TO REDUCE THE 35 PERCENT ATTRITION RATE OF FIRST YEAR STUDENTS (1960-61) THE COLLEGE DEVELOPED A BASIC STUDIES PROGRAM TO SALVAGE THOSE WITH LOW ADMISSION SCORES OR SUBSEQUENT ACADEMIC DIFFICULTIES. THIS STUDY EXAMINED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM BY COMPARING THREE GROUPS--(1) THOSE WHO TOOK THE BASIC STUDIES REMEDIAL COURSES BEFORE ENROLLING IN COLLEGE, (2) THOSE WHO WERE ADMITTED TO COLLEGE COURSES DIRECTLY, AND (3) THOSE WHO WERE TO TAKE THE BASIC STUDIES PROGRAM BUT INSTEAD, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, WENT DIRECTLY INTO REGULAR COLLEGE WORK. IN THE BASIC STUDIES CURRICULUM WERE REMEDIAL READING, WRITING, AND MATHEMATICS, AND A BASIC EDUCATIONAL PLANNING COURSE DESIGNED TO CORRECT A POOR CHOICE OF COLLEGE PROGRAM BY HELPING THE STUDENT TO SET MORE REALISTIC GOALS THROUGH SELF-EVALUATION. AT THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER OF COLLEGE-LEVEL COURSES, THE GRADE POINT AVERAGES OF THE THREE GROUPS WERE COMPARED. ALTHOUGH THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS RECEIVED A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER GPA IN BASIC COURSES COMPARED WITH THE COMBINED CONTROL GROUPS, THE PROGRAM OF BASIC STUDIES APPEARED NO MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ONE INVOLVING A REDUCED COURSE LOAD. THE AUTHOR SUGGESTED THAT THIS STUDY BE REPLICATED OVER A 4-SEMESTER PERIOD. THIS DISSERTATION IS AVAILABLE AS DOCUMENT NO. 65-8012 FOR $3.00 (MICROFILM) OR $8.40 (XEROGRAPHIC COPY) FROM UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS, INC., 313 NORTH FIRST STREET, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN 48107. (HH)