This paper reviews research on pupil recruitment strategies and admission policies for magnet programs and their impact on equal access. It is also based, in part, on a survey of 56 magnet school administrators whose programs are funded by the Magnet Schools Assistance Program. The paper is divided into six main sections. Section 1 discusses magnet school information dissemination strategies generally, focusing on these issues: (1) who should be responsible for information dissemination; (2) commonly used types of dissemination strategies; (3) the effectiveness of these strategies in informing potential students; and (4) how to best target the dissemination effort. Section 2 describes the limitations of needs assessment surveys. Section 3 presents a sample information dissemination/recruitment plan which shows how plans can be shaped to respond to particular objectives. Section 4 focuses on the role of building-based staff in the recruitment process. It advises that program planners avoid making school staffs feel that their best students are being "skimmed off." Section 5 provides an overview of the variety of student selection criteria used by magnet schools, and focuses on the most common object, equal access. The most commonly used criteria are racial balance, academic ability, ability in curricular area of magnet, location of residence, and interest. Conclusions are presented in Section 6, which describes how equity problems in admissions policy can arise after a magnet school attracts a particular population. (KH)