Duane Bonifer  |  Published September 05, 2024

An Important Step in Admission

Monmouth College joins national effort to connect Illinois students who often miss out on a college education.

MONMOUTH, Ill. – Monmouth College took an important step today to create an easier path to college for underserved students in Illinois.

Monmouth joined Common App’s direct admissions program, which is focused on helping more first-generation and low- and middle-income students enroll in college.

Through the program, Monmouth will offer direct admission to select Illinois high school seniors, starting with students who enter the college in fall 2025.

Common App’s direct admissions program also provides outreach and resources to families, as well as to counselors who have students that receive a direct admissions offer.

“It was an easy decision to partner with Common App to offer direct admission to prospective students who can benefit from the Monmouth educational experience,” said Monmouth Vice President for Enrollment Management Stephanie Levenson. “Monmouth has a long history of educating successful alumni who are first-generation college students and from economic backgrounds that are the focus of the Common App’s direct admissions program.”

“Monmouth has a long history of educating successful alumni who are first-generation college students and from economic backgrounds that are the focus of the Common App’s direct admissions program.” – Stephanie Levenson


In this fall’s entering class at Monmouth, 38% are first-generation college students, 47% were eligible for a federal Pell Grant, and 34% received the state of Illinois’ Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant.

“By being part of the Common App’s direct admissions program, Monmouth is further demonstrating its commitment to high school seniors in our region and throughout Illinois,” said Monmouth President Patricia Draves. “This also affirms our partnership with Illinois school counselors in the transformational work they do with students and families. Offering direct admission sends a clear message to prospective students that we believe in their ability to pursue a successful college career at Monmouth.”

Common App has piloted a direct admissions program since 2021, offering admission to students who created a Common App account and provided enough academic information but had not yet completed all of their open applications. The organization launched its full-scale program last year, offering over 400,000 first-generation and low-income students direct admissions from 71 colleges and universities. Results showed that 3 out of 4 students who added a school to their college list upon receiving a direct admission offer applied to that school.

“Direct admissions is about changing the narrative of a college education from one of scarcity to one of opportunity, by ensuring students know that they are worthy and welcome on a college campus,” said Jenny Rickard, president & CEO of Common App.

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