M-Cubed Opens Direct Admissions to Expand Collage Access for MPS Students » City of Milwaukee

After 900 MPS students used Direct Admit their freshman year to apply to MATC and UWM, M3 is opening applications for direct admission to the Class of 2026.

Most applicants are fully enrolled in college at the start of their senior year through the M3 Milwaukee Direct Admit program.

(MILWAUKEE) — In its first year, nearly 900 Milwaukee Public Schools students took the easy, stress-free step to college through Milwaukee Technical College and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee through the M Program.³ (pronounced M-Cubed) Direct admission to Milwaukee.

Most students – now in the first months of their senior year – have already been accepted to UWM, MATC or both. For most of those not yet accepted, the only remaining step is to declare a program or major at any institution and/or certify that they reside in Wisconsin to attend UWM in-state.

On Tuesday M.³ partners celebrated their success and launched the app for the next class. Starting now, juniors from any MPS high school (Class of 2026) can apply for free to UWM or MATC in less than five minutes at mpsmke.com/directadmit. Students provide their name, MPS student ID, and parent/guardian permission if they are under 18 years of age. Their transcripts are sent directly to the college or colleges of their choice, eliminating the need for applications, essays, or letters of recommendation. Students then receive confirmation from MATC, UWM, or both.

New this year: M.³ The app also allows MPS students to participate in the University of Wisconsin Direct Admission Program, providing access to most public universities across the state.

The announcement was made at MPS MacDowell Montessori School, a K-12 school that had the highest attendance rate in M’s first year.³ Direct admission to Milwaukee.

McDowell Andrea Coronaa parent of an MPS student who applied noted that the college application process took a lot of stress away. MPS Interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan, a first-generation college student, echoed these themes during the launch announcement.

“One of our primary goals at MPS is to ensure that every graduate is college and career ready. Today, we are excited to announce the second year of Milwaukee Direct Admit, a program that gives our juniors an affordable path to college,” said Galvan.

President of MATK D. Anthony Cruz noted that the program benefits students and strengthens the region’s workforce by providing clear pathways to in-demand fields.

“Together with UWM and MPS, MATC is committed to expanding this opportunity by making sure every eligible student knows they belong in this program and have a path forward after high school,” Cruz said.

M³ has set a goal of increasing the number of participants from 900 juniors in the class of 2025 (about 20% of the class) to 1,500, or 35% of the class in the class of 2026.

UWM Chancellor Dr. Mark Monetone of the founders of M.³ partnership, highlighted the strength of the scale of the union of the three largest public educational institutions in the region. Together, UWM, MATC and MPS enroll more than 100,000 students annually. And because of their size, one agreement between three institutions immediately simplified the college application process for hundreds of students each year.

“Through M.³“Our collaborative efforts with Milwaukee Public Schools and Milwaukee Technical College continue to have a measurable impact on student access, especially for those who may not initially be able to attend college in the future,” Mone said.

Only this month M.³ was recognized by the esteemed Wisconsin Policy Forum with its annual Intergovernmental Cooperation Award.

More about M³
M³ is approaching its first decade of partnership to build bridges to better lives throughout the region. Here are just a few highlights of its ongoing impact.

• 700 MPS graduates have earned 8,000 college credits at UWM and MATC through M³ College Connections.
• 900 MPS juniors streamlined their college admissions process in the first year of the new M³ Milwaukee Direct Admit program.
• 5,000 MPS students chose careers at M³’s work-based learning career fairs.
• Nearly 1,000 college-bound MPS graduates participated in the first two years of Smart Start to solidify the transition to MATC and UWM.
• 10,000 MPS freshmen and sophomores attended UWM and MATC as part of M³’s academic and career planning efforts.

Download the full 2024 Impact Report (PDF)

NOTE. This press release was sent to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. Although this information is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not warrant its accuracy or completeness.

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