Admission Criteria and Processes

Admission criteria are the requirements established by colleges and universities to ensure the adequate preparation of students for postsecondary education and to manage the demand for enrollment. Applicants who meet the criteria are admitted; those who do not are rejected. These criteria (known also as admission standards) define gateways into post-secondary academic programs at the baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and professional levels. Generally, however, community colleges maintain open enrollment policies, with very liberal, access-oriented admission criteria for their courses and academic programs, including associate degree programs. Public colleges and universities tend to be more explicit and formula-driven with their requirements, whereas private institutions are more likely to be less specific and to weigh a wider array of factors in their decisions. Nearly all colleges and universities ...