The report described one relatively small but extensively researched special admission and compensatory education program at The Claremont Colleges, California. The Program of Special Directed Studies for Transition to College (PSDS) was administered by the Claremont University Center. PSDS was a 5-year experimental project primarily funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. It recruited, selected, and provided a program for students whose high school achievement was inadequate to secure regular admission to the colleges. The program was primarily developed for Mexican American students, although Black, Asian American, American Indian, and Anglo students were included. These students all reflected characteristics of "disadvantage" and "risk". PSDS provided selected students with some $3,800 per year in financial assistance, a special education program, and up to 2 years to qualify for regular college admission. In all, 158 students (61.4% Spanish surnamed) entered the Claremont Colleges through PSDS. Of these, 95 matriculated. The findings tentatively suggested that carefully defined special admission procedures will minimize failure, although the issue of compensatory education effectiveness remains basically unexplored. The findings also suggested that the traditional cognitive measures used to predict academic success for all students are valid only for the student with traditional credentials. Lacking evidence to the contrary, the success of the program at this time may be attributed to selection alone. (KM)