The college plans of 167 Maryland high school seniors who qualified as National Merit or National Achievement semifinalists were surveyed. Findings include the following: of the semifinalists choosing out-of-state colleges, 58 percent selected private and about 22 percent selected public institutions; slightly less than 10 percent planned to attend Maryland public institutions, and 8.6 percent selected private Maryland colleges; a greater percentage of black than white semifinalists planned to enroll at Maryland public institutions; most of the students who had decided on a major intended to study engineering (32 percent) or one of the physical sciences (20 percent); 60 percent reported that no more than one-fourth of their first-year college costs would be covered by the financial aid package they were offered; 57 percent of the students who planned to attend a Maryland public institution had most of their first-year costs met by financial aid, while 31 percent had all their expenses covered; and reasons influencing college choice included the overall reputation of the school and the intended program of study. The Survey of Academically Talented High School Seniors questionnaire is included, along with student recommendations to improve the ability of Maryland public colleges to attract high ability students. (SW)