What happened#
On August 12, 2026, the Michigan College Access Network (MCAN) announced MI College Match, a statewide direct admission program. Its aim is that "every participating Michigan student receives an offer to attend college without having to complete a single application."
How it works: a student fills in a short profile of interests, preferences and academic record. Participating colleges review it without the student's name and "extend admission offers and scholarship opportunities." The student then picks which ones to follow up.
The dates, in MCAN's words: "The Match platform opens for Michigan students on Aug. 26, and students who complete a profile by Sept. 21 will be eligible for the first release of admission offers on Oct. 5." Students can still make a profile after September 21, and colleges will keep sending offers.
The program runs through more than 350 Michigan high schools in MCAN's College Bound Michigan program. Eighteen colleges had signed on by August 12, among them the University of Michigan-Dearborn, the University of Michigan-Flint, Oakland University, Kalamazoo College, Albion, Alma, the University of Detroit Mercy and several community colleges.
What it means for a student#
If you are a Michigan senior, ask your counselor whether your school takes part. The first-round date has passed, but profiles still count, and offers keep coming.
An offer is a starting point, not a decision. It tells you a college will take you. Whether it is the right college, and what it would cost after aid, is still your work to check.
If the colleges you most want are not in it, nothing changes: apply to them the usual way.
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Sources
Last checked September 30, 2026. We add a dated note here when the story changes.