Admissions officers need new skills, preparation, and increased professionalism. A position statement on basic challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities for the admissions officer is presented. The experience of C.W. Post Center of Long Island University in the changing roles of admissions officers and future prospects are discussed. (SW)

A survey of Hispanic parents in high-minority, low-income areas of six southern states gathered information on parent feelings toward parent involvement in education, similarities and differences between parents and educators concerning aspects of parent involvement, and recommended action to involve parents in the Hispanic student's college…

The techniques used by the Enrollment Management group at Boston College in reviewing enrollment through the year, predicting the attrition rate, and determining the number of new students to admit are outlined, and the data needs and manipulation are discussed. (MSE)

An inquiry letter from an "interested junior" at one institution was sent to 252 competitive institutions to learn about the competitors' responses and marketing practices. All responded. Sixty-one percent did not personalize the response; only 25 percent specifically addressed the request. The most competitive responses were from small, private…

Dental school admission policy must direct significant attention to the number of selectees who might enter each of the dental career fields and to those who might eventually serve population segments that currently receive little dental care. Specific suggestions for improving the admissions situation are offered. (LBH)

Boston College (Massachusetts) conducted focus group research on its admission bulletin during high school visits by having students express preferences for bulletin cover format and content. Students expressed enjoyment of the task, and the process invigorated the visit. The findings resulted in a new cover design researched at little expense to…

A survey of 26,516 alumni representing 120 colleges and universities assessed former students' satisfaction with their bachelor's degrees in 3 areas (personal growth, continuing education, job preparation) and by 4 subgroups (by gender, institution type/size, years since graduation, major). Results are reported, and ways to incorporate findings…

Noting that the technical service rendered by the national testing agencies may be an undesirable tradeoff for the active involvement of admissions workers in admissions research, the author suggests that the use of decision theory, quasi-actuarial assessment, quasi-experimental design, and program evaluation strategies would place admissions…

Although undergraduate admission has undergone intense market analysis, those same techniques have not been utilized at professional schools. A correlation analysis was performed at New Jersey's Drew University Theological School that located a surprise variable, in this case characteristics of undergraduate schools attended, significant to the…

One challenge faced by colleges and universities is fluctuation in traditional enrollment pools. Qualified applicants with learning disabilities represent a potential resource. Professional guidelines regarding admission practices and applicants with disabilities are available but underused. The profession can develop and validate common admission…

A small liberal arts college's program of home visits for recruitment and admissions was evaluated. Forty students and several parents receiving home visits were classified by grades and eventual enrollment in the college, then surveyed. Results indicate the visits were the reason most applied. However, other factors were more strongly related to…

The purpose of this article is to gain practical knowledge about a population of students that is vital and necessary to any university community. The history of transfer students lends itself to the assumption that there is no targeted marketing, specific recruitment materials, equity in events or outreach activities, or equal data gathered in…

Colleges and universities are increasingly committed to achieving enrollment stability through raising student retention rates. The student retention model is designed to guide institutions toward enhancing both involvement and institutional fit for as many students as feasible, thereby increasing student retention. (MLW)

A description and discussion of a university market penetration plan looks at problems and opportunities related to market selection, establishment of performance objectives, timing, use of human resources, developing a promotional plan and activities, doing a market survey, garnering alumni support, using the media, and using college-community…

A survey of one college's freshman and transfer students was used to test a five-component model of college choice behavior. It looked at the relationships between students' perceived decision influences (recruitment strategies) and student gender, residency status, and religious affiliation. (MSE)