University Joins Common App Direct Admissions Program

Montclair State University is one of six schools in the nation to be named a partner institution of The Common App’s Direct Admissions program for 2022.

Montclair is the only school in New Jersey to join the initiative, which proactively guarantees college admission to Common App institutions for qualified students from Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia and the Garden State to participating institutions in their home state.

This month, 3,000 New Jersey students will be offered direct admission to Montclair for the fall 2022 semester as part of the program. More than 13,000 students in total will be offered guaranteed admission to Common App schools. Students are eligible based on the state residency and GPA information they provided in their Common App account. Eligible students are then entered into a lottery for the direct admission seats available in their state.

The Common App Direct Admissions program is designed to further access, equity and integrity in the college admissions process, aligning it with Montclair’s mission and vision for the role of 21st-century public higher education.

“We are excited to partner with Common App to be part of the Common App Direct Admissions program” says Montclair Vice President for Enrollment Management Wendy Lin-Cook. “The program is in line with Montclair’s continuous effort to create high quality higher education opportunities for the residents of New Jersey. During the period of uncertainty as a result of the pandemic, we believe this program will help encourage historically underrepresented high school students to attend college.”

Montclair is now in its second academic year on the Common App after joining in August 2020. Each year, more than 1 million applicants use the Common App nationally, with one-third of those applicants the first in their family to pursue a college degree. In addition to its other resources, it helps reduce barriers to the college application process, including making the fee waiver process more efficient for students in need.

“Partnering with Common App on their Direct Admissions program is yet another way we are honoring our mission to serve the students of New Jersey,” says Director of Undergraduate Admissions Jordanna Maziarz. “It furthers our commitment to access and equity as a Hispanic-Serving Institution with a significant percentage of first-generation college students. I’m looking forward to welcoming many Direct Admissions students to our Class of 2027 and into the Montclair family.”

Students who are not selected for the program can still apply to Montclair State University via the Common App, or through the institution’s own application at apply.montclair.edu/apply.