THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO DISCOVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH BRING ABOUT SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY DIFFERENCES IN THE PROPORTION OF WISCONSIN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO GO TO COLLEGE. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGHLY ABLE YOUTHS WHO DID NOT CONTINUE THEIR SCHOOLING BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL WERE COMPARED WITH THOSE WHO BEGAN COLLEGE, COMPLETED COLLEGE, AND CONTINUED IN GRADUATE SCHOOL. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE USED TO GATHER DATA ON 500 WISCONSIN HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES OF THE 1957 CLASS. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO ELECTED TO ATTEND COLLEGE DIFFERED FROM THOSE WHO DID NOT IN THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS--(1) SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE, (2) SCHOLASTIC ACHIEVEMENT, (3) OCCUPATION OF PARENTS, (4) EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OF PARENTS, (5) ECONOMIC STATUS OF FAMILY, (6) ENCOURAGEMENT BY TEACHERS, (7) ENCOURAGEMENT BY PARENTS, (8) PLANS OF CLOSE FRIENDS, AND (9) OPINIONS ABOUT THE VALUE OF GOING TO COLLEGE. (TC)