Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for community college students, has launched the first-ever direct admissions experience for transfer students through its PTK Connect platform. Developed in partnership with Nazareth University, this transformative new feature offers community college students a streamlined path to a four-year degree—removing unnecessary barriers and opening doors to greater opportunity.
Currently, 71% of PTK members transfer to a four-year college or university. With direct admissions, that number is expected to grow, as students receive proactive admissions offers from participating colleges without having to submit a traditional application.
“Direct admissions” flips the process: instead of students applying and waiting, participating four-year colleges invite eligible PTK members to enroll based on the academic information already available in PTK Connect. This saves time, removes uncertainty, and for many, waives application fees, making PTK membership even more valuable.
It’s as easy as a click: when students see the Direct Admissions icon on a college’s PTK Connect profile, they simply click it—and that’s it. Your application is in.
PTK Connect has become a critical bridge between students and opportunity. So far this year alone, more than 55,000 students have used PTK Connect to conduct over 500,000 searches for colleges, scholarships, and careers.
“High achieving community college students deserve the same admissions advantages often reserved for first-time freshmen—clear offers, merit-based financial aid, and a simplified process,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “By launching direct admissions, we’re not just connecting students to opportunity—we’re delivering it.”
Nazareth University, located in Rochester, New York, helped pilot the process, and hundreds of colleges attended a recent PTK webinar to learn how to enable direct admissions at their own institutions. As more colleges join, the result will be a national shift toward a seamless, student-centered transfer experience—led by PTK.
PTK Connect is the only college and career planning tool built specifically for community college honor students. With the addition of direct admissions, it becomes an even more powerful platform for helping students take their next step.
To learn more about participating colleges or enabling direct admissions, visit: www.ptk.org/benefits/ptk-connect
About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is the first national honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. Recognized by the American Association of Community Colleges as the official honor society for two-year colleges, PTK is made up of more than 4.4 million members and nearly 1,250 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 220,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.
