This study sought to identify distinguishing characteristics of high school vocational students. Academic ability, post secondary school plans, student ratings of their school, psychological variables, values, extracurricular activites, and the influence of various key people were used as independent measures for identifying vocational students. Multivariate methods were used extensively to determine which information from the Longitudinal Study of Educational Effects could be used effectively to distinguish vocational students from general and academic students in the class of 1972. After much work in developing constructs, two conclusions were reached. Academic students were superior to both general and vocational students in terms of measured academic ability. The relationship between curriculum and academic ability was both strong and reliable. No other variables appeared to distinguish strongly academic from vocational and general students. Although the relationship was less reliable and considerably less strong than was the case for distinguishing academic students, vocational students differed from general students primarily in terms of alienation, focus on the work world, channeling, sex, and race. Typically, vocational students were less alienated from school and focused more on the work world than general students. Vocational students experienced less channeling than general students; they were less frequently assigned to their high school program and expressed more choice in selecting programs than were general students. More women and whites were enrolled in vocational programs proportionally. (Author/DEP)