This study illuminates how common holistic admissions practices at so-called "elite" colleges and universities favor high-SES, high wealth applicants through the ways they define and consider "exceptional" performance in extracurricular activities. While many studies have established advantages to high-income applicants based…

This article uses philosophical analysis to clarify the arguments and claims about racial discrimination brought forward in the recent legal challenges to affirmative action in higher education admissions. Affirmative action opponents have argued that elite institutions of higher education are using negative action against Asian American…

Viewbooks are an important medium by which institutions of higher learning entice students to matriculate. Indeed, an entire industry exists to aid institutions in the design and production of these publications and college and university admissions and public relations professionals spend a significant amount of time and money fashioning…

We jointly model the application, admission, financial aid determination, and enrollment decision process. We find that expectations of admission affect application probabilities, financial aid expectations affect enrollment and application behavior, and deviations from aid expectations are strongly related to enrollment. We also conduct…

A medical school's recruitment drive to increase applications from minorities, women, and nonscience majors was unsuccessful. The recruitment program is evaluated and the importance of systematically evaluating such efforts and the inherent difficulties of changing an applicant pool are demonstrated. (Author/MLW)

A model of the influences affecting prospective students' college choice is presented. Recent research relevant to the influence of printed materials on students' college choice is reviewed. Given the tightening of institutional budgets, college admissions officers expect to rely increasingly on the mailing of printed materials to recruit…

Research on college choice as it relates to students' characteristics is reviewed, and the choice process is shown to be a complex series of activities, with individuals participating in it differently. Parent education is a stronger influence than race or gender. Groups are likely to respond to different marketing strategies. (MSE)

A survey of 88 graduate schools investigated the nature of the administrative process for selecting graduate students, factors considered in examining applications for admission, and attention given to prospective students' preparation in their chosen graduate field. Results are summarized, and implications for graduate schools are discussed.…

Drawing on fieldwork, interviews, and literature reviews, trends in college admissions are examined, including increased competition, higher admissions standards, and growth in admissions management services. Focus is then placed on the role of private admissions counselors in providing knowledge, attention, management of college choice, and…

A study using High School and Beyond longitudinal-survey data found students from disrupted families were less likely to apply to, be admitted to, or attend four-year colleges, and less likely to attend a selective college. Differences in family resource levels accounted for the largest proportion of the difference in college choice between…