Nearly 1,500 high school juniors at Milwaukee Public Schools have already started their college journeys by applying to Milwaukee Area Technical College, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, or both.
The 1,497 juniors completed the free, simple M-Cubed Milwaukee Direct Admit form, a process that takes less than five minutes and requires no essays, no letters of recommendation, no test scores, attachments, or transcripts for the students to send.
Milwaukee Direct Admit effort is part of M-Cubed, a partnership connecting MPS, MATC and UWM to build bridges from K-12 to higher education and transform Milwaukee through education. As one initiative in the partnership, M-Cubed Milwaukee Direct Admit is specifically designed to simplify the college application process.
MPS provides UWM and MATC with transcripts and other needed information directly. And by starting the process early — during junior year instead of senior year — students can focus their senior year on finishing strong, completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and getting registered for college classes.
The 1,497 MPS juniors who applied represent 40.2% of the graduating class -- exceeding M-Cubed’s goal of 35% and nearly doubling the 21% who applied last year. Last year’s applicants are now high school seniors and nearly 900 began their senior year with a college acceptance in hand.
Through another M-Cubed initiative — Smart Start — they spent their senior year getting to know one another, registering for classes and getting oriented to college. They can participate in a summer program, and the support continues into their first year at UWM or MATC.
Together, these efforts are aimed at increasing the number of Milwaukee high school students who go on to and succeed in higher education, lifting up the individuals, their families, our community — and building a skilled, diverse workforce.
About M3 (M-Cubed): M³ seeks to transform the future of Milwaukee through education. Through collaboration, coordination and partnership, MPS, MATC and UWM will increase the retention, graduation and career success of our students and provide a prepared workforce and citizenry for the Wisconsin economy. M³ will also provide the education and resources to help drive an entrepreneurial mindset for all students to increase choices and opportunities for growth.
About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.