Taylor Odle

Hi folks attending #2025APPAM #APPAM2025! Excited to see many of you in Seattle this week.

As usual, I am organizing a very informal happy hour for education policy folks at the conference to get together: Fri 11/14 starting at 6pm at Seattle Beer Co on Western Ave (~15 min walk from conference).

I better not see one more request in my inbox...

Just gonna drop this right here 😅 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Please share with great candidates and join our upcoming info session for prospective students. Folks can learn more about our program, community, and app process here: eps.education.wisc.edu

🍎🦡 I'm recruiting a PhD student in Ed Policy (fall '26) at @uwmadison.bsky.social! Come work with me on college access, admissions, & fin aid in our top-ranked, fully-funded program. I’m especially excited for this student to immediately join our direct admissions RCT team.

📢 New from the #EdWorkingPapers Policy and Practice Series:

A summary of “Comparative Cost Analyses of Community College Student Success Initiatives” by @taylorodle.bsky.social!

📄 buff.ly/byZLKhG

#AnnenbergEdExchange

Assistant or Associate Professor in Educational Policy Studies - Madison, Wisconsin, United States Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.Job Category:FacultyEmployment Type:Regula...

🚨 Come join us in Ed Policy at @uwmadison.bsky.social! We're hiring an Asst/Assoc Prof studying the intersection of education and the environment. jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assista...

In a @pbswisconsin.bsky.social interview, DSI Affiliate @taylorodle.bsky.social discusses the impacts of the Direct Admit Wisconsin and Wisconsin Guarantee programs on UW system admissions of WI high school students.

Taylor Odle on UW's direct admission programs for students Editor's note: PBS Wisconsin is a service of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

Watch: 📺 🖥️ 💻 📱 @uwmadison.bsky.social educational policy professor @taylorodle.bsky.social describes the impacts of the Direct Admit Wisconsin and Wisconsin Guarantee programs on UW system admissions of high school students from the state.

Watch Taylor Odle on UW's Direct Admission Programs For Students on PBS Wisconsin Taylor Odle on direct admission programs to the UW system for state high school students.

Enjoyed chatting with @pbswisconsin.bsky.social about UW's Direct Admit program / The Wisconsin Guarantee, my work on direct admissions, and early fall enrollment figures. @uwmadison.bsky.social pbswisconsin.org/watch/here-a...

Taylor Odle on UW's direct admission programs for students Editor's note: PBS Wisconsin is a service of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.

IDS affiliate @taylorodle.bsky.social talked with @pbswisconsin.bsky.social about Direct Admit programs at the Universities of WI, and how they're making college more accessible to qualified low-income students, students of color, and those from rural backgrounds. pbswisconsin.org/news-item/ta...

🏆 Nominate a student (or yourself) for the @aeraedresearch.bsky.social @aeradivjgradnet.bsky.social Dissertation Award! Deadline is Nov 1.

📢 #EdWorkingPapers: What do community college success programs really cost?

@taylorodle.bsky.social presents the first comparative cost analyses of 6 common initiatives, finding costs range from $570 to $1,320 per student, with wide variation in reach.

📄 Full paper here: buff.ly/LfYRaWo

Congratulations, Justin!!

Tennessee Transforms College Access: How Direct Admissions with Financial Aid is Changing the Game - Complete College America Tennessee just launched the nation's first direct admit program that pairs college admissions with personalized financial aid info. 41,000 students will receive acceptance letters AND know exactly how...

completecollege.org/resource/ten...

“…the most innovative college access program in the nation.” Aww, shucks — thanks, @completecollege.bsky.social! 🤗 || @uwmadscience.bsky.social @harvardeducation.bsky.social @luminafoundation.bsky.social @bloombergdotorg.bsky.social @kresge.org

Except GA Match still requires students to fill out a full college application, pay a fee, and doesn’t guarantee them admission—or aid! 😅 It’s direct marketing, not direct admissions.

www.wkrn.com/video/tennes...

Tennessee launches automatic college admission in 230 high schools "No applications, no essays, no fees."

www.axios.com/local/nashvi...

Tennessee launches direct admissions pilot with student aid component The initiative aims to ease the path to higher education by providing financial aid information along with automatic acceptance to participating colleges.

www.highereddive.com/news/tenness...

A Novel Approach: Tennessee Will Pair Direct-Admission Offers With Financial-Aid Estimates The first-of-its-kind strategy was designed to “move the needle” on college-going by simplifying the admissions and financial-aid process.

www.chronicle.com/article/a-no...

www.tn.gov/thec/news/20...

We hope you'll follow our progress!

This innovation & our work would not be possible without such a deep partnership with the TN Higher Ed Commission, TN Board of Regents, and and others. We are also especially grateful to @luminafoundation.bsky.social, @bloombergdotorg.bsky.social, and @kresge.org for their generous support.

My team at @uwmadison.bsky.social is excited to deliver rigorous evidence on direct admissions + direct aid programs like this through this (massive!) RCT. We're also delighted to partner with colleagues at @harvardeducation.bsky.social who will provide a rich qualitative analysis of this endeavor.

Visit our webpage to explore TN Direct Admissions: collegefortn.org/direct-admis..., including viewing additional program details, to see our participating high schools/institutional partners, and to learn more about our study.

Students then need only complete a short enrollment form to "claim their spot" in college; no essays, no fees, no letters of rec. Before matriculation, they'll also leverage supports to file the FAFSA & complete any normal enrollment steps (registration, orientation).

We'll use students' GPA & ACT scores to admit them to a group of public (& private!) universities, comm colleges, and tech institutes while also informing them of their state grant aid (like TN Promise & HOPE), as well as institutional merit aid! All personalized.

This fall, over 60k students will participate in our pilot testing this innovation. Groups of students will receive (1) direct admissions, (2) direct admissions plus aid, or (3) direct admissions, aid, & additional supports [including targeted outreach and 1-1 advising].

So, why not do both? Simplify access to college through direct admissions AND use that same data to pre-award aid. Students receive a clear, early, & personalized message: "There's a place for you in college—and there are resources to help you afford it!"