April is decision month. And as college-bound seniors weigh admissions and financial-aid offers, the families of about 1,800 students admitted to New York University have gotten an unusual call. For the first time, the university is systematically contacting families with limited experience navigating the financial-aid process to talk about the…

Despite all the alarm that recruiting in college sports has spun out of control, for many athletes the process was neither as intrusive, nor as lavish, as its critics have warned, according to a "Chronicle" survey of hundreds of current Division I athletes. But the accelerated pace of recruiting, and the demands it placed on athletes during their…

The 50 colleges and universities attended by the most 1984 freshman National Merit Scholars are ranked, and the number of students receiving scholarships from institutional funds is reported for most of those institutions. (MSE)