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Utah Direct Program

What is Utah Direct?

Utah Direct is a college access initiative designed to increase college-going rates among Utah high school graduates. The University of Utah has partnered with certain school districts (see full list of participating schools and districts below) to send letters of encouragement to students who are likely to excel in college, offering congratulations on their academic achievements and an invitation to research their college options. By the beginning of their senior year, students in this program who have met certain criteria are offered a guarantee of admission to the U.

How the Utah Direct Program Works

Students attending school in a participating district receive letters providing information and encouragement on their educational progress from 9th grade to 12th grade. Students in 9th through 11th grades receive letters in the fall. 12th grade students receive letters at the beginning of their senior year.

What are the benefits of Utah Direct?

Students who receive a guarantee of admission can start their senior year secure in the knowledge that there’s a place for them at the state’s flagship university.

Utah Direct students, whether or not they are guaranteed admission, have the opportunity to receive an admissions decision in the fall semester. The sooner a Utah Direct student applies, the sooner they can receive their decision.

Who is eligible to participate in Utah Direct?

Currently, only students in these districts and schools are eligible:

  • Canyons School District
  • Davis School District
  • Granite School District
  • Park City School District
  • Provo City School Distruct
  • Judge Memorial High School
  • Juan Diego Catholic High School
  • Rowland Hall
  • Academy for Math, Engineering and Science (AMES)
  • Salt Lake City School District
  • Intermountain Christian School
  • City Academy

Students who receive Utah Direct letters have taken a full load of core academic courses and have earned strong grades in all high school classes. Additionally, students who have maintained a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.5 will receive an offer of guaranteed admission.

  • In the first year of the program, large districts close in proximity to the U were invited to join the pilot. The following year, all Utah school districts were given the opportunity to join Utah Direct. The University of Utah always welcomes additional districts to partner with us to encourage students to attend college.

  • School districts participating in the Utah Direct program identify students who meet University of Utah criteria for each grade level and then send their addresses to a third-party printer. The University of Utah does not collect or have access to student data and does not know which students receive letters.

  • Students who do not receive letters offering a guarantee of admission likely did not meet the required GPA at the time the student data was submitted to the printer. Regardless, all Utah seniors are invited to apply to the U via the Beehive Application, our streamlined admissions application.

Please note:

The Utah Direct program only guarantees students admission to the university and does not guarantee admission to majors that require additional academic work, auditions, or specialized applications. Some selective programs at the U may require additional application materials beyond what students provide in the Utah Direct application.

For more information about this program, reach out to the Office of Admissions: