The dreaded personal essay used to be the toughest part of the college-admissions process for the applicant. These days it's admissions officers who fret about student writing--and not just because they fall asleep reading endless takes on "overcoming adversity." They've got weightier concerns--plagiarized essays, students who receive…

Over the past several decades, affirmative action has become a widely-debated issue in higher education. According to research, race-sensitive admissions policies engender significant advantages for students of all racial backgrounds, yet critics claim that these benefits are matched by significant costs--particularly in terms of minority student…

Recent research of student writing has included a few studies of the statement of purpose submitted as part of the admission process to programs of study, which have indicated variations in expectations by disciplinary gatekeepers. These studies indicate a need for further study of statements of purpose submitted to different departments, informed…

Most recently, many higher education institutions have continued to struggle to answer the question of whether they should promote diversity as a central value of the university or protect themselves from legal challenge by avoiding the inclusion of diversity initiatives. In this article, the authors first provide several examples documenting how…

While benefits of college matriculation are well-established, the portal controlling access to higher education is the institutional application. The bulk of the college application process takes place during a student's senior or 12th-grade year; however, parents and caregivers of high school students need to know that the quest for college…

Applicants to executive education programs have increased over recent years. Previous researchers had not thoroughly examined admission procedures related to the selection of applicants. In this study, the author examined common admission requirements that researchers and educators have used to predict success in 22 unique executive education…

The home-school movement, a once-marginalized segment of the educational community, is all grown up and going off to college. As colleges across the nation report increasing numbers of applications from home-schooled students, policies have been developed to evaluate these candidates. Translating years of independent study into something that…

In this article, the author explores the confluence of discourses surrounding disability, identity, and institutional writing to better understand the rhetorical politics of disability. She argues that a fresh theoretical frame is needed to understand the ways in which students rhetorically manage "risky" bodily identities, particularly in…

Surveyed 81 member colleges to compare acceptance rates for users of the Common Application and institutional applications. Results indicated that a significant number of applicants use the Common Application. Common Applications are accepted at a slightly lower rate, although experiences vary widely among colleges. (JAC)

After discussing the merits of the law school admissions process, including analyzing the racial subjectivity inherent in the administration of the Law School Admission Test and its corresponding effect on racial diversity in the law school admissions process, suggests an alternative admissions process that attempts to identify the unique merits…

With the increase in student numbers and political concern to ensure fair access to higher education, universities have been reviewing their admissions processes in order to improve their transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. The process contains relatively discrete activities--applications and admissions--in which both the applicants and…

A new admissions screening process was pilot tested with 30 nursing school applicants and later with 230 1995-96 applicants, who provided reference letters and personal essays in addition to grade point averages (GPAs). Those admitted had slightly lower GPAs than in prior years, but were rated higher on qualities needed for the future health care…

U.S. colleges are launching an all-out attack against bogus degree holders trying to enter top graduate schools. The crackdown is spurred by increased student use of faked academic credentials to get into schools of law, medicine and other professions. Here are a few case studies. (Author/RK)

Presents seven basic assumptions to help 17-year-olds distinguish themselves in today's highly competitive college selection process: the student is in charge, students must make a friend of their advocates, choose eight first choices, SATs and ACTs don't get you in, the college market is not a tight market, personalize the process, and be…