This paper presents the results of a research study (Spring 2001 completion) on adult women and minority students returning to a non-traditional four-year university designed for working adults over a five-year period (1995-2000). The study analyzed several unique student populations--graduates (recent and alumni), still enrolled, and not enrolled…

The college choice process has taken on new levels of complexity as the Web has grown in both importance and pervasiveness. Admissions offices struggle to balance their resource investment in the Web and traditional publications. Using both qualitative and quantitative analyses, researchers examined the "persuasion" and "information" dimensions of…

Universities today attract a student population less homogeneous than those of past generations. The majority of all college students are women, and adults 25 years and older account for over 40% of all college enrollments. A study was conducted to examine inherent similarities and differences among college students with age a critical factor.…

The effect of Rutgers University's merit-based scholarship program on attracting talented students, students' experiences at the university, and the provision of high quality education was studied. The university merit awards fell into four categories: Rutgers Presidential Scholar Award, five National Merit and five National Achievement…

The college admissions process has grown increasingly burdensome, expensive, and morally corrosive and ill serves the college-bound student. The idiosyncratic college application form is a product of the isolated planning of the college admissions profession. Each student has to complete a different application form for each college to which he or…

A three-stage model of college choice is outlined, and research related to the model is reviewed. The first phase is a developmental one in which students determine whether they would like to attend college. For students entering postsecondary studies, the second stage involves gathering information about educational options. The third state is…

Community colleges must develop a more adequate information base in order to (1) present an accurate image to the community in terms of the quality of the education available and the value of a degree, and (2) provide the kinds of information that will enable prospective students to decide whether to attend the institution. This paper describes…

This study examined differences in ratings between students in a metropolitan university system and traditional university freshmen on a set of factors that influence college choice. Data in regard to factors influencing college choice was collected from a sample of 1,795 University of South Florida (USF) freshmen and 1,108 USF students at various…

This study examined college choice within the African American community, focusing on how low income African American parents understand the college selection process. The parents studied were trying to help their children make a choice about what college to attend and why to choose it. Data were collected from more than 375 students, parents, and…

This exploratory study examined the college search processes of 25 non-traditional adult students at two central New York State community colleges. Using a modified time-line interview, a method developed in communication and information sciences, the researchers found that the college student's choice process was significantly different for the…

A survey of 1,068 admitted graduate students at the University of Michigan examined the relative influence of factors affecting college choice decisions. Factor analysis of ratings of importance of 31 college characteristics yielded dimensions upon which student decisions are based. These results were used to build five scales of importance and…

Three statistical techniques--conjoint analysis, a multiple linear regression model, and a multiple linear regression model with a surrogate person variable--were used to estimate the relative importance of five university attributes for students in the process of selecting a college. The five attributes include: availability and variety of…

A model that accounts for high school students' college selection was tested. The ideal point preference model proposes that students prefer the college that most approximates their conception of the ideal college. Also assessed was the extent to which students' academic orientations (vocational, academic, collegiate, or nonconformist) affect…

A survey was conducted of a sample of 716 well-qualified students who sent their American College Testing Program (ACT) scores to the University of Michigan but subsequently did not apply for admission. Telephone interviews resulted in 574 completed interviews, for an 80% response rate. The interview instrument elicited information regarding the…

Changes in high school graduates' college choices between 1972 and 1980 were investigated, with attention to the importance of different enrollment influences and the distribution of these influences. Analysis of the National Longitudinal Study (NLS) of the High School Class of 1972 and the High School and Beyond (HSB) surveys revealed that 46.4%…