Freshmen are more concerned about academic quality and affordability than they have been in decades, according to an annual survey conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles. Sixty-three percent of students said academic reputation was a very-important factor in selecting a college, an…

Young adults applying to college these days are bombarded with information--from the institutions themselves, from well-meaning relatives and friends, from high-school counselors, from directories and news-media reports, and from a cottage industry that has spawned consultants, test-prep centers, and special Web sites. At the same time, they need…

College campuses provide lots of institutions that look like those one finds in a democratic society--newspapers, government, courts--but ultimately the campus versions are not the same. When anybody sign up for college, he/she is volunteering (and paying) to be part of a particular community with particular rules. This article discusses the…

High-school students applying for freshman admission have at their disposal dozens of Web-based and print resources to help them sort through the process. Information on the Web is especially impressive. For students attending a community college, however, there is virtually nothing in virtual space to help them identify four-year institutions…

Explores how perceptions of quality turn students' heads toward certain campuses, but that price often determines their final choices. (EV)

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)

A new Web site provides a new structure for tuition discounting by allowing a student to bid the amount he/she is willing to pay, which member institutions accept or reject. The site is intended to help match students with institutional members of the consortium, usually less-well-known smaller schools. Possible difficulties for both institutions…

Discusses factors possibly contributing to the non-enrollment of all seven black students admitted to the California Institute of Technology including few black faculty, the rigorous curriculum, lack of aggressive recruiting of minorities, and emphasis on test scores. Compares CalTech with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's which enrolled…

Reports that several authors and publishers of college guidebooks receive money from schools selected for coverage, or sell space to admissions offices for additional coverage beyond the standard profiles. Both supporters, who say that such charges are necessary to support the publication, and critics, who feel these practices undercut…

Because of widespread reporting of campus crime, the public is more aware of the problem and applicants are aware that an institution's crime record is a consideration in college choice. Concern for student safety, college liability, and parent and student attitudes are generating increased security measures. (MSE)

In response to the controversial college rankings published in national magazines, Stanford University (California) has posted some of the statistics used in the "U.S. News and World Report" on its World Wide Web site. It encourages other institutions to do the same to make the information readily available without the perceived…

Finds that while more college-bound students are utilizing the early decision process, many others are delaying their decision until the last possible moment. Reasons cited include rising costs, need for more financial aid, and increasing selectivity. Notes that increased number of students graduating from high school and booming economy have made…

A new survey shows that six states enroll more than 90 percent of their residents who attend college, with students more likely to leave their home states to attend four-year than two-year colleges. (MSE)

Reports on a new $17-million federal program that provides up to $10,000 annually to allow District of Columbia residents to pay lower, in-state tuition rates at any public college in the country. The program's rationale is the lack of low-cost public higher education options for District of Columbia residents. Criticism centers on provision of…

College applicants' increasing use of consultant services to help ensure admission to elite colleges is criticized by college admissions officers, concerned that the services assist only the wealthy, and by high school counselors who feel consultants may be dispensing bad advice or may not be committed to student needs. Some feel college…