Discusses the critical role that letters of reference written by high school counselors play in the college application process. Study queries both writers and readers of letters of recommendation and attempts to expand the body of practical knowledge available to high school counselors. Outlines 14 suggestions for creating a good letter of…

Registrars and admissions officers across the U.S. will have noticed a gradual but definite increase in students bearing qualifications from CIE--University of Cambridge International Examinations. Most already recognize the Advanced Level (A Level) and Ordinary Level (O Level) qualifications; many are less familiar with IGCSE (International…

Presents a speech by the Minister of Education and Science in the Netherlands dealing with the problem of admissions restrictions in Dutch universities. A considerable number of applicants have to be turned away. This speech was delivered on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Catholic University at Nijmegen. (Editor/PG)

A major administrative and research need is the explicit integration of behavioral educational objectives, such as student body quality or student academic success, with present college costing and planning models. With this objective in mind, this study develops a freshman admissions planning model which classifies high school graduates by…

American graduate schools need to sharpen their techniques when screening the growing group of foreign applicants requiring professional skills. An institution's admissions process can either enhance its overall institutional quality and prestige or seriously harm it in a short time. (MSE)

A survey of medical schools in the United States to obtain a description of the interview process used in the selection of first-year medical students is reported. Results indicate that 99 percent of the respondents use the interview and that it ranks second only to grade point average in importance. (Author/MLW)

Almost all U.S. medical schools adjust applicants' GPAs based on the selectivity of applicants' undergraduate institutions. Analysis of data from 2,033 in-state applicants to the Medical University of South Carolina, 1996-99, found that this practice did not adversely affect the number of rural applicants offered admission interviews. (SV)

Using data on applicants to three selective colleges and an optimal search model, the impact of admission policies on applicants' retaking the Scholastic Assessment Test was assessed. The most common score-ranking policy encourages retakes, disadvantaging those with high test-taking costs, pessimistic self-beliefs, or low impressions of the value…

Joins the college access debate with an original proposal for fairness in college admissions. Tests an alternative method of college admissions, the "merit-aware model" proposed by William Goggin. First reconsiders the issue of racial preferences, then describes the merit-aware approach. Concludes with a few lessons that can inform admission…

Given the overwhelming popular appeal of merit-based college admissions, George La Noue advocates a new transparency in how colleges and universities select their students. He has some suggestions about how colleges might comply with court-mandated requirements for case-by-case evaluations. He also provides hints from which NAS members might…

The purpose of this study is to examine step-wise admission to two medical programs with regard to selection effects. By using data from a large-scale longitudinal project, the influence of background variables on regular and step-wise admission is estimated. Characteristics of both applicants and those admitted are investigated using descriptive…

Article focused on the problems associated with the reception of refugee students into Dutch universities. (RK)

At Texas Southern University's School of Pharmacy, criteria were established for evaluating applicants and determining a relative weighting scheme. Objectivity and reliability of decisions were increased. Criteria included college GPA, GPA for science courses, race, Texas residency, letters of recommendation, PCAT scores, and ACT or SAT scores.…

Presents an excerpt from Essays That Worked, a collection of outstanding essays on applications submitted to some of the top colleges in the country. Admissions officers were interviewed by the two Yale University student authors. Their attitudes towards, and evaluations of applicant essays, are presented. (KS)

Describes a procedure to empower college applicants to choose colleges realistically and avoid rejection. Suggests use of a scattergram model of admissions reality, relating Scholastic Aptitude Test Scores and Grade Point Averages to courses taken or omitted, extracurricular achievements, and other factors. (KS)