A public college in Mexico City randomly assigns applicants into a group that can immediately enroll and a group that can only do so after one year. The author shows that the standard model of educational decisions predicts no (or minimal) effect of deferral on educational attainment. He surveyed the applicants to this college for the 2007/2008…

In 2003, two cases came before the Supreme Court that presented the stiffest challenge to affirmative action in decades. A White applicant to the University of Michigan's law school sued the school, claiming that she had been rejected on the basis of her race. Similarly, two White applicants to the University of Michigan's undergraduate school…

Critics of affirmative action policies contend that the elimination of racial preferences in college admissions would lead to a "more-able" student body. We develop a simple model comprised of three classes of college admissions--merit, race and legacy--to show that it is possible that a change in admissions policy that reduces racial preferences…

This study examined discrepant high school grade point average (HSGPA) and SAT performance as measured by the difference between a student's standardized SAT composite score and standardized HSGPA. The SAT-HSGPA discrepancy measure was used to examine whether certain students are more likely to exhibit discrepant performance and in what direction.…

South African universities and other institutions of higher education currently give preference to student applicants from designated "races". This paper argues that such a policy is morally indefensible. Although the imperative to redress injustice is endorsed, this, it is argued, does not entail that applicants may be favoured on the basis of…

Nationwide, low percentages of community college students graduate. Although community colleges' higher percentages of low income, academically underprepared, non-traditional, and minority students are often cited as the reason for low graduation rates, this study sought to examine common characteristics of community college students who do…

The ability to transfer from community college to university is vital in California, where access to public universities is limited to the top one-third of high school graduates and all others have access to baccalaureate education through the California Community Colleges (CCC). Yet a complex transfer process has led to low transfer rates and…

The ability to transfer from community college to university is vital in California, where access to public universities is limited to the top one-third of high school graduates and all others have access to baccalaureate education through the California Community Colleges (CCC). Yet a complex transfer process has led to low transfer rates and…

This report examines U.S. Department of Education data showing the net price -- the average amount of money that students and their families have to pay after all grant and scholarship aid is deducted from the listed price -- for low-income students at more than 1,400 four-year colleges in the 2011-12 academic year. The analysis finds that…

The professional pipeline represents a developmental perspective for fostering leadership capacity in schools and districts, from identification of potential talent during the recruitment phase to ensuring career-long learning through professional development. An intentional and mindful approach to supporting the development of educational leaders…

The BC Council on Admissions and Transfer is always seeking ways to improve the transfer system for the benefit of students. Doing so is informed by research in one form or another. Questions added to the 2011 Diploma, Associate Degree and Certificate Student Outcomes (DACSO) survey sought to gain a better understanding of why some students are…

This case study examines admissions data at the University of Washington (UW) in order to quantify the effect on admissions standards for residents versus nonresidents. Like many other state flagship universities, the UW has suffered from constrained state revenues during the recent recessionary years. The findings suggest that Washington…

Academics are all used to the idea that they have special ethical obligations. They may also, as administrators, recognize special administrative ethical obligations. But they do not like to think of themselves as businessmen, concerned with selling, and few of them indeed have thought directly and hard about the ethical constraints on marketing…

When addressing the best ways to utilize high school visits, education professionals must remember that while student academic preparation, family support and financial aid improve student access to postsecondary education, the adult tutelage provided to students, regarding the requirements for postsecondary success and the process of securing…

In this article, we argue that the expectations, experience, and identities of academics may be just as crucial to improving the participation of students from low socio-economic status (SES) as higher education policies, admissions and marketing activities, but are routinely ignored. In particular, we observe that highly relevant, well-informed,…