At the annual conference of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (Nacac), admissions deans and high-school counselors gathered in September 2007 to grapple with questions such as: (1) Rethinking the role of standardized tests in admissions (many attendees predict that psychometric giants ACT and SAT, will not always dominate…

A survey of psychology graduate admissions committee chairs revealed 5 categories of mistakes applicants make that diminish their probability of acceptance. We discuss 3 strategies that psychology departments can use to decrease the likelihood that students will commit these mistakes in their graduate school applications and provide suggestions…

The home-school movement, a once-marginalized segment of the educational community, is all grown up and going off to college. As colleges across the nation report increasing numbers of applications from home-schooled students, policies have been developed to evaluate these candidates. Translating years of independent study into something that…

In this article, the author describes "reading season," the time of year when admission counselors witness the beauty of the educational process that produces not only outstanding students, but altruistic, artistic, athletic, and creative young men and women. She also discusses "decision time," the period when an applicant is notified of his or…

Describes how a growing number of colleges are using on-site "instant" admissions programs to let applicants know in person whether they have been accepted. (EV)

This article reports the findings of the first audit of Advanced Placement (AP) courses. One of the more striking effects of the audit, the results of which were released recently by the College Board, was a steep drop in the number of schools offering Advanced Placement courses. After more than 30 years of steady growth, the number of schools…

The increasingly popular option of applying "early decision" (ED) requires a student to make a binding commitment that, if admitted to a particular college, she or he will enroll. Now offered by 184 U.S. colleges and universities, ED is a highly effective--and therefore highly seductive--tool for managing enrollment. This author argues,…

The "International Student Guide to U.S. Community Colleges" is the only publication of its kind that targets prospective international students. Published annually, the Guide is designed to inform, advise, assist, and influence postsecondary students in other countries who plan to pursue education options in the United States. The Guide…

The artwork created by David Hammons titled "The Door," is a glass in wood door that shows the words "Admissions Office" on it in reverse. There is a black shadow image of a person peering in. This powerful statement of inequality reflected the frustration of African-Americans trying to get into colleges and universities during…

The college admissions process teaches students how to express themselves during interviews, how to describe their best qualities in application essays. It may also make them wary of college marketing campaigns, and skeptical of being treated as a statistics, due to the large role played by standardized-test scores and grade-point averages. Such…

Discusses sex bias in letters of recommendation written for college applicants. Examples of the problem and suggestions of ways to solve it are given. (BL)

This report presents summary statistics on application and registration patterns of applicants applying for fall entry into full-time study in their first year of university programs. Those few students who applied directly to the institutions may not be included in these statistics. In 2001, there were 325,139 applications by 92,863 applicants,…

Foreign students and visiting scholars are facing delays as, in the wake of the September 11th attacks, new requirements for visa interviews for every applicant are slowing down the process. Many students and visiting scholars are at risk of missing the start of the school year. Some school groups are petitioning the U.S. State Department for…

Describes how parents are more involved than ever in the increasingly competitive admissions process, to the dismay of some applicants and colleges. (EV)

Duke University asked applicants to indicate where they received assistance on their essays, and many of the replies were quite revealing. Some admissions experts fear the university is inviting students to be dishonest by asking them about the help they received. (EV)