More than 300 colleges now use direct‑admissions offers to boost enrollment, but institutions say the tactic requires different recruitment and retention practices. Enrollment officers report direct admits often arrive with lower investment and unfamiliarity with the campus, demanding tailored tracking, engagement, and counseling to convert offers into enrollments. Analysts and enrollment managers cite case studies—Hampshire College among them—where mixing direct admits with traditional applicants led to missed targets. Colleges that see success separate tracking streams, adjust communications timing, and redesign yield tactics to account for direct admits’ distinct behaviors and needs.