Davenport University announced today its participation in MI College Match, a statewide direct admission initiative led by the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) in partnership with education company EAB.

Designed to streamline the path to higher education, the program allows participating Michigan high school students to receive direct admission offers and scholarship opportunities from Davenport University without having to complete a traditional college application.

Powered by EAB’s Match software, MI College Match will be offered in more than 350 high schools across the state through MCAN’s College Bound Michigan initiative. Participating students simply complete a short profile detailing their academic achievements, interests and preferences. Davenport and other participating institutions then extend proactive admission and financial aid offers based on these anonymized profiles.

Participating Michigan students will have an opportunity to receive offers to attend college without completing a single application. This streamlined approach aligns with the State of Michigan’s Sixty by 30 postsecondary attainment goal, helping eliminate administrative barriers and make college more accessible and affordable for all students.

“When colleges say, ‘We want you here, and you’re already admitted,’ it changes the entire conversation around postsecondary education,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, MCAN executive director. “Students who may never have thought of themselves as college material … are now being proactively admitted by institutions, opening educational and career pathways they hadn’t considered or thought were impossible.”

Similar direct-admission programs powered by EAB have shown success. In Alabama, a statewide rollout for the 2025–26 academic year engaged more than 18,000 students, resulting in more than 141,000 in-state admission offers and $2.8 billion in scholarship opportunities.

Important dates for high school students and families:

• Aug. 18: Informational webinar for high school counselors and administrators hosted by MCAN and EAB.
• Aug. 20: Davenport University Discover Davenport, campus open houses in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Midland and Warren.
• Aug. 26: The MI College Match platform officially opens for Michigan high school students to create their profiles.
• Sept. 21: Priority deadline for students to complete their profile to be eligible for the initial round of admission offers.
• Oct. 5: First release of direct admission and scholarship offers to participating students.

Students can continue creating profiles after Sept. 21 to receive admission offers on a rolling basis throughout the school year.

“Davenport is thrilled to be part of this direct admission program,” said Jodi Chycinski, interim vice president of Enrollment & Student Affairs. “As a high school student, choosing where to apply for an undergraduate degree can be stressful. This takes the worry out of that process and allows students to explore universities they may not have previously considered.”

By eliminating the traditional application hurdle, Davenport hopes to connect early with students to provide the information, resources and support they need to make an informed decision from the start.

To learn more about MI College Match and how to participate, visit micollegematch.com.

For more information about academic programs and opportunities at Davenport University, and Davenport’s upcoming Discover Davenport events, visit davenport.edu or davenport.edu/admissions-aid/visit#admissionevents.