A new Web site provides a new structure for tuition discounting by allowing a student to bid the amount he/she is willing to pay, which member institutions accept or reject. The site is intended to help match students with institutional members of the consortium, usually less-well-known smaller schools. Possible difficulties for both institutions…

Increasingly, colleges and universities are using field offices and representatives to recruit applicants at a distance from the institutions. Representatives often spend significant amounts of time with a single student. The practice is particularly popular among colleges wishing to build name recognition and to elevate a narrow market segment in…

Selective colleges and universities are trying to lure top students by offering more aid to low- and middle-income families. This "need-conscious" policy has been practiced at some institutions for years. The policy is affecting some schools' enrollment patterns. Parents appear to be learning that negotiation is a key factor in obtaining the…

The proportion of Princeton University (New Jersey) freshmen who identify themselves as Jewish is half what it was in 1973, and the proportion of Jewish Princeton students overall is less than half that of Harvard University (Massachusetts) or Yale University (Connecticut). Some fault recruitment strategy changes; others believe fewer Jewish…

Many colleges have summer academic programs for high school students; some design special courses, while others admit the students to regular college courses. Some target gifted students. While participation in the programs, which are easy to get into, does not assure later entry to the institution, many parents have that expectation. The programs…

Programs guaranteeing college-bound high school students admission to medical school based on anticipated high college grades are now offered by 33 medical schools; some of the programs are 20-30 years old. Originally intended to make medical careers more attractive, the policy is now used more commonly to recruit high-achieving undergraduate…

Companies specializing in college recruitment are building databases to predict the persistence and success rates of college applicants and to help design recruiting and admission strategies. The field began two decades ago, when admissions deans with good reputations began consulting. Many of these companies provide other services, such as…

A former high school counselor and college basketball referee who has visited many colleges has transformed this experience into a career as consultant to high school guidance counselors. He often favors out-of-the-way liberal arts colleges, and is known for being student-oriented in his commentaries. College recruitment and admissions officers…

Several elite private colleges have announced additional financial aid sources for middle class students, because enrollment patterns suggested previous policies attracted proportionately more low- and high-income than middle-income students. One college feels the new policy encourages families to save for college. Critics say the institutions are…

Women are enrolling in college in greater numbers than men, but the imbalance is particularly acute at private liberal arts colleges. Administrators are concerned about implications for campus social life, athletic opportunities, and academic programs. Some colleges are trying new strategies to attract men. Critics are concerned about lowered…

Temple University (Pennsylvania), an urban institution, is seeking to raise academic standards and is aggressively recruiting suburban students, finding that local high schools are not of high quality. Some critics feel the institution is abandoning the black population and is recruiting white students who are more likely to be better prepared…