For many undergraduate students graduate school may seem a remote, futuristic possibility at best. Yet, reality may dictate that an advanced degree will be necessary to attain one's career goals. Undergraduate education is not designed to be an end-all to the learning process, but rather an introduction to the experiences and ever-changing…

This study investigated the criteria for admission to teacher education at 50 undergraduate universities accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). These universities varied in geographical location, public and private affiliation, and size of student enrollment. The study analyzed and evaluated admission…

Changing patterns in how students apply to colleges and universities have affected the way institutional researchers project enrollment. This paper explores the usefulness of adding student prematriculation activities (i.e., commitment to enroll, registration patterns, and academic ability). Trends in prematriculation activity identified include…

This revised and updated handbook written by recent medical school graduates offers a firsthand account of successful strategies for the medical school admissions process. Six chapters discuss the following topics: (1) premedical preparation (planning undergraduate study and picking the right college); (2) power techniques for higher grades…

This report summarizes presentations and discussions concerning student preparation for college and for the workplace. Three educational reform initiatives were addressed: reforming college preparation standards and admissions practices, establishing school-to-work and workforce readiness, and changing undergraduate curricula and standards. Topics…

This study examined whether the use of trend analysis combined with analysis of persistence variables can be used to establish a model to forecast the first-year persistence of college freshmen. A linear model was created using data on 2,603 first-time freshmen at a moderate-sized comprehensive university from fall 1989 through fall 1993. The…

This brochure provides information for U.S. students who wish to study abroad in order to help them make the study experience successful and with as little mishap as possible. The brochure first covers the planning stage in which advice is given on consultation, investigating study-abroad options, arranging transfer of academic credit, choosing a…

This book brings together the essential aspects of good graduate admissions policies, procedures, and practices. It is maintained at the outset that graduate administrators and faculty should take an active approach to admissions, stating their program goals and priorities and the means by which they plan to realize them. The booklet goes on to…

This paper examines the U.S. college admissions market in the late 1980s and 1990s and how enrollments have shifted, competition has increased, and nonschool-based services have mushroomed. Introduced is the concept of admissions management: a constellation of behaviors which include, among others, the buying of services to help mostly…

The nature of percentile ranks scores is explored using concrete heuristic examples. It is explained why arithmetic operations require measurement on equal-interval scales, and that percentile ranks are not measured on equal-interval scales and therefore may not be added or averaged. The consequences of inappropriately adding percentile ranks are…

This digest summarizes the role of the dean or department chair in dealing with legal issues in higher education. It considers the types of legal issues which might arise for these administrators (such as contract and tort matters for staff and students), the erosion of the legislative and judicial deference given to academic decision making, and…

This report examines the role of the college dean or department head in relation to legal issues in higher education. The first section offers principles of the law, the courts, and counsel. It addresses types of legal issues, internal and external sources of the law, deference to academic and behavioral decisions, the distinction between public…

This pamphlet summarizes the legal requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as they pertain to minority recruitment and admissions at colleges and universities which receive Federal assistance. It describes steps taken by some of these institutions to enhance the recruitment, admissions, and retention of minority students. Among…

Since 1980, efforts to strengthen the academic preparation of students for college have been made on national, regional, state, and local levels. Cited as evidence of a problem in academic preparation have been: (1) the decline in students' college admission test scores in language, study, and computing skills over the past 17 years; (2) low…

Much has been done in recent years to enhance the quality of the educational experience for students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups on college campuses. However, many major problems still exist, presenting professionals concerned with the educational development of students with many significant challenges. This literature review…