"I Was Unsure About College: IU Indy Aims to Support More Marion County Students in Achieving Their Higher Education Goals"

INDIANAPOLIS — Only about half of high school seniors in Indiana are pursuing higher education, but Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indy) is striving to change that by expanding its innovative program aimed at removing obstacles to college admission.

The university initially launched the “Seamless Admissions” program last year in collaboration with Indianapolis Public Schools. Now, they are extending this initiative to additional Marion County schools and townships, including:

• Decatur Township
• Irvington Preparatory Academy
• James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy
• Lawrence Township
• Pike Township
• Rooted School Indianapolis at Eastern Star
• Warren Online Academy
• Warren Central High School

PJ Woolston, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management at IU Indy, stated, “Any high school student that has a 3.0 GPA or higher, we’re automatically admitting them; they don’t need to apply. We’re working directly with the high schools to identify these students."

Seniors who meet the criteria will not have to complete a traditional application or pay any fees; instead, they can simply fill out a brief online form for automatic admission.

This program has already made a significant impact on students like Kevin Lopez, an Arsenal Tech High School graduate. He shared his experience: “At one point, I wasn’t too sure if I could go to college. I always heard how stressful it was to apply—how you had to write an essay. I wasn’t too sure how I would manage all that.” Now finishing his first year at IU Indy with aspirations of becoming an accountant, he feels more confident about his future.

The expansion aims to reach even more students like Lopez. Lawrence North Principal Brett Crousore emphasized the importance of equitable access: “The admission process can be overwhelming and misunderstood. We believe everyone should have equal opportunities, and what IU is doing provides that for our kids.”

Desmond Kuehn, a junior at Lawrence Central North currently enrolled in college courses through the school's College Core program, noted the changing landscape of college admissions: “Colleges are getting harder to get into and fewer people are wanting to go. If they know for sure there’s somewhere they can get in while staying close to home—that's important to me.”

The overarching goal is to prepare Hoosier high school students for success beyond academics—whether that journey leads them directly to IU Indy or another path entirely. Woolston explained further: “So much of this is really about getting students to think about college proactively.”

Lopez reflected on how the Seamless Admissions initiative has opened doors for him: “It opened up a lot of opportunities because now I know I can accomplish a little bit more." According to IU Indy officials, this initiative has already led to an over 80% increase in first-year attendance among IPS students.

As of now, more than 450 IPS high school seniors have qualified for the Seamless Admissions program. This expansion will take effect for students applying for enrollment in fall 2026.