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Northwest joins Niche Direct Admissions program to better connect with prospective students

Aug. 28, 2024

Northwest Missouri State University is excited to announce a partnership with Niche — a leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families – and its Direct Admissions program to provide real-time acceptance and scholarship offers to students.

Based on information in their Niche profile, high school seniors who meet the criteria for enrolling at Northwest can now be notified immediately that the University wants them to join its incoming class.

We are excited to partner with Niche and offer Direct Admissions to qualifying students that we believe are right-fit students for Northwest Missouri State University,” Dr. Allison Hoffmann, the University’s associate provost for enrollment management and student success, said. “Direct Admissions will allow us to notify eligible students of their scholarship potential at Northwest before they have even initiated the application process. Showcasing the value of a Northwest education to students who may not be aware is a great benefit. This is a quick and easy process for students, and we look forward to seeing the impact it has on our future enrollments.

Direct admissions programs are rapidly expanding throughout the country and increasing in popularity as forward-thinking colleges like Northwest look to provide students and families with a simplified process and encourage more high school students to pursue higher education. 

According to Niche, one in two college-bound seniors creates a profile on the platform each year, and more than 50 million people annually rely on it to research and choose their best-fit college. Through a personalized Niche dashboard, users who meet predetermined criteria can instantly see they’ve been accepted, along with detailed information about the institution and the option to initiate the enrollment process.

Click here to view Northwest’s profile on Niche.

Niche Direct Admissions empowers colleges like Northwest to extend their reach beyond traditional regions, enabling students to discover and connect with institutions outside their home state. 

“Niche is changing how colleges connect with students and build their future classes,” Luke Skurman, the founder and chief executive officer of Niche, said. “By leveraging Niche Direct Admissions, admissions teams are equipped with an efficient, user-friendly way to meet students where they are, providing a modern experience that drives meaningful, measurable results.”

Students may learn more about Niche Direct Admissions and sign up by visiting www.niche.com/about/direct-admissions/.

Northwest students gain profession-based experiences in almost every field of study.  (Photo by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)

Northwest students gain profession-based experiences in almost every field of study. (Photo by Lauren Adams/Northwest Missouri State University)

About Northwest Missouri State University

With an enrollment of about 10,000 students, Northwest is a coeducational, primarily residential four-year university that offers a broad range of undergraduate and selected graduate programs on its Maryville campus as well as its Northwest-Kansas City location and through Northwest Online.

Founded in 1905 and ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top public regional universities in the Midwest, Northwest boasts a high retention rate and a graduation rate in the 95th percentile among its peers. Additionally, results of the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory show Northwest students are more satisfied than students at national peers, and 80 percent of Northwest students report they would repeat their University experience, compared to 77 percent of students surveyed nationally at their respective institutions.

Furthermore, the University is a national model for student success and career placement with 93 percent of bachelor’s degree earners and 99 percent of master’s degree earners securing employment or continuing their education within six months of completing a degree at Northwest, according to the most recent data

Northwest places a high emphasis on profession-based learning to help graduates get a jumpstart on their careers. Students have opportunities to build their résumés with experiences on campus in nearly every area of study, including the Horace Mann Laboratory SchoolNational Public Radio affiliate KXCV, the R.T. Wright FarmMozingo Outdoor Education Recreation Area or Knacktive, a student-driven integrated digital marketing communications agency. In conjunction with its emergency and disaster management program, Northwest organizes and hosts Missouri Hope, an annual mass casualty training exercise that attracts first responders and emergency workers from throughout the nation and provides hands-on training in preparation for a natural disaster.

The University’s vibrant and diverse learning community also offers more than 150 student organizations, and textbooks and a laptop are included in tuition, which is among the lowest in the nation, saving students an estimated $6,800 over four years. Northwest offers 1,200 student employment positions, allowing students to build professional skills through its internationally benchmarked student employment program. 

For more information about Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/aboutus/facts/.



Contact

Dr. Mark Hornickel
Administration Building
Room 215
660.562.1704
mhorn@nwmissouri.edu