The study reviews the impact of the freshman year and 4 years of undergraduate study on the formation of character and its progression from late adolescence to young adulthood. Much of the empirical data used is drawn from the Sierra Project, a study originating in the 1970s that addressed traditional obstacles in higher education in meeting its responsibility for character development through curriculum intervention and longitudinal research. The study's methodology and results are reported. Specific aspects of character development studied include changes in moral maturity, ego development, and principled thinking during the course of undergraduate study. The ways in which the context for promoting personal development can be changed are examined, and the elements of the Sierra Project curriculum considered central in this effort are outlined. Includes 35 references. (MSE)