admission to first-generation and low- and middle-income students.

The admissions tactic, also known as direct admissions, offers admission to students through The Common App, a college application portal.

Acceptance is based on a student's GPA or test scores that have already been submitted through The Common App.

If the student is interested in the school, they have to submit an application — which is often shortened, such as not including a personal essay — and won't have to pay an application fee or be required to enroll.

The application is, in part, a means of verifying that the information the student submitted to The Common App, which was the basis for the admission offer, is accurate.

Three in four students who received a direct admission offer completed the application process, according to the organization.

The direct admission program has been growing. It now involves 213 schools across 41 states. In the 2024-2025 application cycle, 119 institutions from 35 states took part.

There were 733,000 offers to first-generation and students from low- and middle-income communities in the 2024-2025 cycle.

"Students who receive direct admissions offers feel relieved and more confident because a college extended an offer based on some of their Common App responses. This offer lets students learn more about the college, decide if it's a good fit and then submit their Common App‚" The Common App's website said.

• Read more: Tufts University to become tuition-free for families making less than $150K

The list of Massachusetts schools with direct admissions includes:

• Curry College

• Dean College

• Fisher College

• Hampshire College

• Lasell University

• Lesley University

• Merrimack College

• Nichols College

• Regis College

• Salem State University

• University of Massachusetts Boston

• University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Western New England University

• Westfield State University

New to the list this year are Curry College, Dean College, Lesley University and Nichols College.

Other schools that offer direct admissions that aren't in Massachusetts can be found here .

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• Tufts University to become tuition-free for families making less than $150K

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