Thirty-two tables and three graphs summarize 1991 college freshmen characteristics, including age, ethnic background, probable fields of study, political views, parental education and occupations, parental income, aid received, reasons for going to college, reasons for selecting the college attended, self-evaluation, and personal objectives. (DB)

Admissions offices of colleges trying to increase undergraduate student diversity are being criticized for failing to explain their affirmative action policies to prospective students and their parents, resulting in a backlash against affirmative action as white students fear reverse discrimination. (DB)

Despite a rise in enrollments at women's colleges nationwide, there is concern that the applicant pool is weakening. Average college entrance test scores of freshmen have dropped considerably since 1968. Some see research comparing women's performance at single-sex and coeducational colleges as unreliable. (MSE)

Many institutions have stepped up their efforts to recruit talented black students. Dartmouth's weekend, called "Experience Dartmouth," has become one of its most successful recruitment tools. Weekends planned by undergraduate students and increased involvement of black alumni are described. (MLW)

Some educators are questioning how well the college-admissions system is serving students and society. Some high school seniors are limiting their choices to a handful of elite institutions, while others are slipping through the cracks. The "hype" surrounding the admission process is causing needless anxiety. (MLW)

Concerns about the economy, escalating costs of four-year institutions, and caps on state college enrollments have made many high school graduates look to community colleges, where they can complete their freshman and sophomore years at a fraction of the cost at a four-year school. More individualized instruction and counseling also attract…

Enrollments at evangelical and other Christian colleges have surged in the last decade, outpacing that of secular institutions. The students, many from home schooling or church-operated schools, want to avoid lifestyles found at many secular colleges and universities. Some critics, however, fear lack of diversity in both enrollments and opinions…

Although efforts to keep talented students within the state, primarily by offering merit scholarships, are politically popular, state officials are not sure they will be effective. (MSE)

Data from a 1997 national survey of 464 two- and four-year colleges and universities concerning freshman characteristics, opinions, activities, and goals are reported. Information includes age, ethnic background, religion, academic record, college distance from home, parent background, college planning and choice, educational goals, career goals,…

This study found that students who use college rankings are more likely to earn top grades, come from wealthy families, and be Asian-American than any other ethnic group. The survey (n=221,897 students at 432 colleges) found that only 11% of respondents saw rankings as a very important factor in college choice; 60% found them "not at…

A survey of 220,757 first-year students at 427 colleges in fall 1993 revealed that a record number of students, especially women, expect to pursue graduate degrees. Data are presented on the following characteristics: expected majors, age, ethnic and family background, educational background, reasons for college choice, educational goals, aid…

Increasingly, World Wide Web sites are offering college-bound students searchable catalogs and online admissions applications, and software company sites are selling high-tech recruiting tools to college admissions offices. College admissions offices are overwhelmed with the new options, and worried about how the trend may change the admissions…

Data from an annual national survey of first-year college students are summarized and tabulated. Data include probable majors, demographic characteristics, extracurricular activities, reasons for their college choice, means of financing college, and political, social, racial, and educational attitudes. (MSE)

A profile of a national sample of college freshmen includes information on personal characteristics; educational background and aspirations; college choice; extracurricular interests; probable majors and occupations; financial resources; and personal, religious, and political attitudes. (MSE)

A variety of trends in state colleges are viewed as privatization, including increased institutional responsibility for meeting costs, financial aid shortfalls that keep many students away, pressure for more institutional autonomy, recruitment of private colleges to provide some state-subsidized programs, payment of private colleges to accept…