Graduate surveys are a good way for home study schools to determine whether graduates are getting jobs in their field of training and whether courses are meeting student expectations. Although telephone surveys are more costly and time-consuming than mail surveys, they are usually more accurate. Survey response rates can be boosted to 50-60% by making surveys brief, anonymous, and "official looking." Survey planners should take the following steps: decide whether to make the survey an in-house or outside operation; prepare a survey budget covering survey administration, analysis, and follow-up costs; delegate control of the survey to a responsible administrator with knowledge of surveys and in-house and vendor capabilities; select an attractive survey format; make cover letters courteous and brief; enclose a return envelope; make a list of question topics directly related to survey objectives, group the topics into logical categories, and determine whether individual questions will be open or closed ended; limit surveys to two sheets; balance the need to require identifying information and ensure respondent confidentiality; make surveys readable, arrange for pretests of surveys; and survey graduates' employers and colleges. (Four sample cover letters and six sample surveys are included.) (MN)