In the minds of most people, the best colleges are those that are the most selective. The purpose of this document is to discover if students at more selective institutions have or take greater advantage of learning opportunities. Two independent datasets were used to research this idea. The first is the National Study of Student Learning (NSSL),…

After a brief discussion about the evolution and status of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), summarizes some of what has been learned so far about the engagement patterns of different groups of students and some of the questions and challenges the NSSE results raise. (EV)

Describes the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which annually assesses the extent to which students at four-year colleges and universities are participating in educational practices strongly associated with high levels of learning and personal development. Rather than focusing on the institution's resources, the basis of most school…

An alternative view to a 1979 study on institutional quality done by Astin and Solomon is presented. The study indicates significant changes in rank have occurred among the 25 most selective four-year undergraduate institutions. Kuh proposes naturalistic inquiry research. A rebuttal by Astin is appended. (MLW)