North Kansas City students receive guaranteed admission to Mizzou through new partnership

CLAY COUNTY, Mo. — KSHB 41 News reporter Lauren Schwentker covers stories in the Northland, including in Clay and Platte counties. Have a story idea? Send her an email.

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A new partnership between North Kansas City Schools and the University of Missouri-Columbia is helping students take the next step toward college while reducing some of the stress that comes with the admissions process.

Through the College Direct Admission Pathway, students who participate in the district's Early College Academy can receive guaranteed admission to Mizzou without submitting an application or paying an application fee.

For North Kansas City High School senior Emery Brown, the opportunity made the transition to college much simpler.

Brown is already earning college credits through the program; she is both a senior in high school and a sophomore in college.

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"I've been committed to Mizzou, and I'm super excited," Brown said.

She said the program has also helped ease the financial burden of higher education.

"Tuition is nonexistent, and that is huge in today's time," Brown said.

Shannon Gilliland, director of the Early College Academy for North Kansas City Schools, said the partnership will benefit both students and their families.

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"I'm so excited about this because I think it's going to help our kids and families alleviate a lot of stress," Gilliland said.

Gilliland said the district is one of five school districts in Missouri selected for the opportunity — Columbia Public Schools, Farmington School District, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, Liberty Public Schools and North Kansas City Schools.

"These kids have already demonstrated that they are going to be successful in college, so why the heck wouldn't Mizzou want them," she said.

Students in the program say the admissions process was simple and helped them start planning for college earlier.

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"It took like five minutes to sign up for it, apply and I got my results back in two to three weeks," said Korbyn McGuire, a senior at Staley High School.

Omniah Elgossy, a senior at Oak Park High School, said the program gives students an early look at college life.

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"I think it's really insightful because you get to experience actually college, college tests and professors," Elgossy said.

To qualify for guaranteed admission before senior year, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and complete at least 12 college credit hours through the Early College Academy.

Eligible students will receive official notification of their guaranteed admission by Aug. 1 before their senior year.

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