This paper applies an original framework to disentangle the concept of meritocracy, and the relationship between meritocracy and fairness, in elite university admissions. In Britain, elite universities are regularly criticised for being unmeritocratic and by implication unfair, but stakeholders often lack a shared understanding of meritocracy and…

This article explores concerns about gender inequality in Zimbabwean state universities. The researcher's interest arose from the realisation of persistent gender inequalities despite initiatives to close gender gaps. Of particular concern is the conceptualization and operationalisation of gender equality in institutions. Focusing only on the…

Given the intense efforts to change federal legislation, it is surprising that relatively little research has examined how postsecondary institutions respond to organizational pressures and local contexts. These "boundary activities" determine actual practice (Birnbaum, 1991) and may be the only way to remedy the exclusion of undocumented…

Community colleges enroll nearly half the undergraduates in the U.S. These institutions play a significant role in the academic, social, political, and economic future of our nation. As historically open admission institutions, with a primary focus on providing access to higher education, they have been pressed in recent decades--as has all of…

There is no shortage of places in higher education--most noncompetitive colleges could admit more students, but institutions often struggle to get the class that they want. Professionals consider the admission process successful when they are able to configure a class that meets the institution's many missions and notions, rather than just…

Marketing techniques have proven useful in several types of admissions situations. The results of a 1979 study of admissions officers' use of marketing techniques indicate that several marketing techniques have been used successfully in situations where selective admissions procedures pertain. (Author)

Presents keynote address from 43rd National Conference of the National Association of College Admission Counselors. Focuses on minority access within higher education community. Commends missions and commitment of predominantly Black colleges and urges all institutions to establish firm commitments to education of minority youth. (NB)

The purpose of the study was to compare college admission decisions concerning handicapped and nonhandicapped applicants with comparable Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores and high school grades (HSG). The study focused on 1,539 handicapped students who applied to 121 institutions that participated in the College Entrance Examination Board's…

Misconceptions regarding the work of college admissions officers and the role of admissions in expanding access to education prompted this review of applied research in college admissions. Focus is on two areas of research and evaluation: college staff visits to schools and college choice decisions made by applicants who were offered admission.…

The admissions decision-making process at Dartmouth College is described in transcriptions of National Public Radio broadcasts. Applicants who are accepted have to be approved at Round Table, where their cases are considered for 30 days by 13 admission officers. These Round Table discussions of specific applicants, whose identities are concealed,…

This book offers detailed information on college admissions designed to demystify the process for student applicants. Part I opens by arguing that the college admissions process is a mystery to many applicants because in large part admissions officers would prefer to have it that way in order to retain greater control. Other chapters in this…

As opportunities expand for postsecondary education, career options, and life choices for people with disabilities, those who counsel and advise students with disabilities must become aware of the facts. Increasing numbers of students with disabilities are pursuing education after high school. One study reports a threefold increase in the…

This is a first-hand account of the process used in selecting undergraduates at Stanford University (California) between 1984 and 1991. The topics covered are also relevant to the procedures followed in many four-year colleges throughout the United States. There are sections on the use and abuse of standardized tests and on special considerations…

This selective bibliography of approximately 900 items spans works written over several decades, and focuses on all aspects of undergraduate college admissions in the United States. References are included on admission to community colleges, 4-year colleges, and universities. Citations are from the education literature and include books, book…

Undergraduate admissions policies and practices at 1,463 institutions were surveyed. The investigation dealt with many aspects of admission, including policy-making authority, application procedures, accessibility and selectivity, student credentials, recruitment, and marketing, guidance and course placement, and differential treatment of various…