The growing heterogeneity of American society is increasingly reflected in the undergraduate student population, yet there has been less change within graduate education. As graduate education is the pipeline to the professoriate, we must have a better understanding of how to promote institutional change toward greater graduate diversity. This…

What are the challenges, barriers and facilitating factors connected to the various school admissions approaches used by local authorities? This report gathers the views of local authority admissions officers on the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, as well as the issues and challenges they face in this important area. It covers:…

Over the past two decades, college admissions has become a prime-time preoccupation. Most people know at least something about the process, especially if they have a teenager in high school and a college guide on their coffee table. Nonetheless, widespread public misconceptions persist about admissions requirements, the selection process, and the…

This article presents an interview with Joe F. Head, Dean of University Admissions and Enrollment Services at Kennesaw State University (KSU) in Georgia, who has more than 35 years of experience in admissions and enrollment services. After completing an M.Ed. in higher education at Georgia Southern University, Head immediately landed a position as…

The Department of Education has ruled that a federal privacy-protection law gives college students the right to see their admissions files, based on a Harvard University graduate's request. The ruling could help shed light on how institutions select students and on the validity of racial discrimination charges in other institutions. (MSE)

Two differing opinions about the value of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in college admissions address these topics: over-reliance on the test as a predictor of student success; omission of some students' scores from institutional profiles; effects of abolition of the test; and admissions officer understanding of psychometrics. (Author/MSE)

In order to evaluate the role of race in the experience of African-American and other non-white admissions professionals at institutions of higher education, a survey was conducted. The study subjects were 130 minority admissions professionals who participated in a staff development program for non-white admissions professionals. The study sought…

A growing worry for college admissions officers: Will enough students show up to fill the dorms and pay the profs? (Editor)

In a period of substantial change on campus, professional managers in college admissions and records offices must concentrate on professionalism in their jobs. By doing so, and by using the resources available to them, they can affect policy and university direction. (MSE)

While the recent growth of homeschooling in America may not be an overall threat to public education in America today, some school districts are reporting that they are experiencing declines in their enrollments, which ultimately means a revenue loss in their school districts (Hetzner, 2000; Vater, 2001). The U.S. homeschool population (K-12) is…

Areas in which the priorities and concerns of the college admissions officer and the college faculty often conflict are examined, including development of a well-rounded student body, statistical comparisons of student characteristics among institutions, and the image projected by the admissions office in its marketing. (MSE)

Discusses the role of the independent college counselor and reports the results of research on the perceptions of 125 college admission officers and 210 secondary school counselors toward this type of practitioner. Results showed mixed reactions to aspects of the independent counselor's role and doubts about the independent admission counselor's…

An associate dean examines the status of middle managers of support services (admissions and financial aid officers, registrars, advisors, counselors) concluding that lack of opportunity for career growth leads to wasted resources. He recommends that colleges introduce programs of career development and suggests ways the middle managers can help…

Five college and university admissions officers (Richard Whiteside, Robert Laird, Jon Rivenburg, Fred A. Hargadon, Stanley E. Henderson) tell how their institutions have responded to charges that some institutions selectively report data to boost their rankings in magazines and college guides. Comments address the way data are obtained and…

Younger employees in school admissions and records offices wishing to advance within the organization are encouraged to distinguish themselves, find a specialty, focus on customer relations, communicate expectations in leadership situations, keep priorities straight, embrace change and cultivate flexibility, keep integrity intact, and develop a…