Argues that the integration of admissions and financial aid operations with the rest of the campus is a key element in the success of a college or university. Deals with the integration of these functions in a college and explains how to think about integration and the specific forms it might take. (RJM)

Describes the expenses associated with the wide-ranging functions of an admissions office and argues that enrollment management staff must be well-trained and flexible in order to accommodate students' changing needs. Gives cost categories and concludes with a discussion of cost containment and quality. (RJM)

Examines legal decisions regarding affirmative action in higher education. Profiles several important court decisions and looks at race-based admission, class action suits, and the personal liability of admission counselors. Argues that historical discrimination should not influence admissions decisions and cautions schools not to consider race…

Provides an historical overview of affirmative action in higher education, with a special emphasis on gender issues. Examines past successes, along with some of the obstacles still faced by women. Discusses the character of the debate on affirmative action in higher education and the need for campus diversity. (RJM)

Lists the top 100 public schools ranked according to a ratio: the number of Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests taken by all students at a school in 2002 divided by the number of graduating seniors. Explores what makes them great and what other schools can learn about AP testing and innovative methods (MLF)

Uses psychological research to examine affirmative action policy, noting that many studies indicate that affirmative action as a policy has more benefits than costs. Discusses issues of merit, asserting that affirmative action policy conforms to the American ideal of fairness and is a necessary policy. Suggests that affirmative action is superior…

Explores how the focus on class rank has affected students from star public high schools, creating a disadvantage when students try to enter elite colleges. Explains a new approach, "winner-take-all," being utilized in high schools in which schools focus on the top students. Includes references. (CMK)

Media ranking of colleges is often superficial and only further confuses families and prospective students. In addition, some colleges are excluding students to present a "selective" profile. Rationality in admissions can return, when parents and students become knowledgeable about the process, counselors interpret changes, and colleges give…

Examined practice of weighting grades to reflect class difficulty in literature in Maryland high schools, and particularly the Frederick County Maryland school system. Surveyed impact of reworked grades, teachers' attitudes, and parents' attitudes. Concluded weighting to be advantageous in college admission. (ABL)

An institution should know what its students expect of it and should perform post-enrollment evaluations of the extent to which those expectations are realized. A questionnaire with 30 factors based on Chadwick and Ward's attributes scale was sent to beginning students at a large Midwestern university. (MLW)

Three cases are presented that illustrate some of the moral dilemmas in the admission process. Three practical strategies to be considered in decision making are discussed including public defense rule-of-thumb, universalizability, and role exchange. Moral issues include unequal access, confidentiality, accepting someone likely to fail, etc. (MLW)

Texas Tech University School of Medicine targeted Hispanics at the University of Texas at El Paso who are from disadvantaged backgrounds for their Medical Mentoring Program. The backbone of the mentoring program is the one-to-one pairing of these premedical students with junior medical students. (MLW)

Assesses relative effects of gender, place of residence, socioeconomic background, high school performance, and college entrance examination scores on Indonesian public university system access. Examination scores are the major determinant of college admission; however, gender, residence, and background affect who takes the examination and how…

An attempt at the Footscray Institute of Technology to involve students from local schools in its tertiary courses is described. The ways in which the Institute recruited potential students of mathematics and science from pools of students who experience significant difficulty obtaining entry to higher education are described. (MLW)

The context in which higher education admissions tests are used, both intended, validated uses and misuses, are examined. Possible legal problems of misuse are discussed in light of a recent court decision, Sharif v. New York State Education Department. Focus is on three tests: the Scholastic Assessment Test, Graduate Record Examinations, and the…