Data obtained from thousands of respondents to the Base-Year Student Questionnaire and First Followup Questionnaire of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 were used to investigate self-esteem, locus of control, and work-, community-, and family-related life goals, and to generate profile means and standard deviations for subpopulations. Specifically, the following questions were addressed: 1) what base-year differences exist among subgroups defined by demographic and personal characteristics (sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, ability, and high school program) and on the basis of modal post high school planning and activity sequences? 2) What differences exist at the time of the first followup study, particularly among groups differing in post high school activities and sequences in the transition from high school to adult roles? 3) How are the changes in self-esteem, locus of control, and goal orientations related to demographic and personal characteristics, transitional sequences, and changes in activities? Clear and predictable differences were found among subgroups; most differences existed at the time of the base-year assessment and were unmodified as of the first followup. Differences for subgroups classified according to activity and transitional states were more marked; those showing the greatest changes in profiles appeared to be those with the greatest changes in activities. (Author/EVH)