**Universities shifting away from single‑score admissions**
A series of 2026 reports — led by SGGP English Edition and echoed in analyses from Deloitte, Higher Ed Dive and U.S. News — show a clear shift in global enrollment practices: high‑school exam scores no longer dominate admissions decisions. Instead, many institutions are expanding holistic reviews, short professional certificates, credential stacking and health‑focused programs. For students this means grades remain important but are increasingly one of several factors used to decide offers.
How this affects students in Jordan and the region is immediate. Jordanian applicants have long relied on Tawjihi or equivalent high‑school marks as the primary gatekeeper to local and regional universities. As international and some regional schools move toward portfolios, interviews, English proficiency and certificate pathways, students with lower exam scores may find new routes into degree programs — while top scorers may face more competition for scholarships that now consider broader criteria.
Practical steps students should take now: diversify applications (local and international), build academic and activity portfolios, prepare for English tests and admission interviews, and consider short professional certificates or health‑sector pathways that are in high demand. U.S. News and Deloitte note surges in certificate enrollments and health majors; for those aiming at medicine or dentistry, Georgia (Batumi & Tbilisi) remains a realistic alternative with WHO/EU‑recognized English programs starting from roughly $4,000/year. Also confirm document equivalency early — Shatnawi offers a document equivalency service (70 JOD) to speed international applications.
Deadlines and technical details are crucial. Many universities have shifted to rolling admissions or multiple intake points; others may introduce new application components (portfolios, video interviews) with earlier submission windows. Students applying to Jordanian partner universities through Shatnawi should note our institutional agreements: a 10% registration discount at Applied Science Private University (ASU), 20% at University of Jordan (UJ) and 25% at Jordan University of Science & Technology (JUST). For international placements, start English test prep early — Shatnawi provides IELTS, SAT, IB and AP preparation and scholarship‑matching to identify alternative funding.
How Shatnawi can help: our admissions counsellors in Amman can review your portfolio, map alternative pathways (including Georgian medicine applications and partner universities in Turkey, Egypt and Europe), and manage document equivalency and scholarship searches. For individualized guidance and deadline checks, contact us on WhatsApp at +962791888699 or visit shatnawiedu.com.