This combined report examines the obstacles that Virginia students encounter as they move from high school through college and what colleges and universities might do to facilitate their progress. Part 1 of the report responds to House Joint Resolution No. 211, which asks Virginia's Council of Higher Education to study the transition between high school and college. Programs are discussed that are designed to facilitate the transition, including an Advanced Placement Program, the Virginia Community College System's Dual-Enrollment Program, the International Baccalaureate, and dual-credit courses offered by four-year institutions. Part 2 responds to the Appropriations Act Item 151 that asks the Council to examine the feasibility of a 3-year college degree. It concludes that high school seniors who take advantage of the previously described programs can complete the degree in 3 years. Part 3 responds to the House Joint Resolution No. 142 that addresses barriers to college graduation including elements in the student's background, choices students make, non-academic pressures on students, and the role of decreasing institutional resources. Appendices provide the text of House Joint Resolutions 142 and 211, and the Appropriations Act Item 151. (Contains 14 references.) (GLR)